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UnitFiveThetermyogacomesfromaSanskritwordwhichmeansyokeorunion.Traditionally,yogaisamethodjoiningtheindividualselfwiththeDivine,UniversalSpirit,orCosmicConsciousness.Physicalandmentalexercisesaredesignedtohelpachievethisgoal,alsocalledself-transcendenceorenlightenment.Onthephysicallevelyogapostures,calledasanas,aredesignedtotone,strengthen,andalignmebody.Theseposturesareperformedtomakethespinesuppleandhealthyandtopromotebloodflowtoalltheorgans,glands,andtissues,keepingallthebodilysystemshealthy.Onthementallevel,yogausesbreathingtechniques(pranayama)andmeditation(dydna)toquiet,clarify,anddisciplinethemind.However,expertsarequicktopointoutthatyogaisnotareligion,butawayoflivingwithhealthandpeaceofmindasitsaims.“瑜伽”这个词源于梵语，意思是“结合”或“联合”传统上瑜伽是一种把个人和神，万物之灵或无穷的意识联合在一起的方法。为了帮助达到这个也被称为“自我超越”或“启蒙”的目的，设计了身体上和精神上的锻炼方法。在身体上，设计了各种瑜伽姿势来使人的身体结实、强壮，有协调性，练习这些体位能使脊柱变得柔软健康，血液更通畅地到达各器官、腺或人体组织，从而使身体各系统更健康穹在精神上，瑜伽使用呼吸法和冥想使心境平和、澄净，精神得到很好的修养。但是专家们很快指出瑜伽不是一种宗教，而是将健康与平和的心境结合在一起的一种生活方式。YOGAINAMERICA(DouglasDupler)瑜伽在美国道格拉斯·多普勒1.YogaoriginatedinancientIndiaandisoneofthelongestsurvivingphilosophicalsystemsintheworld.Somescholarshaveestimatedthatyogaisasoldas5,000years;artifactsdetailingyogapostureshavebeenfoundinIndiafromover3,000B.C.Yogisclaimthatitisahighlydevelopedscienceofhealthylivingthathasbeentestedandperfectedforalltheseyears.YogawasfirstbroughttoAmericainthelate1800swhenSwamiVivekananda,anIndianteacherandyogi,presentedalectureonmeditationinChicago.Yogaslowlybegangainingfollowers,andflourishedduringthe1960swhentherewasasurgeofinterestinEasternphilosophy.TherehassincebeenavastexchangeofyogaknowledgeinAmerica,withmanystudentsgoingtoIndiatostudyandmanyIndianexpertscomingheretoteach,resultingintheestablishmentofawidevarietyofschools.Today,yogaisthriving,andithasbecomeeasytofindteachersandpractitionersthroughoutAmerica.ArecentRoperpoll,commissionedbyYogaJournal,foundthat11millionAmericansdoyogaatleastoccasionallyandsixmillionperformitregularly.Yogastretchesareusedbyphysicaltherapistsandprofessionalsportsteams,andthebenefitsofyogaarebeingtoutedbymoviestarsandFortune500executives.Manyprestigiousschoolsofmedicinehavestudiedandintroducedyogatechniquesasproventherapiesforillnessandstress.Somemedicalschools,likeUCLA,evenofferyogaclassesaspartoftheirphysiciantrainingprogram.171.瑜伽起源于古印度，是世界上最古老的哲学体系之一。一些学者估计，瑜伽至少有5,000年的历史；印度曾出土过3,000年前的表现瑜伽姿势的手工艺品。瑜伽师们认为，经过几千年的考验和完善，瑜伽已经发展成为一门养生的成熟科学。19世纪晚期，印度学者、瑜伽师斯瓦米·维韦卡南达在芝加哥做了一场关于冥想的演讲，从此瑜伽传人了美国。慢慢地有人开始练习瑜伽，并在20世纪60年代东方哲学热盛行的时候形成了学习瑜伽的高潮。从此，瑜伽知识在美国传播开来，许多学徒专程前往印度学习，很多印度瑜伽师也来到美国教学，创办了大量瑜伽学校。今天的美国，瑜伽已十分盛行，瑜伽教练和练习者随处可见。最近一项由《瑜伽月刊》委托洛普民调机构所做的调查显示，有1,100万的美国人至少会偶尔做一次瑜伽，另有600万的美国人会经常做瑜伽。瑜伽已被广泛应用于身体治疗和专业运动队的日常训练，做瑜伽的好处也被电影明星和《财富》杂志世界500强企业的总裁们争相吹捧。许多医学名校已经研究并提出能够有效缓解疾病和压力的瑜伽术了。包括加州大学洛杉矶分校在内的一些医学院甚至还为内科医学专业的学生开设了瑜伽课程。2ThereareseveraldifferentschoolsofhathayogainAmerica;thetwomostprevalentonesareIyengarandAshtangayoga.IyengaryogawasfoundedbyB.K.S.Iyengar,whoiswidelyconsideredasoneofthegreatlivinginnovatorsofyoga.Iyengaryogaputsstrictemphasisonformandalignment,andusestraditionalhathayogatechniquesinnewmannersandsequences.Iyengaryogacanbegoodforphysicaltherapybecauseitallowstheuseofpropslikestrapsandblockstomakeiteasierforsomepeopletogetintotheyogapostures.Ashtangayogacanbeamorevigorousroutine,usingaflowinganddance-likesequenceofhathaposturestogeneratebodyheat,whichpurifiesthebodythroughsweatinganddeepbreathing.2美国有许多不同的哈他(传统)瑜伽学派，其中影响最大的是艾扬格派和阿斯汤加派。艾扬格瑜伽的创立者是波·可·斯·艾扬格，他是世界上目前仍健在的最伟大的瑜伽改革者之一。艾扬格瑜伽十分注重姿势的精准，它采用新的方式和顺序练习传统瑜伽。艾扬格瑜伽有助于身体治疗，因为它允许练习者使用瑜伽伸展带、瑜伽砖等辅助器材来减少做瑜伽动作的难度。阿斯汤加瑜伽有着更精准的要求，练习者要用舞蹈般流畅的动作来练习传统瑜伽，从而使身体发热，并通过出汗和深呼吸来净化自己的身体。3Yogaroutinescantakeanywherefrom20minutestotwoormorehours,withonehourbeingagoodtimeinvestmenttoperformasequenceofposturesandameditation.Someyogaroutines,dependingontheteacherandschool,canbeasstrenuousasthemostdifficultworkout,andsomeroutinesmerelystretchandalignthebodywhilethebreathandheartratearekeptslowandsteady.Yogaachievesitsbestresultswhenitispracticedasadailydiscipline,andyogacanbealife-longexerciseroutine,offeringdeeperandmorechallengingpositionsasapractitionerbecomesmoreadept.Thebasicpositionscanincreaseaperson'sstrength,flexibilityandsenseofwell-beingalmostimmediately,butitcantakeyearstoperfectanddeepenthem,whichisanappealingandstimulatingaspectofyogaformany.3.做瑜伽没有场地的限制，一套瑜伽动作通常需要20分钟到两个小时或者更多的时间，而一个小时左右的时间则是一系列动作和冥想的最佳选择。根据瑜伽师和学派的不同，一些瑜伽动作做起来辛苦异常，而另一些却只是在呼吸和心跳平稳的情况下调整和伸展肢体。每天练习瑜伽会达到最好的效果，随着动作越来越熟练，你就可以加大强度和难度，这样瑜伽就能成为你相伴终生的日常锻炼方式了。练习基础的瑜伽动作即可收到增强力量，改善柔韧性并使人感到舒适的效果，但要想达到完美和高深的境界还是需要日积月累的练习，这也是瑜伽吸引人的地方之一。4.Yogaisusuallybestlearnedfromayogateacherorphysicaltherapist,butyogaissimpleenoughthatonecanlearnthebasicsfromgoodbooksonthesubject,whichareplentiful.Yogaclassesaregenerallyinexpensive,averagingaround10dollarsperclass,andstudentscanlearnbasicposturesinjustafewclasses.ManyYMCAs,colleges,andcommunityhealthorganizationsofferbeginningyogaclassesaswell,oftenfornominalfees.Ifyogaispartofaphysicaltherapyprogram,itcanbereimbursedbyinsurance.4.能向瑜伽教练或身体治疗师学习瑜伽是最好不过了，但因为瑜伽入门并不难，所以也可以从大量