Yoga for a physical and mental wellbeing
Yoga is an ancient Oriental discipline, more specifically from India, with a history of 2000 years. Yoga is a technique that works the mind, body and the spirit. Yoga is a disciplined method utilized for attaining a goal.
Depending where it is practiced you will find many variants of Yoga, as it is a discipline found in the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Depending on the philosophical or theological system it is conjugated with, the purpose of yoga can vary, for example the Bhakti schools of Vaishnavism combine yoga with devotion to enjoy an eternal presence of Vishnu. In the Shaiva theology, Yoga is used to unite kundalini with Shiva. Mahabharata defines the purpose of Yoga as the experience of Brahman or Ātman pervading all things. For Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the purpose of yoga is defined as the cessation of the transformation of awareness(citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ). Nowadays, Yoga is used as a complete exercise program and physical therapy routine.
Practicing Yoga can be very beneficial to your health, as it works with your emotions, body and mind. Yoga works this union body-mind-emotion-being. The physical postures of Yoga are used to alleviate health problems, reduce stress and make the spine supple.
Many studies have tried to determine the effectiveness of yoga as a complementary intervention for cancer, schizophrenia, asthma and heart patients. In the United States, surveys, dated that long-term yoga practitioners reported muscle–skeletal and mental health improvements.
In the western culture the Hatha Yoga is the variant most practiced, it is a holistic yogic path that includes exercises of postures, purification procedures, gestures, breathing and meditation. The Hatha Yoga predominantly practiced in the West consists mostly of postures understood as physical exercises. It is also recognized as a stress-reducing practice. If you want to practice Yoga you sure would find a Yoga teacher near you.