Why Yoga?

Rishikesh, India, April 2017

“Why Yoga? What are the benefits of Yoga? If you had to explain to others why they should choose Yoga, what would you say? Prepare your answers for tomorrow's class," said Mr. Manoj in his Indian teacher training course to the class and gave him his homework.

Everyone is looking for answers. Some people frown and think, some people go to Google to search for articles for this question. As for me… both.

I feel a bit embarrassed and embarrassed with myself that I have to Google to find the answer to this question, but at the same time, I think the reasons I know are not enough as it may only apply to But maybe a lot of people come to Yoga for many different purposes and benefits.

As a future teacher, I think I should understand most of the psychology and thoughts of my future students and “clients”.

“Oh my gosh..” I thought to myself when I saw articles listing so many reasons why I should choose Yoga.

Reduce stress. Blood circulation. More flexible body. Clouds and clouds.

I took a deep breath, and asked myself: “Why choose Yoga?…. Why should I put so much effort into flying to India, to a land as far away as Rishikesh, tired of this damn heat?"

….and I have the answer.

Because Yoga is unique, so scientific and mysterious, full of physicality but full of philosophy. Yoga is everything that no other "discipline" has, because it is not a discipline. It is a way of lifestyle (so cliched). It is a way of living. (Yoga is a way of life, a way of life).

Yoga is a practice method that can train all the elements that we need to train, in terms of physicality, strength, flexibility, breathing, meditation, morality, philosophy.... CRAZY! A discipline that has almost everything? Impossible!

The important thing is how do future "students" and those around them understand this? Especially in Vietnam, when at that time, Yoga was still associated with physical exercises, flexibility?

I don't know, but at that time, I thought, I will somehow bring the essence and true nature of Yoga to everyone, just like how I think about Zen that I once told.

I will tell you about the journey I started practicing Yoga "seriously" and also Nguyen Yoga's journey over the past 5 years in the coming emails.

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