The physical practice of yoga, known as hatha yoga, emerged in India more than 5,000 years ago as an approach to living developed from the spiritual practices of Vedic people. The term yoga comes from Sanskrit and means “union.” According to Vedic principles, yoga is a union of body with mind and mind with spirit. In the Vedic system, achieving unity or inner harmony leads to self-realization. Self-realization ultimately leads to self-transcendence or unity with the One or Universal Spirit, which is considered the highest level of spiritual evolution. To dedicate one's self to practicing yoga, therefore, is to dedicate one's self to pursuing enlightenment. People who follow a yogic lifestyle seek to include yogic principles in daily living.

While yoga's philosophy embraces principles of spirituality, yoga itself is not a religion. Accordingly, the practice of hatha yoga should not interfere with any particular belief system and can be practiced by followers of any faith or by people who are spiritual, but not religious.

The practice of hatha yoga consists of a series of poses, known as asanas, that you hold anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. The moves require a blend of strength, flexibility, and body awareness and are intended to promote union of body, mind, and spirit and to prepare the body for the discipline of meditation and other spiritual yoga practices.

The consistent practice of yoga provides numerous physical and mental health benefits according to a large and growing body of research. Scientists, interested in the link between mind and body, or how thoughts and feelings can affect physiology, conduct research in the field of mind-body medicine. Because yoga is a leading form of mind-body exercise — a movement discipline that combines mindful techniques with physical movements — it has been the focus of much medical scientific interest.

Studies of yoga report the following benefits:

• Improved physical health

• Better sleep

• Effective stress and anger management

• Reduced responsiveness to stress hormones

• Decreased pain and pain sensitization

• Greater sense of well-being

• An overall improved mental outlook

Most hatha yoga styles include the same basic poses but differ in terms of how quickly you move, how long you hold each pose, how much breathing is emphasized, and how much of a spiritual aspect is involved. In the Indian tradition, all physical yoga is hatha yoga. In contrast, in America, different styles of hatha yoga have been given new names such as power, flow, or hot yoga. Other styles are named after the individual people who spread the exercise in America. For example, Iyengar yoga, named after B.K.S. Iyengar, is the most widely practiced style of hatha yoga in America and offers modifications for beginners.