Yoga for Millennials: An ancient practice for a modern generation (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781987533361)

Several millennia ago, astute human ancestors recognized the health benefits of engaging the body in several physical postures - as an exercise. These series of poses were devised by watching living things, especially animals, and many poses are named after them. This knowledge was transferred from generation to generation verbally and via physical illustration. These practices would, after several thousand years, become united under the term 'yoga'. The term "yoga," is found in ancient India's earliest known scripts - the Vedas. These writings date from the Vedic period, which began in 1500 BCE. They are composed in Vedic Sanskrit and are the oldest writings of Hinduism and Sanskrit literature. The word 'yoga' means 'to join' or 'to yoke' or 'to unite' and is derived from the Sanskrit root 'yuj'. According to the sages, yoga unites the human consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness. This leads to a perfect harmony between the mind and body, and the humans and nature. Patanjali, often considered the father of yoga, systematically organized (approximately 1700 years ago) the ancient knowledge into aphorisms, collectively known as the' Yoga-Sûtras'. Modern yoga is based on these writings. Yoga was introduced to the West in the late 1800s and early 1900s by yoga 'gurus' from India. Swami Vivekananda in the late 19th and early 20th century made an important contribution towards this, but its real popularity in the US started after Indra Devi opened her yoga studio in Hollywood in 1947. Today, yoga is a popular system of physical exercise across the Western world. The number of yoga practitioners in the US has risen from 4 million in 2001 to 20 million in 2011. And millions more have started practicing yoga across the globe. The medical community has also recognized that yoga practice leads to a plethora of health benefits. Noting its blossoming popularity, and its evidence-based health benefits, the United Nations General Assembly has marked June 21 as the International Yoga Day. Health and longevity appears to have peaked in the US. The lifespan has recently shown a downward trend and obesity, inactivity and mental disorders are on the rise. Experts tell us that only about 3% Americans follow a 'healthy' lifestyle. These data do not portend a healthy future for this country. Millennials, the most educated and probably the most health obsessed generation of all times, are unfortunately, travelling along the same road. Besides obesity and inactivity, they are also under considerable emotional stress. It is estimated that 60% of this population is experiencing excessive stress while 51% have depression or anxiety. Yoga practice can help reverse this negative trend. This book provides a simple 60 pose routine that can be done routinely and can be modified as per time availability. Another set of 30 poses, somewhat intermediate in complexity, are also provided. These can be incorporated into the earlier routine as the practitioner gets comfortable. A set of breathing exercises and meditation techniques are also detailed. These exercises should help keep the practitioner healthy, both physically and mentally, and enhance their spiritually unitedness with the Universal Consciousness.

Author: Shashi K. Agarwal MD
ISBN-10: 1987533364
ISBN-13: 9781987533361
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Language: English
Published: 03/15/2018
Pages: 302
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.89lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.63d