Yoga is a health system that originated in India a very long time ago. It is a combination of breathing exercises, physical exercises, and meditation. It is believed to have been in existence more than 5000 years ago. Yoga is an amalgamation of the spiritual and physical essences of the therapy. Yoga was popularized in the West by a number of spiritual and yogic teachers. Many of the people have accepted this practice merely to keep themselves fit and healthy. Swami Vivekananda was responsible for the introduction of Yoga to the west. He was of the firm belief that India was a fund of spiritual wealth and yoga could be used to bridge the west and the east – to take eastern spiritualism to the west.
The practice of the exercises in yoga involves the study of the body and the mind. It requires the willpower and determination to achieve each yogic stance and practice it daily. The practice of yogic exercises improves health, resistance and develops your mental awareness and mental faculties. Yoga does not postulate a set of learning principles; it is a way of life – it teaches life. Yoga is not all difficult and does not require much effort; it merely requires regular practice to perfect it. The therapeutic effect of yoga can be felt only when the mind is also involved. Yoga is in a sense, an art; it teaches the art of breathing correctly and integrating the stance with the breath. In short, it could be said that yoga teaches you to do things the right way. Doing the exercises in an incorrect manner will not get you the benefits of those exercises.
