by Evelyn Bourne

Created on: October 01, 2008   Last Updated: October 10, 2008

Yoga is at once a physical and spiritual art form, which uses movement, breath and meditation to focus and direct the mind. Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means, "union," representing the union of the body, mind and spirit. Yoga has its origins in the East and also in Africa as a spiritual practice with the goal of providing its followers with a path to enlightenment.

In the West, the practice of yoga has gained popularity as form of physical fitness and a great way to minimize the stress of modern life. Most people think of the physical aspects of yoga such as the poses or asanas,' but yoga means so much more than just trying to bend and twist the body into a series of difficult poses.

Some of the physical benefits of yoga include: improved balance, flexibility, strength, posture, and blood circulation. The spiritual benefits of doing yoga include developing the ability to: better manage stress, increase energy and the ability to relax, focus and concentrate, and feel more contented and at peace.

The many benefits of yoga can flow into other areas of your life including improving performance in sports such as tennis, golf, running and other physical activities. Yoga can help strengthen and align the spine, increase agility and range of motion, increase attention span, and develop long, supple, lean muscles.

The history of yoga dates back thousands of years to the second century A.D. when the ancient sage, Patanjali compiled his exhaustive treatise on the practice of Yoga called, Yoga Sutras. The practice of yoga has been passed directly from teacher to student, and there are lineages that can be traced back hundreds of years. Yoga teacher training has consisted of yogis teaching his or her students after the manner in which they were taught.

There are many different types or schools of yoga each with its own traditions and methodologies. Here are a few of the major types:

Hatha Yoga

Karma Yoga

Tantra Yoga

Bikram Yoga

Iyengar Yoga

Jivamukti Yoga

Power Yoga

Most major cities have Yoga studios where students can take classes, purchase yoga apparel, and yoga equipment such as yoga mats, straps, blocks and other props.

Yoga can also be done at home, and some people like to watch yoga videos to guide them while they do their yoga practice.

By uniting movement breath and meditation, yoga offers a wonderful way to get physically fit while also teaching participants to relax and move through life in a more positive manner.

Learn more about this author, Evelyn Bourne.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.