Yoga as Physical Culture

I believe that yoga is more than just exercise. In the West though they believe that yoga is a mere way of exercising through the physical movements. To attain that "perfect body" that everyone wants to get. Yoga was a mind body practice with a strong religious and spiritual element. Strong empathizes on the "was" because after it was introduced into the West it lost most of the spiritual underpinnings to it. Many people practice it for some significant health benefits if done regularly. Like for example yoga can be a good way of reducing stress and maybe pain also. Some ways that yoga can empower me is turning my pain, weakness, and vulnerability into strength, connectedness, and presence.  Yoga teaches me to be self reliant and to not care what anybody thinks of me. I feel that yoga promotes a balance in body and mind as compare to running which is repetitive and lackluster that misses out on the balance of the body.   


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