Yoga is a physical and mental practice that involves the body, mind and spirit. The practice, whi…

Yoga is a physical and mental practice that involves the body, mind and spirit. The practice, which originated in India, is designed to enhance awareness, create a mind-body-spirit balance, cleanse, heal and strengthen the body, liberate the true self and, as practiced today, improve fitness. The most common form practiced in the United States is hatha yoga, which includes specific movements or postures (asana) and various breathing techniques (pranayama) and is often complimented with meditation (dhyana).

Yoga's gentle, mindful and controlled movements can provide a non- or low-impact workout for people in almost any physical condition. Yogic exercises—and there are many—can ease tense muscles, improve flexibility and enhance strength, balance and endurance. Poses, breathing practices and meditation can also increase concentration, reduce stress and, among other therapeutic benefits, relieve back pain.

No one seems quite sure when yoga began, but it goes back thousands of years. Stone carvings in the Indus Valley depicting yoga positions date back 5,000-plus years.

Traditionally, yoga was a spiritual practice, its goal being union with the absolute or the divine. The various exercises we associate with hatha yoga were performed to prepare the body for long periods of meditation. The word "yoga" means to join or bind together, and the practice joins together the body, mind and spirit. On a spiritual level, it can refer to the union of the individual with the absolute truth