Yoga is an ancient tradition of self-realization through exercise and meditation. The word Yoga derives its meaning from the Sanskrit word of yuj which is defined as “to unite, control or integrate”.

Yoga’s origin dates back to over 4000 years ago and ancient Yogis, like the Indian sage Patanjali, believed that in order to achieve harmony one must be at peace with oneself and one’s surroundings. The process of Yoga is to help us achieve a harmonious balance between mind, body and spirit.

In order to achieve this balance, Yogis created techniques through breathing, exercise and meditation. These techniques make up the basic structures of Yoga.

According to Patanjali, the widely regarded founder of Yoga, there are 8 disciplines to Yoga that are necessary to find true self-enlightenment.

The 8 disciplines, also known as Ashtanga Yoga (Eight-Limbed Yoga) are:

1. Yama (5 abstentations) - Non-violence, being truthful, not being possessive, not envying others, and lack of sensuality.
2. Niyama (5 observances) - Purity, contentment, lack of comfort, study of self and surrendering to god.
3. Asana (Literal meaning is “seat”) - refers to a seated position during meditation
4. Pranayama – (Control of “Prana”) - Prana is interpreted as life force, particularly the breath, and “Ayama” is to extend, therefore Pranayama is breath control.
5. Pratyahara (To abstract) - separating your sensory organs from objects.
6. Dharana (To concentrate) - Focusing on one single object
7. Dhyana (To meditate) - Intense concentration on meditation
8. Samadhi (To Liberate) - This is where your consciousness merges with the focus of meditation

Influenced by the Eight Limbs of Yoga come 6 main branches of Yoga that have developed based upon these teachings.

Below you’ll discover the 6 main branches of Yoga:

1. Hatha Yoga - Known as the Yoga of postures, this is perhaps the branch of Yoga most people think of when you mention Yoga. It incorporates poses (Asana) with breathing techniques (Pranayama) as well as meditation to achieve better physical and spiritual well-being.
2. Karma Yoga – Because it is believed that your current situation in life is a result of your past actions, Yogis who follow Karma Yoga set to change their perspectives and actions toward the positive in life. Karma Yoga leads the practioner on a path of selfless service which helps change their soul and therefore their destiny.
3. Bhakti Yoga - This branch of Yoga is most commonly followed in India and is the path of devotion and the heart. Those who intensely study Yoga, also known as “Yogis”, see the Divine in all things that surround them.
4. Raja Yoga – Also known as the King of Yoga, this branch of Yoga is about self-control. It is most commonly followed by religious and spiritual members and is based on the teachings of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (see above).
5. Tantra Yoga – The path to find the sacred of everything we do is Tantra Yoga. This branch is typically misunderstood because of its correlation with sex however, Yogis must possess a number of qualities, including: devotion, humility, truthfulness, and purity.
6. Jnana Yoga – This branch deals with the mind. Jnana Yogis strive to merge wisdom and intellect on the path to knowing the spirit. This includes being open minded toward other people and religion.

The history and evolution of Yoga is a vast and fascinating story and is practiced by millions of people all over the world.

The primary focus of Yoga practitioners is to treat the body with care and respect. Through a process of physical stretching and posing, breathing techniques and meditation, Yoga exercises help to improve your body’s circulation and glandular systems for an overall improvement in health.

You hear a lot about Yoga these days and more and more people are becoming proponents of this type of low impact exercise. It’s not uncommon to find Yoga classes in your local gym these days but don’t be fooled, these ancient Indian health techniques go back over 4000 years.

If you haven’t taken the step of including Yoga exercises and techniques in your daily life then you owe it to yourself to give it a try and discover the true health benefits of yoga.

Below you’ll discover just a few of the many health benefits of Yoga and why this type of exercise can improve your life physically, mentally and spiritually.

Become more flexible: With today’s fast-paced lifestyle most people experience some form of tightness and tension in various muscles. This could be knots in shoulders, aching legs and back, etc. Yoga techniques help rejuvenate your muscles and joints providing more flexibility and range of motion. In a short time you’ll begin to experience greater flexibility in your legs, hips, shoulders, neck and back. You’ll be amazed at how you feel too!

Tone up your muscles: Exercising with Yoga will help you lose weight, gain strength, lessen stress, feel more in control and tighten up those once-flabby muscles. Over time the muscles you used to neglect will begin to mould into lean, tone muscle giving you more confidence along with your sexy new shape.

Increase your strength: Among the major benefits of Yoga is the fact that it’s low-impact and requires no gym equipment. You can use items such as exercise balls however, instead of equipment many Yoga techniques rely on supporting your own body to hold postures. For example, the Downward Facing Dog pose requires you to support yourself with your arms. Strength and flexibility in Yoga ultimately help you combat ailments, such as back pain, through greater strength and spinal alignment.

Better breath control: Yoga teaches you how to use our lungs for deeper breaths, which allows for more oxygen to circulate throughout the body. Most people take shallow breaths and aren’t particularly conscious of how breathing better can benefit their lives. Yoga offers a number of breathing exercises, called Pranayama, which helps you focus on your breathing for better physical and mental health.

Calming the mind: Yoga poses can be quite intense, such as balancing on one leg, on your arms or even your head. By focusing intently on your physical posture, Yoga helps to calm the mind. Meditation techniques also help you focus on breathing and clearing your mind of negative thoughts.

Reducing your stress: Let’s face it, most of us have quite a lot of stress to deal with on a daily basis and this ultimately affects our mind and body. Because Yoga techniques require both physical and mental concentration, before you know it your stresses begin to melt away. Between physical exercise, breathing techniques, and meditation, you will experience a multitude of the health benefits of Yoga.

If we all took a few minutes out of our day to practice Yoga we all would be living happier, healthier lives. You do not need to join a gym or be particularly fit to begin exercising with Yoga. However, you’ll be amazed at how beneficial Yoga is to your mental and physical well being and you owe it to yourself to begin today on your journey to a happier, healthier you!

Yoga teaches its students to seek harmony and balance between the mind, body, and spirit. Techniques range from breathing exercises, stretching, chanting and executing the top yoga poses.

The majority of people who don’t know a lot about Yoga think of the different poses and stretches. Poses, or asanas, are essential toward balancing your energy and helping to relieve stress and tension.

Below you’ll find a list of some of the top yoga poses, how to do each, as well as the benefit of each posture to your mental and physical health.

Downward Facing Dog – One of the more popular and well-known poses, Downward Facing Dog begins with you on your hands and knees. Now, curl your toes toward your hands and begin to lift your pelvis by straightening your legs and arms. You should now be in a triangle like pose with your hips at the highest point. Move your weight to the back of your legs pressing down your heels.

The benefits - You should now be feeling a good stretching sensation in your hamstring (back of leg) and calf muscles. This pose helps to strengthen the spine and increase blood flow to the brain.

The Mountain – This pose starts with feet parallel to each other and about the width of your hips. Do not lock your knees and be sure you are standing balanced on your feet. Keep shoulders down and arms straight.

The benefits – As simple as this pose may appear, it’s a great way to make you more aware of your posture. It helps to calm your body and mind making this a great pose to do in the morning.

The Cobra – Lay down on the floor, preferably a mat, and with legs drawn together stretch them from the hip to the toes. Now, with elbows up place each palm face-down on the mat as if you were to push yourself up off the floor. While legs are still stretched toward the toes, begin to lift your chest, then stomach, then eventually your hips off the floor in an upward arching pose looking up toward the sky.

The benefits – By using the upper body to push, you will strengthen and tone your chest, abdominal and shoulder muscles. Your back and gluteus muscles will also benefit from this exercise. This pose will help reduce stress and can ease the pain of certain back ailments.

The Fish – Lie on the floor facing the sky. Have your knees bent and feet flat on the mat. Now, lift your hips while you inhale. Slide your hands, face down, underneath your pelvis while lowering your glutes down onto your hands.

While you inhale, press your forearms down and your shoulder blades up into your back. Release your head slowly until it rests gently onto the mat. By now either the back or the top of your head will be touching the floor gently.

Your legs can either be flat or your knees bent but either way you should press down through your heels. Perform several deep breaths while holding this pose then gently lower your head and torso back to the floor when you exhale. Raise your legs into your stomach and squeeze your stomach muscles.

The benefits – While stretching your legs, hips, abs and neck you are also strengthening your upper back and the back of your neck. This pose also improves your posture.

The Tree – Begin in the Mountain pose mentioned earlier with feet parallel to each other then shift your weight to your left leg while raising your right heel to the upper and inner part of your left thigh. Place your hands together in a prayer-like posture and if you feel like you can manage, lift your hands up above your head.

The benefit – Stretching of the inner thighs, chest, and shoulders while strengthening your leg and back muscles. May relieve small back ailments while improving balance.

The Warrior (One) – This most common of the Warrior poses begins from a standing position then has you “jump” to spread your feet about a meter apart. Still facing forward turn your right foot to point to the right where you will eventually pivot your torso. Now, turn your torso to the right so it’s facing the same direction as your right foot. Meanwhile, your left foot, or back foot now, is turned slightly at a 45-degree angle.

With arms in the air, lunge forward by bending your right leg while keeping your left leg fully stretched. Imagine lifting up through the air while holding the pose for several controlled breaths.

Now lower your arms, pivot your body back to center and “jump” your feet back together. Repeat this pose again only facing the opposite direction and alternating the forward leg.

The benefit – This is a great pose to help tone stubborn areas like your thighs, legs, and glutes as well as broadens the chest and lengthens the spine.