Final answer:
Yoga is centered on cultivating a calm mind, purifying the body, and enhancing self-awareness through posture and breathing. It is an ancient spiritual practice with roots in Vedic philosophy and aims to unite the individual's soul with the supreme soul. Yoga's meditative and ethical components transcend its often-perceived role as merely a physical exercise in the West.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept central to yoga is to foster tranquility in the mind, purify the body, and heighten awareness through various practices such as postures (asana), breath control (pranayama), and body and mind awareness. Techniques for achieving this relaxed awareness may include sitting upright on a comfortable chair, creating a quiet environment, closing eyes, and focusing the mind with the help of a mantra like “alert mind, calm body.” Yoga aims to still the thought processes to enable individuals to realize their true essence and to transcend the perceived separation between the observer and the observed. Derived from ancient Vedic philosophy, yoga extends beyond physical activity and encompasses ethical and spiritual dimensions, leading ultimately to samadhi, the union with the divine.
In practice, yoga involves eight limbs, beginning with ethical precepts and leading up to meditative absorption. Recognizing the importance of a calm and focused mind, meditation, the penultimate step in yoga, facilitates the transition to samadhi. Although the West has popularized yoga as primarily a physical exercise, its origins and practice are deeply rooted in spiritual development and the quest for enlightenment, echoing the teachings of philosophical traditions such as those of the Buddha, where the pursuit of inner peace is paramount.