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Yoga has been known for its holistic approach in the development of the body, mind and the spirit. You will feel physically better, mentally alert & at peace - and perhaps most importantly, you will seem to be in a state of bliss with the spiritual harmony you have achieved.
Let us try to examine what actually happens when one employs an individualistic or a per part approach towards total well-being. Notice what happens when you concentrate solely on one aspect at a time. Try to imagine if this will be effective as others have thought before.
Sometimes, in one's drive for physical well-being, he concentrates mainly in developing his body's strength and condition. He exercises consistently and makes sure to be always active. Along with this, he usually subscribes to a specific diet all with the physical heath in mind. Yet, in most cases one will still be found wanting for a sense of fulfillment. And with such a sense of emptiness, it will only be a matter of time before he actually finds no meaning and purpose in his pursuits towards physical fitness. The time will come when he will no longer care that much and goes back to his negative habits resulting of course to a low or average physical condition.
In the same manner in one's search for mental development, one may constantly feeds his brain and subjects his mind to challenging thoughts and ideas. He may also do it in a way that will make him mentally tough. He may want to do so to make himself less susceptible to stress and to exhibit that certain calmness amidst the storms of life. Yet when this is his only focus he may indeed develop a strong mind & a strong will, yet his body may fail him along the way.
With regards to one's spiritual journey, he may pray a lot and reads the holy writings as per his religion. He may subject himself to a strict spiritual discipline with high values and idealistic principles and continuous on with his life under high standards. Yet, without the mental toughness and a strong body to go along with it, he may at times tend to think negatively and feel weak. With this, he may not successfully complete his spiritual journey and fail in his spiritual quest.
The problem with an individualistic approach towards health, wellness and spirituality is pretty obvious. With a holistic approach however, you are sure to cover all bases and address each aspect as one whole system. Doing so increases your chances to succeed in your quest for development in all aspects mentioned. Your direction now is towards a quest for oneness and this is how yoga is seen to be able to do just that.
With yoga, the limitations in an individualistic approach mentioned above are taken away. Yoga effectively exercises your mind and body. With meditation along with the yoga poses, you are seeking unity of mind and body. And by incorporating spiritual thoughts while meditating, you are hitting all three aspects of interest to you. The physical, mental and spiritual development you are aiming for will be successfully addressed.
No doubt that yoga will also help you develop to become a fit, intuitive and basically a good person. You will develop the necessary discipline so that good habits become natural to you. With all these, you will become happy of your progress towards your quest to oneness. Yoga may fittingly be your weapon of choice.
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