Definition of Yoga

Series Summary

The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root “yuj” meaning "to bind, or join." Yoga is centrally the practice of union, whether you are joining the mind to the body, the human to the divine, or the individual to the infinite. The various styles of yoga that have made it to the West all share a common core: positioning the body into a particular posture while focusing mind and breath leads to physical and spiritual well-being. These arts of positioning the body have been passed on for thousands of years, and encompass one of the oldest cultural traditions known to exist. To practice yoga, then, is also to join with the ancient sages, drawing human history up into yourself and connecting with the past.

In this free yoga video series, vinyasa yoga practitioner Ceci Lester teaches you ujjayi breathing and variations on the sun salutation sequences. Ceci explains the school of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga and its connection with ujjayi breathing. Beginners are encouraged to make a loud, rushing sound as they breathe, though many practitioners soon breathe silently and less forcefully. Ujjayi breathing is said to match the motions of vinyasa itself, balancing the breath with the body. Sun salutations are sequences of yoga poses resembling calisthenics.

Video Transcript

"I'd like to define Yoga for our purposes in Vinyasa Yoga today. The word Yoga can be translated in English to Union. Yoga is over five thousand years old. And the Union that Yoga is referring to is first there is the awe, the super consciousness. And then there is our Manifestation in reality as Singular consciousness. We as human beings have a mind. And with our mind we are consciousness of ourselves. And we can be consciousness of the super consciousness. We can be melded with the super consciousness. But we don't live like that everyday. Our everyday life we use our mind. It's a useful tool to get us where we need to go back and forth. But then the mind can also create Neurosis and begin to suffer. Yoga is bringing us back towards knowing ourselves as the Universal as everything as all. And then we can be more noble, happy people."