Page 111 - English_Spark_8

Unit -5 Sports and Wellness

14 Yoga—A way of Life

I can read...
I can read...
This chapter explores the origins and benefits of yoga, a practice from ancient
India designed to unify mind, body, and spirit. It details yoga’s positive impacts
on physical fitness, mental well-being, and overall health, and highlights the
global promotion of yoga through resources like the WHO’s mYoga app.

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. The

word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’.
This symbolises the unity of mind and body; thought and action; harmony between

human and nature. It is a holistic approach to health and well-being. Sage Patanjali
presented the ancient tradition of yoga in a systematic way in ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’.

He described yoga as the means to make the mind quiet and free from all distractions.
Yoga has become increasingly popular around the world due to its many health benefits.

Here are some of the benefits of yoga—

• Yoga postures (asanas) help to stretch and strengthen the muscles, increase
flexibility, endurance and balance. This can improve overall physical fitness. This
can also help to reduce body pains, such as lower back pain.

• Yoga involves breathing techniques and meditation, which can help to calm the
mind and reduce stress and anxiety. It relaxes the mind, improves the quality of

sleep and increases concentration.

English-8 111