Short introduction and history

Yoga is regarded as a divine science of life and includes an in-depth knowledge of science and philosophy of Indian origin without any relation to any particular religion. Though, the actual origin of yoga has not been clearly identified, it's evident that it existed well beyond 3000 BC. The earliest reference about the foundation of yoga along with a complete description of 'Yoga', 'Asana', 'Pranayaama', 'Dhyana' etc. can be found in the 'Upanishads' (most ancient Hindu religious literature, written more than 3000 years before Christ).

Yoga has also been the latest craze with celebrities like Madonna, Jerry Seinfeld, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Melissa Etheridge, Christy Turlington, Nicholas Cage, Sting and many more. Madonna, under the watchful eye of Kimberly Flynn, her yoga instructor, began doing Hatha yoga when she was pregnant, and then began doing the more difficult Ashtunga yoga after she had the baby. In the film, The Next Best Thing, directed by John Schlesinger, which stars Madonna as Abbie, a yoga teacher whose friendship with a gay man undergoes a dramatic change, yoga got a royal treatment. The general public is right behind the celebrities as more than 12 million Americans currently study yoga, a number that has doubled in the past four years.

The concept of yoga includes union or binding of body and mind. Yoga helps in development of coordination and control of all the forces within the body, leading to perfection in the functioning of all the organs. Yoga gives the ability to control the normal stresses and strains in life and handles the overall functioning of all the vital organs of the body.

Health of a person is determined by holistic health, a mixture of physical and mental health. Yoga helps maintain this holistic health of a person, which involves great discipline not only of the body, but also of the mind. Yoga' instills in the minds of the people a hope full of optimistic approach towards life. Spiritual health is a third dimension of our health and yoga is a method to blend the body with mind, spirit and soul into a harmonious wholesomeness. Those who practice yoga seriously and regularly can only know the true value of mental and spiritual health.

'Hatha Yoga' is a method that achieves maximum results using minimum energy in doing so. The greatness of yoga lies in its simplicity and most of the postures in yoga (called Asanas) are relaxing, refreshing, require no special equipment or clothing and can be performed by men, women and children of all age groups above 8 years.

Yoga for healing ailments

'HATHA YOGA' causes a spiritual awakening through holistic health, which helps coordination and harmony between the different organs of the body. Thus Hatha Yoga helps in restoring normal health to the whole body, conserve energy and purify the body from all impurities. Praanayaama and the relaxation techniques of yoga generally help regulate the breathing, enhance the oxygen absorption into the blood stream, control the mind and act on certain nerve centers to ensure delivery of vital energy to the body and restoration of normal health to the nervous system, endocrinal glands and all the vital organs of the body.

Both Yoga and Ayurveda, the ancient art of medicine in India, when practiced together, it has been found to cure or ease many physical and mental ailments and prevent many more. Yogic practices also improve the intelligence and memory. Meditation is yet another practice that helps controls the automatic nervous system and stabilizes emotional changes and prevents abnormal functions of vital organs of the body.

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