Varanasi has been a great center of Indian
philosophy, spiritualism, Ayurveda, Yoga and mysticism. Yoga is a way of
balancing and harmonizing the body, mind and emotions. Yoga is done
through the practice of asana (the physical exercise), pranayama (the
breathing technique) and mudra. All these practices purify the body,
mind and energy system to prepare the ground for higher practice of
meditation and for the ultimate experience of cosmic consciousness.
The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word "Yog", which
means "unity" or means to join. This unity or joining is
described in spiritual term as the union of Shakti (energy) with his
consort Shiva (the supreme consciousness) and this is the central theme
of yoga. At Varanasi, there is a great tradition of Yoga learning and
this continues even to this day. Traditionally, Ashrams and Muths have
been the center of Yoga practice and learning and with the establishment
and development of modern institutions of learning, Yoga has been given
due place in their curriculum.
There are separate faculties and departments of Yoga, Ayurveda, and
Meditation and Astrology in B.H.U. and Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.
Varanasi is the center for Yoga, Ayurveda, Meditation and Astrology.
Following are main centers for Yoga, Meditation and Astrology.
