yOgA.

Yoga is art. It is a philosophy; a discipline applied to the development of the mind, the body, and the spirit. Several years ago, I apprehensively went to a yoga class with my dad. Prior to attending the class, I never understood why people enjoyed practicing yoga. I didn't get what the point was in doing all of those moves. However, I soon realized why people loved it so much. I experienced a sense of relaxation and peace-of-mind while I practiced and held the different poses. These positions are indeed a form of art. Through the practices of holding a variety of body positions (also called asanas), I was able to center my mind and breath in a meditative way. As a result, I had an increased sense of body awareness, posture, flexibility of the body and the mind, and a calmness of spirit. This clear sense of awareness is definitely a form of art because yoga allows an individual to reawaken and to refine their attention which, in turn, maximizes their talents in every situation they experience. Through this focused attention, I, specifically, was able to offer truth to myself and to the world through work, creativity, relationships, and daily practice. I, as a result, practice yoga on a regular basis. In fact, I feel that it will stand the test of time because the mind-body techniques like the asanas and the meditation can put the body in a state of deep rest, known as the relaxation response, which can allow an individual to live a less stressful life. In addition, many people feel that in order to practice yoga, you must be flexible. This is simply untrue-anyone can do it. I think everyone should try yoga at least once in their lifetime because yoga can easily improve the body and make an individual healthy. The purpose of yoga is to energize a person and to gain a sense of liveliness while holding the poses, which makes for a very innovative art form.