The Origins Despite more than a century of research, we still don’t know much about the earliest beginnings of Yoga. We do know, though, that it originated in India 5,000 or more years ago. Until recently, many Western scholars thought that Yoga originated much later, maybe around 500 B.C.E., which is the time of Gautama the Buddha, the illustrious founder of Buddhism.

Benefits of Yoga

The most important benefit of yoga is physical and mental therapy. Aging is largely an artificial condition, caused mainly by autointoxication or self-poisoning. By keeping the body parts clean and well lubricated, we can significantly reduce the catabolic process of cell deterioration. To get the maximum benefits of yoga one has to follow three main guidelines: the practice of Asanas, Pranayama and YogaNidra.

Regular practice of Asanas helps to keep our body fit, controls cholesterol level, reduces weight; normalizes blood pressure and improves heart performance.

The practices of pranayama- the correct breathing technique helps to manipulate our energies. Most of us breathe incorrectly (only thoracically not using our abdomen, thereby utilizing only half of our lung capacity).

Yoga Nidra is a wonderful relaxation meditation, done while lying on our back in Shavasana. It relaxes the whole of our physiological or psychological system, thus completely rejuvenating the body and mind complex.