|[ Excerpt from The Science of Yoga, page 15 ] What is Yoga? It
would certainly seem that answering this question is the first
order of business. After all, before we dive in to something it
would be smart to know just what it is that we're diving into,
right? The term yoga has taken on lot of different associations
these days. A lot of debate rages between different schools of
yoga, as well as within the fast-growing ranks of modern yoga
teachers, as to what this thing called yoga really is all about.
Defining the term yoga takes more than just words. The eminent
yoga masters will tell you that 'knowing' yoga takes a great
deal of exploration and a lifetime of experience. Your
understanding of yoga will unfold gradually throughout this
training program. To start us on this wondrous journey, here are
a few thoughts from some of the classical yoga texts: "Yoga is
the cessation of the whirlpools of the mind." ~ Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali (Samadhi Pada, Sutra II) "… Be even tempered in both
success and failure. Th