Yoga is an ancient system of poses. It is composed of age old principles that correlate with the connection between a person’s mind and body. The importance and benefits of practicing yoga exercises for health have now been researched and proved by modern medical sciences. Yoga is a short word, or can be said to be a nick name for the old word “Yogasana”. This exercise involves the body, mind and soul of a human being. People who practice it are called Yogis. In order to fully reap of the rewards of practicing yoga exercises, one should believe that it will indeed benefit him, as it is an exercise strongly connected with the mind.

Yogis believe yoga brings health to the body and peace to the mind. So people practice yoga relax the body and mind and to improve health and fitness. Yoga is concerned with movements, patterns, postures and alignment of the human body. While yoga can be performed by people of all ages, it should be practiced under a teacher’s supervision when starting out.

Types of Yoga postures

There are many types of yoga postures. Some of the more well-known postures are discussed as follows:

• Sukhasana or Lotus is a sitting pose of yoga and is easy to perform. It is often used as the starting position. It opens the hips, lower back and groin area.

• Tadasana or Mountain pose is used to improve the balance of mind and posture of the body.

• Virabhadrasana or Warrior is a yoga pose that can be performed after Tadasana or mountain pose. It helps to stretch legs and arms and provides strength to the bones, thus increasing the balance of the body.

• Uttanasana is a yoga posture in which the body is extended upwards and then bent in the forward position to touch the toes. It helps in stretching the neck, legs and back bones, while also provide relaxation to the heart and mind.

• Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog is a yoga posture performed by putting and maintaining forehead on the floor in front of you. It helps in stretching and increasing the flexibility the back bone and hamstrings.

• Bhujangasana or The Cobra posture is performed by laying down flat on your stomach on the floor. It helps open the chest area and heart and stretches and strengthens the spine.

• Janu Shirshasana is head to knee pose of yoga exercises. This position is performed while sitting and touching the foot with the hand. Increases flexibility in the hamstrings, back, and arms.

• Trikonasana or the Triangle is a yoga pose in which the body is bent in the form of a triangle by separating the feet 3-4 feet and then touching one foot with one of your hands. It opens up the torso and increases the flexibility in back bone.

• Ardha Sarvangasana or Half Shoulderstand is a yoga pose that is formed by lying down on your back with elbows and lower arms on the floor and rise you legs up in the air. It helps improve thyroid function as well as circulation. It also stretches the upper spine and strengthens the abdomen and organs.

• Sethu Bandhasa or the Bridge is that yoga posture in which the body is laying down on the floor with arms resting at its sides while the body is risen such that the head, neck and feet are on the floor but the middle part of the body including tail, tail bone and spine is raised in the shape of an arc. It helps with the opening of the chest and low back and abdominal strength and flexibility.

• Hatha Yoga is the most difficult and demanding type of yoga postures as it requires very hard exercises and practices, immensely involving every muscles of the body.

• Pranayama is a yoga posture that involves breathing exercises.

• Dog and Cat posture helps in increasing the strength and flexibility of spinal cord.

• Savasana or the Corpse posture is performed at the end of yoga exercises session to relax the body and also provides a refreshing effect on the mind. This is a relatively easy position to perform.

Benefits of practicing yoga

There are literally hundreds of yoga benefits. Here are just some of them:

• It increases the body’s healing power and boosts the immune system.

• It helps in relaxing the mind and increases its steadiness and ability to concentrate and perception.

• It increases the flexibility of the muscles and bones of the body.

• It helps with both learning and memory.

• It increases the cardiovascular ability of the heart.

• It regulates and stabilizes the nervous system.

• Lowers heart rate and blood pressure.

• It increases awareness and improves brain function.

• It helps in normalizing the gastrointestinal and endocrine glands’ functionality.

• It improves equilibrium and increases the energy level.

• It can help with weight control.

• Yoga helps improve balance.

• It helps in decreasing depression, tension and anxiety by relaxing mind.

• Helps lower cholesterol.

• It can help you manage and control diabetes.

• It improves muscle tone througout the body.

• Is helpful in the treatment of asthma, chronic fatigue, arteriosclerosis, hepatitis and many more condtions.

• The aging process can be slowed down by practicing yoga.