By now you have probably realized that yoga is a very popular activity and form of exercise. But have YOU ever considered doing yoga? Maybe you haven’t for a variety of reasons. The truth is that many of the reasons people don’t do yoga as based on myths. Hopefully this article will clear up some myths about yoga and you might start taking yoga classes too!

Myth 1: Yoga is Only For Young People
Yoga is enjoyed by people of all ages. This great form of exercise is enjoyed by people of all ages. Small children can enjoy creative yoga classes where they transform there bodies along with instructions from a story. Older people 50+ with consistent practice can perform all the same postures as a a younger person. They may not be able to bend over backwards but they can still bend back and it will be good for them!

Myth 2: Yoga is Only for Fit People
The only reason this myth exists is because of how well yoga works. Within weeks of going to yoga classes 3-4 time a week people start to see results. Those who go consistently are some of the best looking, healthy, in shape people you will ever meet! Those who start doing yoga but are not very flexible can be assisted with the help of yoga blocks and straps to help them in the poses. Another important thing to realize about doing yoga is that all the poses can be done to varying degrees. Its not important to do the poses perfectly. You get all the benefits of the postures simply by TRYING! Yoga is all about effort. When you make an effort you get results. End of story, end of myth.

Myth 3: Yoga is Only for Spiritual People or Hippies
People from all walks of life do yoga and while it has a spiritual background and was designed to help people with spiritual purposes it has since evolved and changed to suit the attitudes, beliefs and lifestyles of everyone.

For those who don’t know, yoga was originally “designed” to help people keep in shape while meditating. You can’t expect to sit still all day everyday and live for a long time! People need exercise and fitness!

Further more,most all of yoga’s “spiritual” teachings come from inside. Its a personal experience. Some people might use yoga to feel more calm which helps them focus on their spirituality, others may feel like being committed to their health enhances their commitment to their spirituality.

Yoga is very scientific too, its not hard to see the medical and health benefits yoga brings to people. So feel free to analyze and deconstruct to your inner scientists hearts content!

We have just learned that almost anyone can do yoga. The young and old can both do the postures and enjoy the exercise. People of all sizes and shapes participate and see amazing results. Finally, all kinds of beliefs work inside the yoga construct. So, hopefully now you have a few less reasons not to start to enjoy the benifits of this wonderful activity yourself today!

Now whether to believe in or not is still a dilemma to many of us. But in these texts, the other effects of Yoga and Pranayama techniques can be seen and experienced with great benefits, and for this reason one is compelled to believe that the description of psychic powers may be true.

Mainly eight types of psychic powers are described. The first is “Anima” that is the ability to become as small as atom. There are some stories of Lord Hanuman, the Monkey God who transformed himself in to a small object and could enter in to the kingdom of Ravana, the demon who captured wife of Lord Rama.

The second power is “Laghima”, the ability to become weightless. Some people claim that they can walk on water, or fly in air without any external help or floating in the air or a yogi levitating during the meditation.

Third power is “Mahima”, ability to become as big as universe. Again the story of Ramayana mentions that Hanuman, the monkey God transformed himself in to a very big object while crossing the sea and fighting with demons.

Fourth is “Garima”, the ability to become very heavy, Bhima, one of the Pandavas in the story of Mahabharat, had this ability to become very heavy at times and no one could beat him.

“Prapti” is the fifth power. It is the ability to reach any place as per will and within no time. There were some psychic spying experiments carried out for getting more information of remote place, and some of the experiments were proved to be 95 % correct.

“Prakamya” is the ability to get the desired. It is like a Genie of Alladin, what ever one wish for, it comes true. If one wishes for Youth for ever, he will be young for ever.

“Vashitva” is to control other objects, live as well as other objects. And finally the last power is “Ishtatva” and this is the ability to create and destroy the objects at will, it equals the role of God, this is the ultimate power one can achieve with dedicated practice of Yoga techniques.

Though it is very difficult to achieve these powers, especially living the life as a family man and in society, the texts say that it is not impossible. But at the same time texts call these powers as hurdles in the path of self realization. So there are ways mentioned in the books to overcome these problems which one may face after achieving the psychic power. There are examples of Yogis who got fascinated by the powers they acquired and ultimately were responsible for their downfall. So Patanjali in his Yoga sutras talk about the powers as hurdles in the path of self illumination.

So now what should be the aim of practice of Yoga, whether it is to achieve any of these or to realize the self & God. Undoubtedly it is to realize the Atman, and not achieving these powers.

Lot of practitioners of Yoga talk about extra sensorial powers, Swami Niranjananda of Bihar school of yoga raised a very practical point of view; one should be the master of his sensory organs and mind first to talk about extra sensory powers. Mastering your own mind and sense organs in it self is very difficult to achieve. So the objectives of practice of yoga should be to master your own mind first..