what is yoga?

yoga means harmony. this is the sister science of ayurveda and meditation, yoga complements the use of the others. yoga is a system of exercises that bring harmony to the spirit, mind and body. developed based upon experience and observation of nature, yoga brings balance to the life of the practitioner .

The whole concept of Yoga is that at the moment of engagement of the Asana (position), the Yogi or Yogini needs to relax and understand what is going on deep in the body, this brings the mind to Self-Conciousness, and peace. The person is exercising the deepest tissues of his/her body and mind. On a physical realm, Yoga works for any person, since the goal is to reach that point where comfort meets challenge and that is always an individual aspect, there is no competition, is the practitioner with him or herself, enjoying their own company, being with themselves.

Yoga can be a very effective exercise, since it works the deepest tissue of the body that regular exercise doesn't work, while it massages the internal organs, creating better digestion, better asimilation of thoughts and emotions. Improving circulation and the normal functioning of most of the organs. There is a Yoga position to assist any organ of the body as well as the endocrine system and the energy field.

There are several different types of Yoga, but all of them come from the same source Hatha Yoga, which consists of a series of postures that reflect in most cases those that animals do to stretch, adapted to humans. There are types of Yoga that can be very estrenous like Ashtanga or Power Yoga, some include chanting and more aerobic type exercises like Kundalini, some focus on alignment and precision like Iyengar, Anusara and Sivananda and some are very very slow like Yin Yoga. It is like having a tree that produces the same fruit in different flavors and consistencies.

There are repeated testimonials of the wonders that Yoga do for back problems, it is a type of exercise that brings peace to you and will make you feel amazing after doing it. If you find the type of Yoga you like, that works for you, you will want to develop your own home practice.

That is the beauty of Yoga, that you can take it with you for the rest of your life, no matter where you are, all you need is a small empty space, a yoga mat or towel and your body to enjoy a great time with the person you are always with, yourself.