Due to the boom in healthy lifestyles, yoga is known to be good for health, diet and weight loss. But what they might not know is that these aspects of yoga are a relatively modern innovation. According to the president of M-club, Park Mi-hee, yoga was originally a form of meditation, mastered by the Buddha to train himself and learn about the world and his place in it. 
   "Traditional yoga postures were actually derived from the Hindu god, Shiva. Different postures portrayed in paintings and sculptures show various traditional yoga movements which are slightly different from the yoga we often learn today. The Buddha then adapted these movements for his own meditation. He tried to receive the positive powers of nature and calm his bad temper. Traditionally, yoga was a movement to evaluate oneself, develop one's good side, and throw away the bad side. Nevertheless, that objective has been almost lost today," said Park showing one of the simple yoga movements from traditional painting.
   Practioners of yoga today, however, can still reclaim some of this ancient tradition, says Park. Meditation, accompanied by slow and quiet music, can calm a busy mind, and by soothing the mind and relaxing the body, it is possible to release tension and think about one's self more clearly.
   Park Ji-hyun (Journalism, 2) says, “I have been practicing yoga for about two months. During those days, my head was clear. I felt my body getting lighter. However, this was not all. During the meditation periods, I was able to view myself critically. I realized which parts of myself I had to lose. I would like to continue yoga for a long time."
저작권자 © Ewha Voice 무단전재 및 재배포 금지