These days the word "yoga" seems to be everywhere. It appears in the contexts of fitness and sports, healing of injuries and diseases, concentration and mental discipline, stress reduction, spiritual practice etc.
But what is yoga really about?
Yoga conjures up many images, including emaciated Indians in contorted postures, levitating above the ground, and meditating for long periods of time. The practice is generally understood to be a physical discipline involving particular postures and possibly some breathing techniques. In our experience, the most common reasons people explore yoga are to increase flexibility as well as a means of enhancing and facilitating relaxation. In the United Kingdom the most common yoga practice is hatha yoga, that part of yoga that involves the body and breath. Its effects of relaxation, increased flexibility, strength, vitality, improved concentration and immune system function are now well known and documented. Use of hatha in healing musculo-skeletal problems and training athletes and dancers is in the news frequently. While all of the effects mentioned above can be the results of hatha yoga practice, they are merely side effects of a much bigger purpose. Great side effects, to be sure, yet there are far more profound effects to be discovered within the heart of yoga.
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