Yoga for Speech-Language Development

12

Chapter 1

YOGA AND ITS RELATION TO

SPEECH-LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the

evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects

of one’s being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga

means union—the union of body with consciousness and

consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of

maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and

endows skill in the performance of one’s actions.

B.K.S. Iyengar

Introduction to yoga

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word “yuj ” meaning to
yoke or bind. Yoga is the union of the body, mind, and spirit.
Since yoga was initially passed down from teacher to student by
oral tradition, the exact origin of yoga in ancient India is unknown.
Approximately 2000 years ago (Goldberg 2013), the great sage
Patanjali systematized the philosophy and practice of yoga. The
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Satchidananda 2011) contain insights
for achieving this union of the mind, body, and spirit. This work
describes the eight limbs or steps of yoga, which provide guidelines
for living a full, purposeful, content life. Three of these practices—