Day 5 of Japan Travel!!! Yesterday was very fun and today will also be very fun. I plan on enjoying downtown Osaka and going to a yoga class at the Vancouver Sky Studio, then explore and get some delicious Osaka food! When my Japanese friends say they don't do, don't like, or can't do yoga because they are "not flexible," I have to educate them on the true origin and practice of yoga. Yoga literally mean to yolk, or union, and it's a union of body, mind, and spirit. In this one kf Yoga's greatest influences in history, Patanjali outlined 8 limbs of practice within yoga, all with the purpose of creating Bliss, balance, harmony, and self mastery of yourself and your life. Yamas: Universal Moral Codes/Restraints comprised of 5: Ahima (non violence), Asteya (non stealing), Satya (Truthfulness), Aparigraha (Non attachment), and Brahmacharya (Restraint) Niyamas: Universal Self Guidelines comprised, also, of 5: Saucha (Cleanliness), Santosha (Contentment), Tapas (Self discipline), Swadhyaya (Self Study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (deeper connection to your God or Self) Asana: Finally this is what people think of when they think of Yoga... Asana, or posture, is the physical poses we embody and practice to allow strength, flexibility, and balance to grow within us. Pranayama: Breath control, or breathwork. The foundation and arguably most important aspect and practice of yoga. Pratyahara: Sensory blockage, practice, and awareness. (Closing eyes, focusing on smell, not listening to the thoughts in your head, etc) Dhyana: Intense concentration practice Dharana: Meditation practice Samadhi: Bliss state ~~~. What would you like to know about yoga? And which of these limbs are you most interested in learning more about?