Yoga accessories, Mats, and blocks.

Yoga is the practice of physical and mental discipline. It originated among the practitioners of Hinduism and Buddhism in India. There are statues depicting both Buddha and Hindu gods such as Shiva in yoga positions, meditating. The history of the practice in those areas goes back centuries, if not millennia. In Western culture, on the other hand, yoga is a new fad, much like the latte.

Calling it a fad doesn’t credit yoga for the deep and rich history that it bears. However, a modern yoga studio in LA will bear little resemblance to that history, and those who attend it will by and large have little interest in such a history. In the event that you are one of those interested in the history of yoga, you have come to the right place.

Yoga’s roots are in the shamanistic tradition of seeking enlightenment. The first references to yoga are found in writings dated in the fifth to eighth centuries B.C. They depicted it not as an exercise, but as a method of meditation. It was closely intertwined with the philosophy of Samkhya. Samkhya outlines a basic fundamental way of looking at the universe in all its complexities. Yoga, on the other hand, offered a means of disentangling oneself from those things that truly should not matter so that one could seek peace and enlightenment.

As yoga developed, it traditionalized certain postures and forms, as well as branching out into different areas. In particular it branched into yoga of action, yoga of devotion, and yoga of knowledge. Today western yoga schools practice Karma Yoga primarily, which is the yoga of action. This is the stretching, contortionist aspect of yoga that encompasses a mere third of the overall philosophy.

The branches of knowledge and devotion did not make the translation to Western culture nearly as well as the yoga of action for fairly simple reasons. It is much easier to teach someone who doesn’t speak your language movements than it is to convey to them thought processes. Because of this, traditional practitioners may see Western yoga as going through the right motions without understanding why you are doing them.

Regardless of the whys involved, yoga has recently become popular in the West. It is primarily seen as an exercise, rather than a life philosophy. Classes are taught by experienced practitioners of yoga exercise, and signing up for them is a great way to learn the forms under the eye of someone who can spot weaknesses in your techniques before they become bad habits.

The clothing worn when practicing yoga should allow for free movement of the body. This means that the clothing needs to be either extremely loose, or form fitting and extremely elastic. Which style of clothing you choose is up to you, there is no right or wrong, as long as you can attain the proper positions.  In addition to proper clothing, you will need a block or mat for positioning. Some of the forms used in yoga can be quite delicate to properly balance, and you’ll be thankful that you had a yoga mat the first time one goes wrong and you go toppling. You will find that having the proper yoga accessories will make your session flow more smoothly.

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