Thought you knew everything there was to know about yoga? Think again! Check out the five fascinating facts even we didn’t know below!
1. According to a 2008 study, around 16 million Americans regularly practice yoga.
2. One of the first Westerners to practice yoga was Carl Jung, a renowned Swiss psychiatrist known for founding analytical psychology and his friendship with well-known neurologist Sigmund Freud.
3. The Rig Veda is one of the oldest Hindu scriptures, as well as one of the oldest texts in the world. It documents the first mention of yoga, specifically Veda yoga, which is the oldest known form of yoga.
4. Om is part of both Hindu and Buddhist philosophy, and in Hinduism the three major sounds of OM (A-U-M) are representative of the three major Hindu deities (called Trimurti). They are: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the maintainer or preserver, and Shiva the destroyer or transformer.
5. The Sanskrit definition of the word yoga is simple but powerful. It means unity. This reflects yoga’s power to positively influence the body, mind and spirit, integrating them into the whole and harmonious person that is uniquely You! Once we have achieved unity in ourselves, we can create more unity in the world around us.
From: Barefoot Yoga