(It’s a MYTH) Yoga is nothing more than stretching and It can be taught by anybody.

Nowadays, Everyone knows that the 21st June is Yoga Internation Day. On this day, Everyone will be so excited about YOGA and the result is (An estimated 2 lakh people performed yoga in Kota, Rajasthan led by Baba Ramdev on the 4th International Yoga Day creating a world record) then from the next day, everyone is busy with their own busy life routine. (will try to understand why…)

Now, just a little bit about the origination of YOGA.

The word “Yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit root Yuj meaning “to join together or make union”. So basically yoga is the union of mind, body, and soul. The seeds of yoga were sown in India. Yoga was first introduced by Adiyogi who taught this to seven men called “Sapta-Rishis”

for Indians (us), It only sounds good to know that yoga originated from INDIA but still people are not aware of being a yoga practitioner.

According to the latest survey by Pew Research Center:

Only about a third or 35% of Indian adults said they “ever” practice yoga. Of those that do, only 7% practice yoga daily while 6% do so weekly. About 22% of them do yoga monthly or less. Consequently, 62% or roughly six-in-ten Indians revealed that they never practice yoga.

Despite yoga’s roots in Hinduism, the Pew survey found that Jains and Sikhs are more likely to practice yoga than those from other religious groups, including Hindus.

According to the survey, 61% of Jains said they practice yoga, followed by 50% Sikhs, 38% Indian Buddhists, and 36% Hindus. Fewer than one-third of Muslims in India (29%) do yoga, while the percentage stands at 24% for Christians. The survey further underscored a disconnect between being religious and practicing yoga.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/07/06/most-indians-including-most-hindus-do-not-practice-yoga/Now the question is Why people don’t do yoga,

There are lots of reasons for not doing yoga, some can be very silly

1. I don’t know how to do it; I don’t understand the different styles of yoga
2. I’m not flexible; I can’t even touch my toes; I’m not in shape enough.
3. I don’t have time.
4. I’m not religious or spiritual.
5. I’m a runner/cyclist/triathlete/ golfer/ gym rat and I don’t need yoga to stay fit. I prefer a more hardcore workout
6. It’s too expensive
7. Yoga is for girls. I don’t have a mat or yoga clothes. (invalid reason)
8. It’s too expensive

There are also lots of valid reasons for doing YOGA daily,

All-rounded fitness, Weight loss, Stress Relief, Inner Peace, Improved immunity, Living with greater awareness, Better Relationships, Increased Energy, Better Flexibility and posture, Better Intuition, etc.4

Want to do Yoga, but still have a PROBLEM

Now, The Problem is I want to do Yoga, but I don't know how to do it and I can’t afford the yoga training center sessions because that's too costly and don't have any fixed time for that.

Then the solution can be, we can afford the online yoga training session, there are multiple platforms for this but there are also some pros and cons for that.

PROS:

1. a sense of safety from the risk of COVID-19 (93.92%)
2. cost-saving (82.87%)
3. wider access to trainees within India (77.90%)

CONS:

1. technical difficulties (74.03%)
2. missing in-person contact (63.90%)
3. concern that online instructions can lead to injury (59.16%)

Around 66.30% of respondents were satisfied with the monitoring of trainees during online yoga classes while 70.16% of respondents were satisfied with the level of attention they could pay to the topic they were teaching during online yoga classes.

Now, I think we can get back to the main article.

There are multiple myths regarding YOGA, But I have heard these two mostly.

1. Yoga is nothing more than stretching: Everyone says Yoga is just stretching while in the gym, you can have different types of exercise for muscle gain. At first glance, that's what Yoga might look like, but it's actually not that at all. With an experienced teacher, yoga is incredibly functional and therapeutic because it can be very corrective when it comes to muscle dysfunction. It doesn’t replace medical care, but it’s highly effective for addressing imbalances. You’ll gain strength, decrease tension and increase range of motion, so not only can it help restore optimal alignment, but it can also prevent injury down the road.
2. Yoga can be taught by anybody: If you attend an instructor’s course and get certified, if you attend Yoga classes for a period of time and are conversant with certain practices, or if you have certain yogic books and start practicing, it does not mean that you are an expert who can start teaching Yoga. No doubt, you are aware of certain practices. But, before embarking on the journey of teaching, you should first implement the same in your daily life: be humble, practice the principles of Ashtanga Yoga, and only when you feel.

And at the last, Practicing YOGA should be your daily mandatory job at any time and for practice, I prefer to first understand Yoga and try some easy yoga postures and do it properly.

One more thing, If you don't feel like there is no use for YOGA in your busy life. I strongly suggest just trying it for only 30–45 minutes each day only for 21 days. Then I am pretty sure you will realize the core of YOGA.

Since It was my first article then there can be lots of mistakes and missing parts in this. Please feel free to share your thoughts

Thanks a lot for reading this.