What is Yoga?
Yoga is a system of exercises for the physical & mental well being. It combines stylised poses with deep breathing and meditation. The term yoga itself is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning 'to join together'. The ultimate aim of yoga it to unite the human soul with the universal sprit
Yoga was developed about 5 thousand years ago. Its founders were great Sages who carried out intense feats of physical and mental concentration. Yoga has its origins in the Vedas, the oldest records of Indian culture. The great Indian sage Patanjali who described a series of postures or Asanas, which the student gradually tries to attain, systematized it. Maharishi Patanjali rightly called as the "Father of Yoga" compiled and refined various aspects of Yoga systematically in his "Yoga Sutras" (aphorisms). He advocated the eight-fold path of Yoga, popularly known as "Ashtanga Yoga" for the all-round development of the human personality.
According to Patanjali, within the human body there are channels called Nadi & centres called chakra. If these channels & centres are tapped, energy hidden in the body can be released. This energy is called kundalini.