Om: The Most Widely Used Of All Yoga symbols

Eons ago, the study of ancient science of yoga symbols were used in India to bring happiness, health and peace of mind to anyone that cared enough to study the science. The range of yoga symbols is numerous and wide. Do you know that in ancient India the holy men who are called rishis, used to observe animals, birds, plants and other creatures? These observations were used into forming asanas or yoga positions, postures as well as movements. With each new asana being formed, a yoga symbol that resembled such creatures came to be used with the result that many yogic positions came to be named after plants and animals.

Different Representations, Various Effects

Some of these yoga positions consist of representation of crane posture, the fish posture, locust posture, loin posture and so on. Furthermore, within the characteristics of the human body that is very delicate by nature, some very complex yoga symbols came to be used to describe cakras, or the energy of the whirling motions that in turn came to be symbolic of lotus. Each cakra came to hold a specific number of petals, colors as well as geometric shape and of course, a presiding god.

In addition, there are engraved on the petals of the lotus Sanskrit letters that are yoga symbols depicting cosmic energy. It is usual to find on the walls of the ashrams or places where yoga is practiced and where the religious head of the yoga community lives many large paintings of the cakras along with yoga symbols. In the most well known painting that symbolizes Hatha yoga there are, among other items, yoga symbols of the sun and moon and those for the major rivers of India.

If you visit different yoga schools, don't be surprised if you see different yoga symbols since these symbols are used to mostly portray the form of yoga that are being practiced. Such symbols symbolize these aspects and are often accompanied by pictures of gurus, Hindu gods and goddesses.

Of course, the most widely used and popular yoga symbol is Om which is a Sanskrit word. It refers to the ancient sound symbolizing the formation of the earth, and it is much like the Greek concept Logos. The yoga symbol Om is a representative of unfolding or expansion and is spoken first from the lungs and ending on the lips.

There are also many other yoga symbols that are symbolic of health, happiness and peace of mind and are interpreted as such by those studying the ancient science of yoga.

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Om: The Most Widely Used Of All Yoga symbols