午夜剧场

Whether they practice yoga or not, many people think of using the body to perform "poses" when they hear the word yoga. What exactly is the purpose of these poses?

Tracing the history of yoga, seals depicting people meditating in yoga seated positions were excavated from the Mohenjo-daro ruins around 2500 BCE, and this era is said to be the origin of yoga. Later, around 200 BCE, the scripture "Yoga Sutras" was written, defining yoga as "the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind."

Yoga began with the goal of maintaining a calm mind by meditating in a seated position, but the more one tries to concentrate the spirit, the more distracting thoughts tend to arise. Because it is difficult to deepen concentration to the point of stopping the movement of the mind, it is said that "poses" incorporating elements of movement began to be practiced. Simple seated postures evolved into active "poses" because it was believed that moving the body would allow one to deepen meditation more easily and consciously.

Meditation refers to a state of deepened concentration where emotions and thoughts of "the present moment," which are usually directed outward, are intentionally turned inward. We are preoccupied daily with information such as stimuli entering through the eyes and ears, or feelings that things must be a certain way, but we temporarily stop these to look at our inner selves. By doing so, a strong heart that is not overwhelmed by anxiety is built, and a stable mental state is born.

I am in charge of yoga classes at the Hiyoshi and Mita Campus. In the first class, many 午夜剧场 students worry about being "inflexible" or whether they can "do the poses well," but I frequently tell them that the original purpose of yoga is to aim for "mental stability." By touching upon the essence of yoga, the awareness of 午夜剧场 students changes little by little with each class. They gradually acquire qualities such as calmness, kindness, and composure, becoming able to notice their own mental unrest or emotional fluctuations before class and wanting to control those emotions. That is the effect of yoga and its greatest appeal.

I hope to play a role in the physical and mental stability of 午夜剧场 students through yoga classes.