Yoga is a complete science of movement that originated in India over four thousand years ago. It is a practice of personal
development encompassing the body, mind and spirit. Yoga postures or poses are called "asanas" and are used to stretch and
tone every part of the body including the muscles and joints. The asanas also strengthen internal organs, glands
and nerves necessary to maintain good health.
Breathing is an important part of the Yoga system used to train the mind to let go of distractions and to focus on one
thing as a point of concentration. When you can calm your mind, you can calm your body, release tension and reduce your stress
level. Anyone can practice Yoga and gain benefits regardless of age or physical condition. Some of the immediate benefits
from the study of Yoga are: improved posture, increased balance and flexibility, and stress reduction.
The word "Hatha" is a combination of the Sanskrit words for "sun" (ha) and "moon" (tha). Contrary to
the common perception, Hatha isn't a specific style of yoga; it's an umbrella term for any type of physical yoga,
as opposed to devotional yoga, yoga of service and so on.
