Yoga, by any other name

November 2, 10:43 AMHuntsville Yoga ExaminerMitzi Connell

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Where did Yoga get its name?

The word "Yoga" came from the Sanskrit word "yuj" which means "to yoke" or "to connect."  

Yoga signifies UNION - to make WHOLE.

There are four major branches of yoga (The Four Yogas).

Raja - "kingly" yoga - controlling the mind, thought, breath, senses, etc.
Bhakti - devotion yoga - prayer, scriptures, rituals, etc.
Jnana - wisdom yoga - inquiry, questioning, studying oneself and everything else in life.
Karma - yoga of doing - working, living, being, relating...our actions are reflections of our inner reality

These four yogas, though they seem to contradict each other, actually come together in unison and assist you on your yogic journey because they are tools. Like a puzzle, each piece is interconnected with the other to show you the whole picture. 

"Perhaps the metaphor of the sage will help. He likened the four yoga branches to the parts of the bird. RAJA yoga is the tail, steering, steadying, and guiding the bird with control. KARMA is the yoga of action; it is the wings propelling the bird onward. BHAKTI is the heart, guiding with love and compassion. And JNANA is the head, piloting the bird toward the light with perception and vision. Which part can we deny and still fly?" ~Yoga Beyond Belief by Ganga White

Classic writings, original definitions, sages and books can offer much wisdom and knowing more about the history of yoga can offer enlightenment on your own particular path....but the greatest definition of the word Yoga comes from within YOU, the YOGI, walking your life's journey every minute of every day:

...Trusting and trying
...Failing and crying
...Praying and playing
...Rocking the boat and sitting still
...Washing cars and drying tears
...Changing socks and changing lanes
...Paying attention and paying bills
...Making love and making money
...Exercising your mind and exercising your rights
...Watching birds and watching the clock
...Slaying dragons and slicing potatoes

That's the beauty of yoga. YOU CAN WRITE YOUR OWN DEFINITION!
You write it with every heartbeat, every thought, every movement, every breath.

So the next time someone asks you what yoga is? Give them your own definition.
It will be perfectly whole, just like you.

Namasté,
Mitzi