Realize Yoga
认识瑜伽及其瑜伽文化
1瑜伽的起源及其涵义
Yoga refers to traditional physical， mental， and spiritual disciplines， originating in India， whose goal is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility。 The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism， Buddhism and Jainism。
Within Hinduism， the word yoga is used to refer to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy。 In Buddhism yogic ideas can be found in the early sermons of the Buddha； whilst in Jainism， yoga is the sum total of all activities—mental， verbal and physical。
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings， and is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj”， meaning “to control”， “to yoke” or “to unite”。 Translations include “joining”， “uniting”， “union”， “conjunction”， and “means”。 The word yoga may also derive from the root “yujir samadhau”， which means “contemplation” or “absorption”。
Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy with a high level of commitment is called a yogi。
The goals of yoga are varied and range from improving health to achieving Moksha。 Within the Hindu monist schools of Advaita Vedanta， Shaivism and Jainism， the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha， which is liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death （Samsara）， at which point there is a realization of identity with the Supreme Brahman。 In the Mahabharata， the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma， as Brahman， or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things。 For the bhakti schools of Vaishnavism， bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process， where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu。
2瑜伽专业术语的表达方式
（1）poses瑜伽姿势的专业术语
stretch your arms伸直手臂
bend forward前倾
keep your knees， straight伸直膝盖
look upward向上看
lie flat on the back仰卧
lie flat on the stomach俯卧
pay attention to your breath关注呼吸
pay attention to your breathing which helps you to stretch fully into a yoga pose关注呼吸能够帮助你充分的伸展
neck rolls颈旋转
relax放松
repeat反复
leg stretches腿部伸展
shoulder rotation肩旋转
look back as far as possible尽可能地向后看drop your chin to your chest把下巴靠近胸口（2）equipment瑜伽装备
瑜伽服yoga wear
瑜伽垫yoga mat
热身训练 warm－up
直角式right angle pose
牛面式 cow＇s face pose
吸气inhale
呼气exhale
瑜伽应保持空腹状态练习。饭后三到四个小时，饮用流体后半个小时左右练习为佳，练习中另有规定的不依此例。除了吃得饱会引起运动时腹痛外，其他如准备活动做得不够充分也会引起腹痛。在做各种瑜伽练习时一定要在极限的边缘温和地伸展身体，千万不要用力推拉牵扯。如果超出自己极限边缘的动作就是错误的练习。如果在练习的过程中出现体力不支或身体颤抖，请即刻收功还原，不要过度坚持。
Key words ＆ Sentences
关键词句全知道
Yoga’s origins lie in Hindu philosophy， which was developed thousands of years ago in India。
瑜伽起源于印度哲学，在印度已经发展了数千年。
Today， yoga is a system of movements and meditation that emphasizes physical control and discipline as a way to achieve a state of spiritual knowledge。
而今，瑜伽是一组强调身体控制与修身养性的运动和静坐，是达到“天人合一”境界的一个有效途径。
Yoga’s ideal state of knowledge is reached after a person has gone through eight different stages。
人要经过八个不同阶段的训练才能达到瑜伽的完美境界。
These include aspects of self－control， religion， postures， regulation of breath， restraint of senses， steadying of the mind， meditation， and profound thought。
这包括了自制、信仰、体位、调息、节欲、内省、冥想和三摩地。
For a practitioner of yoga， or “yogi” the progression through these stages is a movement from the physical toward a perfect mental state。
对瑜伽修习者来说，这些阶段是从身体到完美精神境界的进程。
There are eight major schools of yoga， each varying in its area of emphasis。
瑜伽有八大流派，每派强调的领域有异。
The type of yoga thatis taught in the West is mainly a combination of exercise and meditation called Hatha Yoga。
西方国家传授的瑜伽名为“哈他瑜伽”（又称“运动瑜伽”） ，主要是运动与静坐的结合。
Hatha Yoga is said to have a number of positive effects， such as reducing weight， strengthening muscles and nerves， cleaning out the body， and generally improving health and prolonging life。
据说“哈他瑜伽”有许多良效，如减肥、强化肌肉与神经、净化身体进而增进健康，延年益寿。
Recent decades have seen yoga gain widespread acceptance as a method of staying in shape， as well as a way of handling stress。
几十年来，瑜伽已广为世人接受，成为一种既能保持身材又能舒缓压力的方法。
The stretching and deep breathing of yoga， this practice is so calming with effective results。
瑜伽术的肢体伸展和深呼吸这一练习可以使人平静下来，效果极佳。
Concentrating on the physical intricacies of different poses forces you to filter out the “endless tape loops of chatter and fear，” says Dr。 Timothy McCall， medical editor of Yoga Journal， allowing you to be present in the moment。 In so doing， you begin to clear the mind of future worries。
《瑜伽杂志》医学编辑Timothy McCall博士说，集中注意力于不同姿态的身体的复杂之处可以迫使你过滤掉那些“如磁带卷一般无休止的战颤和恐惧”，从而使你回到现实中来。这样，你就开始从脑海中清除对未来的担心。
Laughter yoga involves self－triggered laughter that is not necessarily initiated by humour。
大笑瑜伽需要的是一种自发性的笑，不一定是被逗笑。
The exercise routines combine yoga breathing techniques and laughter simulation with stretching， chanting and role playing。
这种瑜伽将瑜伽呼吸技巧、大笑模仿与伸展、吟唱和角色扮演等活动结合在了一起。
“That’s the gist of laughter yoga。 We will be laughing without any reason， no jokes。 We will be laughing because we want to be healthy。 We have to have a good mind， good mindset。” laughter yoga professor Paolo Trinidad said。
教授大笑瑜伽的保罗？特立尼达说：“这就是大笑瑜伽的要义所在。我们要没有任何理由地去笑，而不是因为笑话而笑。我们笑是因为我们希望有一个健康的身体。我们想要有一个好的心态。”
Snake yoga， is a new twist on the popular exercise class。
与众不同的健康时尚——“蛇瑜伽”在流行的健身课程上是一种新的瑜伽形式。
Officially called Kumara Serpent Healing， Snake yoga is an offshoot of Kundalini Yoga—a branch of the form which mixes adopting physical positions with a focus on breathing， meditating and chanting。
蛇瑜伽的官方说法是库马拉蛇治疗，它是昆达利尼瑜伽的一个分支，它的形式是将采用物理位置和在呼吸、沉思以及交谈中的专注度结合来达到的。
The floating yoga performance combines yoga postures with artistic dance in water， showing the art of oriental charms。
漂浮瑜伽融合了瑜伽动作和水中舞蹈艺术，充满了东方艺术韵味。
As our knowledge of health and fitness increases， people are becoming more and more interested in not only taking care of themselves physically， but mentally and spiritually as well。
我们对健康与健身的知识与日俱增，人们越来越感兴趣的是不仅仅关心身体健康，还关心心理与精神的健康。
As a result， many are turning to more complete approaches to health， including less mainstream fitness methods such as yoga。
因此，许多人转而寻求更全面的途径来增进健康，包括一些还未成为主流的健身方式，如瑜伽。
Let’s Talk！
开始交流吧！
Clare： You are always keeping up with the changes in fashion。 I hear now you are warming up to yoga。 How is it？