by Sharon Brook

Created on: March 23, 2009

By this time, you might know somebody who does some kind of yoga. Or better yet, YOU might have some specific yoga routine. A lot of people are getting into the habit because of the health benefits of yoga. It has slowly crawled its way to the western culture. In particular, the yoga types practiced today in a lot of clubs, gyms and available in videos are yoga postures or "asanas" that are from Hatha Yoga. But beyond the physical level, yoga is considered a way of living that unites mind, body and soul.

Origin

The origin of the word yoga has a number of different meanings. Its Sanskrit root is "yuj" which mean "to unite", "to control", "to integrate" among others. The origins of Yoga can be traced in India
and is associated with Buddhism and Hinduism meditative practices. What is now known as a classical science and philosophy of yoga was expounded by Indian sage by the name of Patanjali, who is known today as the compiler of Yoga sutras. While yoga is already considered as old as civilization, it still continues to evolve and is as relevant now and before.

Benefits

As a tradition and philosophy, yoga is considered a key to personal growth and self-improvement. Hatha Yoga helps achieve a body and mind balance through the physical poses or Asanas, breathing techniques or Pranayama and meditations. The popular Asanas are positions beneficial for toning muscles, lubricating joints and massaging the body. There are poses that a beginner can easily learn and there are those that take longer to master.

Beyond improved flexibility, increased strength and enhanced posture, yoga poses are also alternative cures to asthma, seizure, eating disorder, arthritis and even bipolar disorder. In weight management, yoga poses can also lower cholesterol, burn calories and even improve blood sugar levels. It also is considered effective for preventing heart disease and high blood pressure, especially if combined with a fiber-rich diet and aerobic exercise.

Certain yoga poses form part of therapies to strengthen the back, after a spinal injury. It can also help you sleep better.

Yoga meditations and breathing techniques help you commune with nature. It can be regarded as a way to maintain a balanced attitude that can help combat stress, depression and anxiety of day to day living. In stress management, the precise movements of yoga draw your focus to the relaxing situations and away from the chaos. And because yoga increases your stamina, you can cope up with the physical aspects of anxiety.

Yoga postures bring physical as well as mental stability, health and vigor. But more than just stretching, Asanas are known to open energy channels and psychic centers of the body.

In a mental plane, achieving that inner peace can relieve a person of stress, depression and anxiety which in turn can also translate to degenerative diseases.

Growing trend

In today's world, yoga is popularly considered as an exercise routine. There are a lot of yoga routines that fit almost anyone's preference. There are even yoga poses for pregnant mothers, and there is no age limit for the practice. You can visit a yoga class to see for yourself the yoga concepts and techniques.

There are different classes designed to address different needs. There are those that for building strength and endurance, for weight management, and those that aim to unite your body and spirit. Before you enroll yourself to a yoga class, make sure that yoga teachers are certified and that your chosen studio is reputable.

The last thing you need is to stress over your yoga program.

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