Informative Speech on Yoga

Informative Speech By:Amber Samworth Topic: Yoga General Purpose: To Inform. Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about yoga. Thesis Statement: I want my audience to be informed about what yoga is, its history, and why it has become so popular in recent years. Introduction I. (Open w/impact) According to Ann Pizer, a Yoga Alliance Certified Instructor, in an article last accessed on September 18th 2007, for Yoga. About. Com. â€Å"Yoga means â€Å"union† in Sanskrit, the language of Ancient India where yoga first originated. We can think of that union occurring between the mind, body, and spirit. II. (Introduce topic) As you can see, yoga is an incredibly healthy practice. III. (Establish credibility) I have just recently started doing yoga and I have already noticed a change in my life because of it. IV. (Audience adaptation) Most of you may be asking yourselves: â€Å"How can yoga possibly help me? † V. (Preview main points) Hopefully I can help you answer that qu estion by informing you about what yoga is, what its history is, and why it has become so popular in recent years. Body I. So what exactly is yoga? A. It’s basically a way to create balance in the body by developing strength, flexibility, spirituality and emphasizing a non-materialistic lifestyle. B. Ann Pizer goes on to say that â€Å"’Yoga’ is more accurately described by the Sanskrit word â€Å"asana† which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses. † C. The yoga poses are essential to a yoga class. Most people go to a class because there is an instructor and other motivated people. 1. Rod Hutchings, a member of the Yoga Teacher’s Association of Australia, states in an article on http://www. oga. net. au, last accessed on September 18th 2007, titled â€Å"What is Yoga† that â€Å"A class starts with breathing exercises, then begins with gentle asanas and works up to more difficult ones. † 2. A class will usually exercise all parts of the body and will include breathing practices as well as guided meditation. 3. The poses are as diverse as the instructor and inclu de: sitting, standing, forward bends, back bending, twisting postures, and upside-down asanas. 4. Classes are a good way to go for a lot of people but they do have their drawbacks. . The classes can be difficult for people with physical limitations. b. The classes can also be expensive and are not right for people who feel self conscious in a large group. D. However, there are other options for people who choose to do a yoga program on their own. 1. There is a wealth of knowledge online or they can watch a DVD. 2. Plus, there are several different kinds of yoga, which are tailored to fit what the person is trying to gain from it. a. Hatha yoga is the most common form; it deals with physical postures and breathing. b. Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga are recommended for people who want a more spiritual experience. Transition: Yoga appeals to a lot of people because it offers flexibility and is an art form that has been around for thousands of years. II. Yoga can actually be traced back to 3,000 BC but many people believe that it began with the creation of man. A. According to Shane Bance, a yoga historian, in an article on ABC of yoga. com titled â€Å"Yoga History†, written on April 25th 2006, â€Å"Ancient Stone seals that depict yoga poses were discovered recently. They are believed to be from the first civilizations in ancient India. † B. The history of yoga can be broken down into four periods. 1. The Vedic Period is the period in which yoga began. a. It started with the early religion Brahmanism which was early Hinduism. 2. The Pre-Classical period is the second era. a. It is during this period that we begin to see a correlation between yoga and Buddhism. b. Siddhartha Guatama, who is considered to be the main Buddha, was the first to study yoga. 3. By the third period, the â€Å"Classical Period†, yoga becomes more structured. a. In the 2nd Century, Patan Jali attempts to define yoga in his â€Å"Yoga Sutra† which is an eightfold path of yoga. 4. The fourth and final period is referred to as the Post Classical period, which extends into present day. a. Yoga was first introduced to the west in the late 1800s as an eastern philosophy class that most universities offered. b. Guru Swami Sivananda, a noted Malaysian Physician, modified Patan Jali’s 8 principles into just 5 that are still used today. Transition: It is believed that if you combine all five principles, you will be in tune physically, mentally, and spiritually. Now you can see why yoga has become so popular in our society. III. Many of the reasons why it has become so popular is because yoga is extremely beneficial to the body A. In an article on www. stress. about. com titled â€Å"The Benefits of Yoga for Stress Management†, last accessed on September 20th 2007; Elizabeth Scott M. S. says that the following ailments can be benefited by yoga. 1. Stress management. . Sound sleep. 3. Allergy symptom relief. 4. Lower blood pressure and heart rate. 5. Spiritual growth. 6. Sense of well being. 7. Increased strength and flexibility. 8. Slowed aging process, and these are just to name a few. B. Julie Stachowiak PhD admits in an article on ms. about. com last accessed on September 20th 2007, â€Å"When I have been dedicated to yoga, I have seen amazing differences in my strength and flexibility from week to week. I notice that I hold my body more erect, rather than slumping over my keyboard or leaning over the counter. I also notice that I sleep better. † 1. And many Americans agree with her, we have very hectic lives and find solace in activities that can take us to a so called â€Å"higher place† both physically and spiritually. Conclusion I. (Signal conclusion) I hope that my speech helped all of you to better understand what yoga is, a little bit about its history and why it has become so popular. II. (Summarize your main points) The main things to remember are: A. Yoga is a way to create balance in the body by developing strength, flexibility, and spirituality. B. Yoga can be traced back to 3,000 BC and has had four main periods in history. C. Yoga has the ability to treat many ailments, making it very popular in America today. III. (Close w/impact) I am going to leave you with a quote that will explain yoga the way it was meant to be explained. It is a quote from Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to his pupil Arjuna in the epic â€Å"Bhagavad-Gita†. A. â€Å"In the state of perfection called trance, or Samadhi, one’s mind is completely restrained from material mental activities by practice of yoga. This is characterized by one’s ability to see the self by the pure mind and to relish and rejoice in the self. In that joyous state, one is situated in boundless transcendental happiness and enjoys himself through transcendental senses. Established thus, one never departs from the truth, and upon gaining this he thinks there is no greater gain. Being situated in such a position, one is never shaken, even in the midst of greatest difficulty. This indeed is actual freedom from all miseries arising from material contract. Works Cited Bance, Shayne. â€Å"Yoga History. † Abc of Yoga. 25 April 2006. http://www. abcofyoga. com Hutchins, Rod. â€Å"What is Yoga? † Yoga. net. au. 18 Sept. 2007. http://www. yoga. net. au Lord Krishna. â€Å"The Bhagavad-Gita† Pizer, Ann. â€Å"What is Yoga? † About. com. 18 Sept. 2007. http://www. yoga. about. com Scott, Elizabeth. â€Å"The Benefits of Yoga for Stress Management. † About. com 20 Sept. 2007, http://ww w. stress. about. com Stachowiak, Julie. â€Å"Yoga and MS. † About. com. 20 Sept. 2007. http://www. ms. yoga. com