While this is a nearly complete guide which can be taken as a guide for your daily yoga practice, you might find it a bit difficult to follow, when you try to actually get down to it. Like all sadhanas, you have to be sincere and honest in your approach and have the will to go ahead with your plans to do yoga every day, no mater what barriers or obstacles come in your way. According to Swami Sivananda, concentrated approach to pursue your goal, or Sadhana, is a three-pronged approach, like the Trisula or Trident:

The importance of keeping a daily routine: Keep a strict schedule of daily practice of Yoga. There should be a fixed time for doing your yoga, and this discipline is necessary for your personality as well. During your daily yoga schedule, there are three points to focus on:
1. JAPA – When meditating is difficult due to lack of concentration, you must do this, which is chanting the same mantra over and over again, to maintain the same level of consciousness.
2. STUDY – Upanishads, Bhagavadgita, The Sermon on the Mount, The Imitation of Christ are different holy scriptures of the world. Make it a habit to read them daily.
3. MEDITATION – One of the most important facets of Yoga, you must be strict about meditating every day, at a fixed time, at a fixed place and facing the same direction. Do not change the place or direction (north or east) you face. Maintain the same posture or Asana every day.

An Annual Resolve. Make an annual resolution which should include: staying away from hurting or harming anyone, resorting to lies and incontinence. These three must be foregone, gradually. Practice Ahimsa (stop feeling envious about others), Satya (pursue truth at all times)and Brahmacharya (ascetic life style). In case you can not keep any of these three, go for fast one day. The fear of fasting will help you keep your resolve every day.

A Spiritual Diary. One of the best ways to maintain discipline in life is to maintain a daily journal which you write at the end of every day, before retiring for the night. Ask your self leading questions like “how many times did I lie today?” “Did I hurt anyone today?”, “How many times did I remember God today?”

If you practice these self-discipline measures, you can truly pursue your sadhana and practice yoga in true earnestness. Once you are honest about your efforts, success will definitely come your way.

Bikram Choudhury is the founder of Bikram Yoga. He had studied Yoga with Bishnu Ghosh, who is the brother of Paramahansa Yogananda. It contains a series of 26 poses, and the Yogis practiced it in a hot room of 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit, this is to allow the yogis to go deeper and safer into a pose. In addition, the body becomes more flexible in the heat, and you will notice that you can do many poses with your body that you never imagined you could do it before. This also helps in toxin elimination by inducing sweating, increasing the blood circulation and preventing injury. The Yogis do each pose twice and hold each for some minutes. Bikram Yoga is so beneficial to the entire body, as it exercises your muscles, bones and works on your internal organs, too, e.g. the stomach, the liver, the colon, the kidneys, the heart and the lung.

At the beginning of the exercise, the Yogis stand upright for a while “do the standing postures”, then the backbends, the forward bends, and the twists. Each pose is accompanied with breathing; Kapalabhati Breath (the fire breathe). In each pose, you stretch and strengthen your muscles, joints, and ligaments. At the same time, you are releasing toxins in your body and working on your internal organs, e.g. the glands, lymphatic and the nervous system. Eventually, Bikram Yoga is like any other Yoga it differs in some techniques, like the poses and the room temperature, but it resembles any other Yoga branch in relaxing the body and the mind and releasing them from any stress, as it unites the body, mind and soul.

Like all the Yoga exercises, you do not need special equipment or any specific sports wear, you just wear what you feel you are comfortable in, and can do the whole exercise without anything to bother. Usually, people wear loose cotton clothes, because it is comfortable and they can sweat in it.

Bikram designed to warm up and stretch the muscles, ligaments and tendons, and its poses placed into an order so that they should stretch them.

People use Bikram Yoga as a mean of losing weight and developing toned and strong body. Anybody can practice it, even those with chronic diseases e.g. Hypertension, Diabetes, Arthritis,… etc. Moreover, their symptoms are noticeably improved. One of the healing success stories of Bikram Yoga was that of Bikram himself, the Bikram Yoga founder. He recovered from a serious knee injury caused during his weightlifting exercise, when the doctors told him that he would not be able to walk again.

He practiced Asanas under his Yoga teacher supervision, which strengthened his muscles and made him able to walk again naturally. So many people practice Bikram. Especially the celebrities in Hollywood, music, sports, politics,…etc., they regularly practice Bikram Yoga to achieve high performance at work, good health, and to relieve their body from stresses. One of these celebrities is Madonna, not to mention how strong, and toned her body is, with those magnificent curves, and flexibility. It is no wonder that she sparkles everywhere she goes, and how creative she is at work. Everybody notices her everlasting youth, energy, and liveliness.

Bikram uses the same routine every time you practice it. You should not get bored of this. However, you should take advantage of this as much as you can, as a good exercise practiced repeatedly and regularly, gives you perfect results in the long term.

Go ahead, start your Bikram Yoga class, it is cool and great, you will notice a big change in your mood, energy, physiology and the way of thinking and dealing with situations, during your first class.

There are so many techniques for Yoga, classical ones date back to 5,000 years ago. You should get to know a general idea about Yoga and its branches. Now, I am going to give you a summary about each branch, and trust me the more you know the more eager you will be to read more about it.

Yoga has six branches, and they are Hatha; Bhakti; Karma; Raja; Tantra; Jnana. Let us take a quick look at each, to know the difference between them, also to know what they can offer to us.

The most popular branch is Hatha, and it is the path of physical Yoga or Yoga of postures. It includes physical poses “Asana”, breathing techniques “Pranayama”, and Meditation. It unites the body and soul, and brings the body to be healthy, and the mind to be clear and free from any stress.

Bhakti is the path of heart and faith, or Yoga of devotion. It enables the yogis to discover the real humanity in everyone and to look to the things from every dimension, therefore, he will be able to love, accept and tolerate anything and everything easily. It teaches the person to appreciate love and life, persists to devote himself to God.

Karma considers your present state is a subsequence of your past state, or the events into which you had been. It is the path of service, which refers to action’s energy. It helps you to forget all the negatives in your life, by choosing and living a positive future while you are practicing this branch of Yoga. This makes you live a good life, by speaking good, thinking good, doing good; …….., and so on, a complete change of your life to the good side, which will definitely be in your favor and your surrounding’s favor, too.

Raja means “royal”, and known as “King of Yogas”. It focuses on meditation and contemplation, and it is based on the eight limbs of Yoga (will be discussed later). It provides self-respect; by concentrating on that, the universe exists for the self. On giving the self the centrality, you will have respect for the self, for others and for all the creatures surrounding you.

Tantra is ritual. Many people do not understand what Tantra Yoga is about; they think it is some sort of a magic spell for wizards. Moreover, most of the people categorize this branch as sexual, which is far away from the truth. It is the knowledge of Tattva (the truth), and Mantra (mystic syllables). It uses rituals to understand and concentrate in everything we do, including sex, that is why people get confused with this and being all about sex, but it is about all the actions in our life.

When you experience it, you will notice an improvement in your awareness all the time, whether you are awake or even asleep. However, it might be so interesting and appealing to you, but Yoga practitioners must be of certain category, they must be pure, devoted, courageous, dedicated to his Guru, faithful, dispassionate, truthful, and above all own humanity and cosmic love.

Jnana is the path of Yoga of the mind, as it concerns wisdom and knowledge. It ameliorates your intelligence and wisdom. In addition, it provides you with an open and bright mind to study your spirit.

Now, after knowing the main idea of each branch, you can decide what branch you are interested in the most. Read as much as you can about the one you chose. Register yourself in the class next door. You can also practice it at home; just get the exercise instructions from the net, a book or a videotape.

There are four stages of Yoga evolution, until we came to practice it nowadays. The stages are Pre-classical Yoga, Classical Yoga, Post-classical Yoga, and Modern Yoga.

Pre-classical Yoga
The Upanishad (Gnostic texts) appeared between 1800-1500 B.C. It contains 200 scriptures, which explained the transcendental self, (atman) and its relationship with the reality (Brahman). Karma principles originated with the Upanishads.

Vyasa was a great sage in 1400 B.C, he had categorized the Vedic hymns into four texts we use nowadays, and they are:

1. Sama Veda (knowledge of chants)
2. Yajur Veda (knowledge of sacrifice)
3. Rig Veda (knowledge of praise)
4. Atharva Veda (knowledge of Atharvan)

Rishabha was a great Yoga teacher in 1200 B.C; he had started the Jainism tradition, and this is due to the liberation of the spirit.

Again, an urbanization began along the Ganges River in 1000 B.C. Lord Buddha spread the Buddhism which focuses on meditation and ethics, ignoring physical postures. Buddhism is somehow similar to Hinduism. A few years later, the Buddhism canonical scriptures were structured.

Jaimini was a disciple of Vyasa; he had composed Mimamsa Sutra (Hinduism text) in 300 B.C. However, emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism and widely spread it.

Classical Yoga
When Yoga became widely spread, and due to it different forms, people thought about standardizing it. Therefore, in the second century, Patanjali composed a seminal text, Yoga Sutra and Classical Yoga. At these times the 195 sutras in Yoga Sutra, used in Raja Yoga (the eightfold Yoga path).The eightfold Yoga paths are:

1. Yama (restraint)
2. Niyama (observance of purity, tolerance and study)
3. Pranayama (breath control)
4. Asana (Physical exercises)
5. Pratyahara (preparation for Meditation)
6. Dhyana (Meditation)
7. Dharana (concentration)
8. Samadhi (is the absorption in the sublime).

Patanjali supports studying the sacred scriptures as part of the Yoga practice, which became Classical Yoga’s distinct feature. Yoga Sutra main characteristic is its philosophical dualism. Patanjali believed in the importance of prakriti (the matter) and purusha (the spirit) separation to purify the spirit. Which differs from the Vedic and Pre-classical Yoga believes in the importance of body and spirit union. The Patanjali presented Yoga far from the traditional non-dualistic Yoga, and prepared it for the Post-classical Yoga. After the Paranjali, Yogis focused on the Meditation and neglected the Asanas. Then, by time, Yoga masters shifted their thoughts to health, maintenance and longevity, and this was by introducing new Yoga techniques, which they believed affect the body biochemistry and make it immortal.

Post-Classical Yoga
Here is the rise of prolific literature, the different branches of Yoga including Hatha and Tantra, and the rise of many holistic schools for Yoga. This one relies on appreciating life and accepting the present moment.

Modern Yoga
It arrived to the United States in the 1800′s by many Gurus. One of these Yoga gurus is Swami Vivekanada, who was a Ramakrishna student, and his teacher commissioned him to attend the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Later on, he traveled around the U.S and spread Yoga traditions.

This was Yoga history and evolution, “interesting isn’t it?” it shows us how important the Yoga is in all times. As if, it is in the human beings instincts, and as if, we are born with its love. Yoga is essential for all the human races to keep up a good health and life.

Next, we will list other Yoga gurus, who are the main founders of the Modern Yoga, and they are the cause of its spread worldwide, and its evolution, by introducing and developing new techniques and molding it to become so ideal to practice in our present time.

The purpose of Yoga is to exercise and achieve spiritual insight and relaxation at the same time. You can achieve this sort of exercise through a series of stretches, meditation and poses too. The end result is that you feel better both mentally and physically. One of the primary supplies that you need for the purpose of Yoga exercises is a Yoga mat. Different types of mats are available but if you’re aware of what you’re looking for you’ll be able to get the best sort of mats to satisfy your personal needs.

During Yoga you’ll be required to go through a number of stretching positions on a frequent basis, you’ll also be shifting constantly all in a bid to achieve different purposes. Before you start moving around you require a stable foundation in order to move effortlessly. This is why you need a good yoga mat, you don’t want a yoga mat that constantly slides around and which can make you fall. You should be able to maintain a good hold on the ground during your exercise. During Yoga exercise activity you’ll also sweat a lot so you need a mat that absorbs some of your sweat as you exercise. This in turn will prevent you from slipping on a mat.

The padding of the mat is something that you’ll have to decide for yourself. If you make use of extra padding you’ll have a lot more cushioning when you’re shifting from one pose to the other. You may also require extra padding if you have a physical problem or an injury. Ultimately, the length of your body will be what determines the sort of mat that you buy. The important thing is that mat should cover the entire area that body remains in when you’re completely lying down. The most common size of mat measures about 24×72 inches. Different sorts of colors exist and this is where you can be unique as well and select a color that meets with your desires.

Another option that you can get yoga mats is in non-toxic as well as bio-friendly styles. These styles will make you a whole lot safer and keep you healthy as well. The purpose of yoga is health related so it’s only natural that you’ll want a mat that has no ozone depleting substances and which is PVC free. You’ll have to start carrying your Yoga mat to classes so you’ll need a mat that is light and can be easily carried about too. You should also see that the Yoga mat that you purchase can be cleaned easily. Another thing to do is to make sure that you ask your Yoga teachers for a recommendation on Yoga mats.

Five basic types of mats exist. The cotton mat absorbs perspiration quite easily and has a cooling effect. Sticky mats are the next option and they are very useful for power yoga which involves a lot of movement. In order to promote stability you have to add a little water as it is a thin mat. Another mat is the ultra double thickness mat which provides double the cushioning of normal mats; it is a sticky mat as well. The cushioning effect is quite welcome but it makes the Yoga mat a whole lot bulkier. Travel mats tend to be quite thin and they are quite foldable too but they aren’t really comfortable due to the slim cushioning provided. If you’re constantly on the go these mats will suit you quite well, meditation mats are also a great aid as well as they can be used for relaxation and come along with a pillow.

It is the most popular branch of Yoga. People call it “Yoga of postures”. Hatha Yoga is so ancient, and its main concept is that a strong and relaxed body guarantees a spiritual progress. Its goals are to have a strong, healthy, flexible and relaxed body. The word “Hatha” means “sun + moon”, which symbolizes the opposite currents in the system of the human body. This is because Hatha Yoga depends on a set of exercises, which supply the body with positive and negative currents, and so, it neutralizes the harmful energies in the body and increases beneficial energies, making the person more active and productive. This is due to the stable state the body reaches on practicing it.

There are so many Yoga styles originated from Hatha Yoga, e.g. Bikram Yoga, Ashatanga Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Power Yoga. In Hatha Yoga, the yogi concentrates on breathing while practicing the different postures, and so, they train their mind to concentrate and function properly. By using Asanas (postures), Pranayama (breathing), and meditation, you achieve a perfect health, and free mind and spirit. Hatha Yoga concentrates on Asanas and Pranayama to energize and clear the energy channels “the Nadis”. In addition, this removes all the obstacles that exist to start smoothly on the other limbs of Yoga (the remaining limbs of the 8 limbs of Yoga), which are Dharana, Pratyahara, Dhyana, and Samadha.

Ahimsa is one of the principles of Hatha Yoga; it means peacefulness in thoughts, deeds, and actions to the human beings, to the self, and to all the living creatures.

Here in Hatha Yoga, the Asanas designed to improve the general health and bring energies to the body. In addition, it serves as a meditation pose making you feel perfectly comfortable for a longer period. Being well acquainted with Asanas, you can develop your will power, concentration and self-withdrawal. Moreover, it massages and tones the internal organs, which helps in the prevention and treatment of so many disease, e.g. the chronic ones like Diabetes, Arthritis, Hypertension and Heart diseases,…etc. All of these Asanas benefits; open the path directly to Prathyahara and Dharana.

Pranayamas is so essential in Hatha Yoga practice, too. It is always the matter of breathing, if you are breathing correctly during the Yoga exercise, and in such a way that is good to your body, you guarantee a good control on your mind, this also helps asthmatic patients and those who suffer from bronchitis and improve their health. Pranayamas regulates the flow of vital energy in the body, which is required for initializing Samadhi. In addition, its practice leads to the awakening of the Kundalini energy.

In general, Hatha Yoga is so beneficial, you can benefit from it in so many different ways. You can relieve tension, and you can cope and deal with any kind of stress, anxiety and depression. It is great; you should experience that magnifacient feeling while you practice it. You will feel that a divine light shines within you, bringing you stronger, more flexible and so relaxed.

There is no wonder it is the most popular branch of Yoga. People who try it once, stick to its classes and never miss any. You should try it yourself and let us know your own opinion. On regular practicing, you will become familiar with its postures and exercises, and then, you can practice it on your own, even if you are at home. For the best results, you should practice it on regular basis, so that your body gets use to it, and its energy becomes stable and beneficial. Go ahead have fun, and have a nice Yoga class.

I am sure you are eager to know about Yoga history. Where was it practiced the first time, when, how and its evolution, all until it spread worldwide and is practiced everywhere and by millions of people of different sexes, ages, and races.

At first, we should know the meaning of the word Yoga. It is derived from the Sanskrit root Yog, and it means to bind or to join, as it unites the body, mind and soul.

Actually, there is no exact knowledge of its history. Experts estimated that Yoga’s origin was around 5,000 years ago, and it was in India. There was uncertain evidence that its origin was in Afghanistan. However, it is certain that Yoga’s origin was in the East. Archeologists excavated stone seals from the Indus valley with artifacts and evidence of Yoga existence on it, as they found figures of people doing different Yoga postures. This proves that people were practicing it in stone ages, and that its origin was in India. The Indus-Sarasvati civilization was the largest one those days, and was so modern in their times. In addition, there was evidence of Yoga in the Veda text (the oldest text used in the Indus times).

The Vedas are a collection of 1008 hymns that praises a higher power, they are on ethics, cosmology, philosophy, and science. They contain the oldest Yoga basics, techniques and rules. Therefore, we call it Vedic or Pre-classical Yoga. The Rig Veda is a sacred work by Hindu faith. Most of its myths personified the forces of nature. These times, people used to rely on rishis (Vedic Yogis) to teach them how to live in harmony.

The Aranyakas texts then followed, detailing rituals for Yogis living in the forest. This also served the beginning of India’s medical tradition known as Ayurveda. Around 1900 B.C., the great Sarasvati River dried up, forcing the exodus of the Indus-Sarasvati civilization southward towards the Ganges River.

The Brahmins and Upanishads are spiritual texts, written around 600 to 800 B.C, and they were dealing with the rituals performed by Brahmin priests. The Brahmins is a text explaining the Vedic rituals and hymns.
The Bhagavad Gita (song of the blessed Lord), written around 300 B.C, is a spiritual poem on Yoga. The “Gita” is part of the eight chapters’ epic called the Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is a discourse delivered by Krishna (the Lord) to Arjuna (the hero) expounding on the goal of life. Between 200 and 800 B.C, Patanjali detailed all the knowledge about Yoga in 196 aphorisms (sutras). These sutras referred to as Raja Yoga. Patanjali is part of the classical Yoga, where they were still practicing thousands of yoga asanas. They considered Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is the authoritative text on classical yoga.

This was a hint about Yoga’s history. It shows us how old it was, and how essential it was in old times. It also shows us that Yoga has a strong relationship with our lives, and it was there long time ago, may be since human beings exist on earth. As if, human beings cannot live without it. Actually, it is true, and you will never believe this except when you practice Yoga yourself, you will be like “How come I was living without that?” Yoga is the best way to live a normal and peaceful life.

Next, we should know about the Yoga evolution, far away from those old times and gradually to our times. We classify this into four stages, the pre-classical Yoga, the Classical Yoga, the Post-classical Yoga, and the modern Yoga.

You just need to have the intention to start a Yoga class, nothing more. You do not have to be flexible or sportive to practice it. It does not need any special equipment or a place; neither a specific age range, you just have to join in a class under the supervision of a professional yogi to give you the instructions you need to proceed in the class. You can then practice it on your own at home, but this should be after getting used to the poses and the techniques, and performing the exercises on your own as if you are under the professional yogi’s supervision.

On regular practicing, you will notice your body getting so flexible. You should choose the Yoga style and teacher that suit you, your needs, abilities, limitations, current condition, and the class schedule. On deciding the most compatible class for you, you should put into your consideration that there are so many different styles of Yoga, ranging from the gentle to the vigorous ones.

You should make sure that your teacher knows all about your health condition and your level of fitness. So that during the class the teacher will be aware about the postures, you might be unable to perform or might be harmful for you if you performed them. Do not force yourself into any movement or pose, do as far as you can, do not push yourself so far, this may be dangerous and may cause you injuries. Do not take the class as a challenge and try to do what your mates are doing, because they might be more flexible than you are, and do not worry mastery will come with practice.

On practicing Yoga, you should wear comfortable stretchable and loose clothes. You also have to take off your shoes and any stockings, and if you will practice it at home, you should be in a dim lightened, quiet and peaceful room. This will help in relaxation of your body, exactly as if you are going to bed at night. In addition, remove your contact lenses, your watch, and any accessories, tie up your hair, and turn off your mobile phone or any device functioning with waves. You should not attend the class on a full stomach, if you had your lunch or any meal; you have to stay at least an hour before attending the class, and do not eat after being done with your class by 1/2 an hour. Use a non-slip mat that is long enough for your body to lie fully stretched on it. Make sure that you do a warm-up session; this makes your muscle to be ready for the stretches. Anyways, your teacher will take care of that, because any professional trainer always does the warm-up before any exercise.
You will notice that you are becoming relaxed and calm during the class. Try t
o attend a yoga class at least twice a week, if you can, make it more. Any Yoga class usually last from 60 to 90 minutes.

This was a brief about Yoga. Now it is up to you, start searching for a good class next door, try the net, the ads on the newspaper, or ask about those in your country club. If you are having a friend or a relative who is concerned with Yoga or any kind of sport, you can convince him to join it with you. A mate will encourage you to stick to it and never miss any class. Once you decide on a specific class. Put it on your schedule and stick to it. I am sure once you try it, you will never live without it.

We knew previously about Yoga history, and ancient yogis and Yoga founders. We also knew Swami Vivekanada, who spread Yoga in the U.S.Another one and the most popular was Swami Paramashansa Yogananda, who had founded the Self Realization Fellowship. He wrote a Yogi autobiography. In addition to Krishnamurti; who traveled a lot and spread Jnana Yoga, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who spread
Transcendental Meditation™ in the 60′s. He was the most popular of them all as he was associated with the Beatles.

• Himalyan Swami Sivananda modified the five principles of Yoga:
• Pranayama (proper breathing)
• Savasana (proper relaxation)
• Dhyana (positive thinking and meditation)
• Asanas (proper exercise)
• Vegetarian (proper diet)

In addition, he wrote many books about Yoga. Swami Sivananda founded the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, and wrote the illustrated book of Yoga.

Swami Satchitananda introduced Yoga to Woodstock. While Swami Sivananada Rdha; is the female who found the relationship of Yoga and psychology. In the 70′s; yogi Bhajan started the Kundalini Yoga, and founded the 3HO (holy, happy and healthy). Sri Krishnamacharya taught the Viniyoga Hatha Yoga. His son, Desikachar, continued on this tradition. Obviously, this family was so into Yoga, as Desikachar’s brother in law, who is B.K.S. Lyengar, continued this tradition, too. Later on, they had so many followers. Nowadays, yoga masters are Sathya Sai Baba and Swami Satyananada (the founder of the Bihar School of Yoga), and many more.
Yoga evolution and development were systematic, and they depended on the time, believes, traditions and the place. At the beginning, Yoga goals were to understand the world and live in harmony with it, however, by time, this was changed and Yoga evolved to concern the world and the self, too.

After the sixth Century, Yoga evolved to have the poses and meditation as essential elements in it.
Modern Yoga based on five principles created by Swami Sivananda, and they are; breathing; exercising; relaxing; thinking and meditation; and diet.

Nowadays; Yoga is used as an alternative therapy, because of its healing powers, e.g. backache healing, headaches; …etc, and this is supported by many physicians, who are aware of Yoga’s benefits and effectiveness. They already recommend it to their patients, so that they would benefit from its healing powers, plus its relaxation effect, and this makes them guarantee physiological and psychological treatment, too. In addition, it neutralizes the negative energies; and strengthens the inner positive energies.

Eventually, Yoga is a spiritual practice, practiced in so many techniques around the world. So many cultures had affected Yoga; like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the West). In addition, it was in so many languages; like Hindi, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Bengali, Prakit, Tamil, Marathi and Pali.

Yoga spreading is nonstop, and it is still spreading its message of peace to the whole world, and will always be spreading. It is like any species; which reproduces and proliferates, the masters transfer Yoga traditions to the Yogis; and so on. Yoga will never die as long as human beings exist on earth. Yoga lives in our spirits and in any Yogis soul.

Whenever you get into the Yoga world, you will be involuntarily eager to explore more about this world of wonders.

When it comes to yoga, everybody pauses to listen, and always needs to know more about it. Yoga gives us a state of relaxation on just mentioning it, as if it is a magical word. Me, myself when I listen to the word “Yoga”, I take a deep breath and relax.

Yoga is an ancient sport, and its origin was in India thousands of years ago. Regarding its direct positive effect on the physical, mental and psychological states of human beings it is considered to be a complete science of life, and an excellent sport for body and spirit.

Yoga is a sport for everybody, young and old. You can practice it at any age. When you practice yoga, you will not get the best out of it, except when you reach a point where your consciousness and the universal consciousness unite. It makes you spiritually committed to nature, managing your stress, nerves, pain and fatigue. In addition, on practicing it regularly you will notice that your body has never been so flexible before. This is because it enables you to do body stretching and many positions aiming for flexibility. These positions increase your concentration, patience and strength, too.

Before deciding to start your Yoga classes, you should have a hint about it. Read as much as you can about Yoga, because the more you read the more you discover its world.” It is a world of wonders”. First, you should know, what is Yoga? , what is it all about?

The ancient Yogis were less busy than we are nowadays, they were having more time to think, understand and discover the nature, and the human needs. They knew that by balancing the three forces, (which are action, emotion and intelligence), the human body operates its best and this is because the body, mind and soul are integrated together, enabling the person to live in harmony with himself and his environment. Therefore, Yoga became a unique method to maintain this balance, providing us with all the physical movements required for a good health and fitness, plus the breathing and meditation techniques, which relax the body and release it from all the stresses and tensions.

The word “Yoga” means “to join together”, since it unites the body, the mind and the soul. It consists of three structures, which are exercise, breathing, and meditation. The exercises designed to improve and maintain the body’s glandular function, and so it leads to a good health. Anciently, they were considering breathing is the source of life in the body, so in Yoga; the breathing techniques based on this concept. That is why breathing is essential and one of the three structures in Yoga. On achieving a breath control; together with the exercises; you prepare your body and mind for the meditation.

Yoga teaches us so much; it teaches us how to take care of our body, mind and soul; which enables us to live our life to the maximum. It makes us able to use all our energy in good; to do our best at work; to overcome pressure and stresses at work and in our everyday life; to concentrate; to be patient; and last but not least to relax. In addition, it provides us with strength and energy. On practicing it regularly and on daily basis, you will achieve a clear bright mind and a strong relaxed body; free from everyday stresses.
Now, you should have a quick hint about its history. This will enable you to understand Yoga basics from its early stages and its evolution, and know how it became a worldwide sport.