Class 6 English Poorvi Chapter 12 Yoga – A Way of Life – easy notes, summary, word meanings, NCERT book solutions, question answers, extra questions and worksheet. Learn about yoga, its importance and healthy habits in simple and easy language.
Yoga – A Way of Life
Class 6 English — Poorvi | Unit 4: Sports and Wellness
Children practising yoga together in a school setting.
Chapter Summary
“Yoga – A Way of Life” explains the importance of yoga for our body, mind and overall well-being.
Yoga is an ancient practice that originated in India. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’, which means “to join” or “to unite”.
Yoga brings unity between the mind and body, thought and action, and human beings and nature. Sage Patanjali presented the ancient tradition of yoga in a systematic way in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Yoga helps improve physical fitness, flexibility, strength, balance and endurance. Breathing exercises and meditation help calm the mind, reduce stress and improve concentration and sleep.
The chapter also tells us about the WHO mYoga app, which provides videos and audio files to help people practise yoga.
Main message: Yoga is not only physical exercise. It is a healthy way of bringing balance and peace to our body and mind.
Easy Explanation of the Chapter
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice. It began in ancient India. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, meaning to join or unite.
Yoga teaches us to keep our mind and body together. It also teaches harmony between people and nature.
Sage Patanjali and Yoga
Sage Patanjali presented the ancient knowledge of yoga in a systematic form in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
He described yoga as a way to make the mind quiet and free from distractions.
Benefits of Yoga
- It makes muscles stronger.
- It improves flexibility and balance.
- It improves physical fitness.
- It can reduce some body pains.
- It helps calm the mind.
- It reduces stress and anxiety.
- It improves concentration and sleep.
- It supports heart health.
- It can help maintain a healthy weight.
Yoga and the Mind
Yoga is not only about stretching the body. While doing an asana, we should keep our mind with our body.
When our movement, breathing and awareness work together, the practice becomes a yogic practice.
Let us do these activities before we read.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga postures or asanas stretch and strengthen the muscles. They improve flexibility, endurance and balance.
Breathing exercises and meditation can calm the mind. They can reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep and concentration.
Yoga can also support the immune system and heart health. It may help maintain a healthy weight.
Let us discuss
Read the passage again and fill in the blanks with words from the box.
Yoga is a practise that not only improves physical flexibility but also improves mental 1. ____________ and leads to a healthier 2. ______________. It involves a series of asanas, which increase muscular 3. ______________. Practising yoga also leads to a better body and mind 4. ______________ and reduces body pain such as the lower back. Moreover, the focus on breathing techniques and meditation makes the mind 5. ______________, lessens 6. ______________, and improves the quality of 7. ______________. This helps to adopt a more positive lifestyle.
Words: sleep, lifestyle, health, strength, calm, stress, balance
| No. | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | health |
| 2 | lifestyle |
| 3 | strength |
| 4 | balance |
| 5 | calm |
| 6 | stress |
| 7 | sleep |
Let us think and reflect
Ancient Message about Yoga
Being the first accessory of Haṭha-Yoga, āsana is described first. It should be practised for gaining steady posture, health and weightlessness of body.
Easy meaning: Asanas are an important part of Haṭha-Yoga. They help develop a steady posture, good health and a light, active body.
Let us learn
I Read the extract given below and focus on the highlighted words.
The app (WHO mYoga) contains a collection of video and audio files to teach and support yoga practice. The aim was to have an easy-to-use and free tool for people across the world to encourage them to practise yoga.
Practice and Practise
Practice is a noun. It means the actual activity or exercise of a skill.
Practise is a verb. It means doing something repeatedly to improve a skill.
1. Complete the sentences given below by filling in the blanks with correct use of practice (as a noun) or practise (as a verb). Share the answers with your classmates and the teacher.
2. Another common word that has the ‘s’ and ‘c’ variation in spellings is ‘advice’ (noun) and ‘advise’ (verb).
1. My teacher gave me good advice.
2. I followed my mother’s advice.
Advise:
1. My teacher advised me to practise daily.
2. I advised my friend to stay calm.
II Make as many words as you can using the letters shown. Use the letter ‘A’ in all the words that you make.
Letters: A, Y, E, G, O, N, R
Let us listen
You will listen to a girl talk about practising yoga. As you listen, select four true statements from the sentences given in the table. (refer to page 129 for transcript)
| Statements | T / F |
|---|---|
| 1. The girl sees people at the park doing breathing exercises. | True |
| 2. Her grandfather began practising yoga sixteen years ago. | False |
| 3. The girl practises some easy yoga exercises with her grandfather. | True |
| 4. The girl practises breathing exercises to relax. | True |
| 5. Her grandfather is fit even though he has untimely meals. | False |
| 6. Her grandfather’s regular yoga practise has kept him strong. | True |
| 7. The girl wishes to learn asanas over the weekend. | False |
The four true statements are: 1, 3, 4 and 6.
If you have tried yoga
I practise yoga because …
It keeps my body active and my mind calm.
My favourite thing about yoga is …
Breathing exercises and simple asanas.
I feel ____________ after a yoga session because …
I feel relaxed after a yoga session because my mind becomes calm.
The one thing in yoga that I want to practise is ____________ because …
I want to practise balancing asanas because they improve my balance.
If you have not tried yoga, yet
I wish to practise yoga because …
I want to keep my body and mind healthy.
I hope that once I begin practising yoga, I …
will become healthier and calmer.
The kind of exercise I want to try in yoga is ____________ because …
I want to try simple stretching exercises because they improve flexibility.
Let us speak
1. Participate in groups of four to share your ‘yoga thoughts’.
2. Take turns to speak and listen to others when they share their thoughts.
Sample response:
Opening line: Yoga is important because it keeps our body and mind healthy.
Supporting ideas:
- One benefit of yoga that interests me is better concentration.
- Practising yoga can help people stay fit and calm.
- A popular yoga pose is Tree Pose because it improves balance.
- Yoga is not just physical exercise; it also helps calm the mind.
Concluding line: Finally, yoga can be a great way to live a healthy and balanced life.
Let us explore
1. Do you know?
A few seals of the Sindhu-Sarasvati Civilisation, dating back to 2700 BC, indicate that yoga was prevalent in ancient India. Many people contributed to its development and now, yoga has spread all over the world.
On 11th December 2014, the United Nations General Assembly accepted the proposal to celebrate 21st June as International Yoga Day.
2. Find out about two asanas and their benefits, and share your findings with your classmates and teacher.
| Asana | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Vrikshasana (Tree Pose) | It helps improve balance and concentration. |
| Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) | It helps stretch and strengthen the body. |
Let us write
Write a short paragraph on ‘The Benefits of Yoga’. You may use the following sentence starters along with your own ideas to create the paragraph.
The Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is a healthy practice for the body and mind. It helps make our muscles stronger and improves flexibility and balance. Breathing exercises and meditation help calm the mind and reduce stress. Yoga can also improve concentration and sleep. Regular yoga practice helps us stay active, healthy and peaceful. Therefore, yoga is a good habit for a healthy life.
Important Word Meanings
| Word | Easy Meaning |
|---|---|
| originated | started |
| harmony | balance |
| distractions | disturbances |
| anxiety | worry |
| boost | increase |
| endurance | capacity to continue without giving up |
Quick Revision
Origin of Yoga: Ancient India
Meaning of ‘Yuj’: To join or unite
Sage associated with systematic presentation of yoga: Patanjali
Important text: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
International Yoga Day: 21st June
WHO mYoga: A free tool containing videos and audio files to support yoga practice.
Physical benefits: Strength, flexibility, endurance and balance.
Mental benefits: Calmness, reduced stress and better concentration.
Main message: Yoga brings balance to the body and mind and promotes overall well-being.
Chapter in One Line
Yoga is a way of bringing the body, mind and thoughts together for a healthy and balanced life.
Practice Class 6 English Poorvi Chapter 1 2 with this easy and engaging worksheet.It covers important questions, vocabulary, comprehension and key concepts from the chapter.
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