yoga vs stretching

[levani]

what is the actual non bs difference

it's the same thing no ?

 

j krishna said in one of his videos and i wanted to see what you koooonts had to say about it

[Gianna]

Yoga is stretching + breathing 

stretching could just be stretching 

 

the breathing component in yoga is what makes it so meditative. (Prana/life force energy embedded in movement)

also, some forms of yoga incorporate intense balance, focus, and strength— another meditative component that differentiates from mere stretching.  

Edited September 25, 2021 by Gianna

[RickyFitts]

3 hours ago, Gianna said:

Yoga is stretching + breathing 

Pretty much nails it for me  

[Batman]

Yoga, in the physical practice aspect of it, is a manipulation of mind. This is because the poses (asanas) were designed to serve as a tool to let go of conceptual activities such as thoughts, beliefs, assumption and so on.

For example, if someone had rough childhood in which he was bullied by other kids, this could give rise to assumptions such as "The world is a dangerous place" or "I am not capable of protecting my self". This, in turn, may motivate the self to embrace natural defensive tactics such as contracted shoulders or forward bent back/neck. This may also cause shortness of breath or other contracted areas in the body-mind.

Proper practicing of asanas of breathing will gradually nibble thought patterns and the body movements that accompany them. This is why it is crucial not to use push or pull to enter into an asana, and not to hold your breath for entering or maintaining some pose. The asanas are to be practiced by gradual relaxation of the mind that cause the tension in the relevant posture, while maintaining steady breath throughout the practice.

Another example are balancing pose. Those usually require focus and concentration, due to the adjustments that are needed to hold the pose (for example: handstand, headstand, crow, half moon and many more). If a practitioner of yoga doubt his ability to maintain a balancing pose, or suffers from "monkey mind", then the activity of mind will affect his ability. Practicing regularly allows one to relinquish the mind from the body.

[Zega]

Yoga means union

Hatha yoga is more body focused, which is what I'm assuming you're talking about, but there's pranayama, kriya, kundalini, etc.

Some yoga is just breathing and mantra and doesn't involve stretching. Stretching is great, yes, and breathing exercises are great, but yoga as I see it is more of a mind body spirit connection.

Leo has a video, I think it's called "Real Yoga" and he explains the importance of it. 

[mandyjw]

 

13 minutes ago, Zega said:

Yoga means union

This. The word yoga has meant so many different things for so many different people at different times that it really doesn't have much of a meaning anymore. This is the end goal with all word meanings, really, they have the meaning you give them. Some people say true yoga is simply meditation, nonduality, realizing your true nature, etc. Others refer to a spiritual but also physical practice that unites mind and body. Others refer to the different branches practices within the of exercise/stretching meaning of yoga. 

[Thought Art]

@levani Stretching is an aspect of Yoga. There are many kinds of yoga. The most prominent in the west focuses on building core strength, stretching and removing stress from the psychical, emotional and energetic body. There are many types of yoga, and yoga actually is a big word that means more than any breathing or physical technique. 

Every teacher has a dogma. Looking at J. K he could have used a little exercise ahaha. 

I remember this being a pretty detailed explanation. 

You can't separate any part of reality from any other part. They yolk.

I also recommend Sadhguru's Inner Engineering

Leo also has great books on some types of yoga on his booklist.

Edited September 25, 2021 by Thought Art

[hamedsf]

stretching is just screeching some part of body.

but yoga consists of stretching some part of your body in order to aim a specific organ for stimulation, energy and blood flow, plus it has some deep breathing magic. 

[Gianna]

12 hours ago, RickyFitts said:

Pretty much nails it for me  

[RickyFitts]

1 hour ago, Gianna said: