The word ‘Yoga’ has been derived from ‘Yog’, which means union of mind, body, and soul. It is an ancient science derived from the Yoga Sutras of Maharishi Patanjali. The history of Yoga dates back to 5-6th century BC and it has its sources in the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. Since its inception, yoga has constantly evolved and spread till far West.
Yoga is an alternative for the malady that plagues the modern world some of them being obesity, depression, diabetes and panic attacks, Insomnia to name a few. Yoga is not a solution only for grown-ups but also for young children and can help them lead a better lifestyle as they grow up by helping them align the mind and body in perfect synchronicity.
There are various limbs of Yoga like hatha yoga (Yoga of posture also known as asanas), Pranayama (Yoga of breathing techniques), Dhyana (Meditation) to name a few. Students can be acquainted with some of the techniques like Surya namaskar (sun salutation), Neti Yoga (body cleansing technique) to clean the air passage and 8 pranayama techniques according to hatha yoga some basic techniques like Anulom vilom, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika Pranayama.
As sessions in academic institutions progress the students are required to perform better in every semester this puts the young minds into a lot of stress and this stress can be reflected in their declining educational grades and physical health sometimes leading to deeper problems like mental anxiety, depression and serious cases suicidal tendencies and drug addiction.
Some of the benefits of regular yoga practices that can be promoted in students are listed below –
1. Enhancing confidence & self-esteem in students by creating a positive self-image, hence it can be used to handle negative peer pressures.
2. Reducing the stress & anxiety levels by promoting peace & harmony in the young minds- by helping to reduce cortisol levels in the body.
3. Improved physical well being through improved stamina, flexibility & better postural control.
4. Improving self-control & self-loving nature and instilling positivity in the students’ mindset. This helps in rehabilitating children with problems of drug addiction.
5. Develops sharper focus and improved attention span in the students.
6. Yoga is associated with improving memory function by helping to de-stress by activating the Parasympathetic nervous system. This is helpful not only in the senile population but also in young students.
7. Yoga can be used as a means of detoxifying our vital systems like Liver, Kidney, Lungs helping to eliminate free radicals from our body which helps in rejuvenating our cells to make us healthier.
8. Yoga helps in bringing individuals to greater harmony and improved consciousness levels.
Our body is a temple and to be fit and healthy yoga plays a very important role in our life. If we want to increase our longevity and to be free from all sorts of lifestyle disorders then yoga is the best way to get rid of all these. It brings about the overall development and enhances a good mood and the overall feeling of well- being among individuals. Yoga is a boon for human beings.
