What does yoga do EXACTLY?

Answer 1

There are many types of yoga, but when most people refer to it they mean Hatha Yoga, which is the yoga of the body. There are also yoga of the mind, yoga of wisdom, yoga of devotion, and others.
As far as yoga of the body is concerned, it causes you to use all the muscles in your body, and stretches them a little more each day, such that the life-giving fluids are able to circulate properly around the body, therefore avoiding things like reumatism and arthritis in later life.
As each muscle is strengthened, it helps guard against injury, and keeps the body in good shape.
Additionally, the breathing techniques, and concentration techniques are an aid to the mind.
The combination helps you in every activity in life, as nothing is 'too much trouble', so you do many more things than you would otherwise do, and therefore have a far more fulfilling life.

Answer 2

There are many benefits to doing yoga. It helps you increase your muscle flexibility, relaxes your tense nerves and helps in controlled breathing (hence reduce stress and cope with diseases such as cancer).

For more information about how beneficial yoga is, here is a resource that you can check up on - the information is contributed by various writers on the subject of yoga -
http://www.healthandwellnesscentral.com/Category/Yoga/59

Answer 3

Yoga has been called a science or technology of liberation. This is because, unlike purely theoretical philosophies, yoga seeks to provide the student with a practical path (or indeed many possible paths) towards the common goal of liberation. As explained above, Yoga is a diverse tradition, which makes it quite difficult to provide a concise summary of the philosophy. One approach is to consider common elements that are found in all (or nearly all) branches of the tradition.

Within othodox Hindu philosophy there are six schools (astika) that recognise Vedic authority, of which Yoga is one. These schools are traditionally placed into three complimentary pairs - Yoga being paired with Samkhya, which is the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems in Hinduism. The Samkhya school has deeply influenced the Hindu Yoga school of philosophy. Samkhya philosophy regards the universe as consisting of two eternal realities: Purusha and Prakrti; it is therefore a strongly dualist and enumerationist philosophy. The Purusha is the centre of consciousness, whereas the Prakriti is the source of all material existence. Sage Kapila is traditionally considered to be the founder of the Samkhya school, although no historical verification is possible. The definitive text of classical Samkhya is the extant Samkhya Karika, written by Ishvara Krishna, circa 200 CE.

Returning to the practical side, the first step for any potential student (shishya or chela) of yoga is to find a suitable teacher. Traditionally, this relationship would be with a guru - who is seen as an embodiment of the Divine - and would involve a relatively full-time committment to study, often involving manual service to the guru as a form of payment for instruction. A guru may also found an ashram or order of monks. Many gurus write modern translations and elucidations of classical texts, explaining how their particular teachings should be followed. In practice, the modern western student is much more likely to attend a local yoga course and receive instruction from a teacher who are themselves practicing the style of a particular school founded by a guru. It is often a mark of accomplishment and authenticity if a yoga teacher can demonstrate their close link to a guru with a strong lineage.

In all braches of yoga, the ultimate goal is the attainment of liberation from worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death (Samsara). Yoga entails mastery over the body, mind, and emotional self, and transcendence of desire. It is said to lead gradually to knowledge of the true nature of reality. The Yogi reaches the enlightened state (Moksha) where there is a cessation of thought and an experience of blissful union. This union may be of the individual soul (Atman) with the supreme Reality (Brahman), as in Vedanta philosophy; or with a specific god or goddess, as in theistic forms of Hinduism and some forms of Buddhism. Enlightenment may also be described as cessation of mental fluctuations (citta-nirodha) accompanied by extinction of the limited ego, and direct and lasting perception of the non-dual nature of the universe.

Answer 4

yoga does a verity of things. if you are stressed out it can and/or relaxe you. it can help with flexiblity. it can help you loss wieght, which fits in with the stress. when your stressed its possible you may gain wieght and if you have a stress relever,perforable one that involves exersise then you will loss and not gain weight

Answer 5

He's a bear in Jellystone Park.

Answer 6

Relaxs your mind and sole after a hard day