Introduction The word Yoga originates from the Sanskrit word Yuj (literally, to yoke) and is gene rally

translated as union - integration - to yoke, attach, join, unite. Yoga is ther efore the union and integration of every aspect of a human being, from the inner most to the external. According to Yoga experts, the union referred to by the na me is that of the individual soul with the cosmos, or the Supreme. Yoga has both a philosophical and a practical dimension. The philosophy of yoga(u nion) deals with the nature of the individual soul and the cosmos, and how the tw o are related. The practice of yoga, on the other hand, can be any activity that leads or brings the practitioner closer to this mystical union - a state called self-realization. Over thousands of years, special practical yoga techniques ha ve been developed by experts in yoga, who are referred to as Yogis (male) and Yo ginis (female). These Yoga techniques cover a broad range, encompassing physical, mental, and sp iritual activities. Traditionally, they have been classified into four categorie s or paths: the path of meditation (Raja Yoga), the path of devotion (Bhakti Yog a), the path of selfless service to the Divine (Karma Yoga), and the path of int ellectual analysis or the discrimination of truth and reality (Jnana Yoga). The most conspicuous form of yoga in the West, Hatha Yoga - consisting of various ph ysical and breathing exercises and purification techniques - is actually the thi rd and the fourth stages of Ashtanga Yoga of Yoga Sutras by Patanjali. Clients and friends enjoy Yoga as means of bringing balance into their lives. Th ey report greater clarity in their meditations and a sense of releasing issues t hat hold them back. Yoga enhances every facet of physical fitness the mind/body energy exchange supp orts a mental clarity and concentration. The strength improves posture/alignment to support our daily activities. The flexibility helps to prevent injuries and keeps us supple and youthful. The breathing practices are the foundation and the link between the mind and the body, providing a valuable tool for releasing ten sion and reducing stress. The practice of yoga teaches us how to quiet the mind by placing attention on th e breath, and also on the movement (stillness) of the body. Evolution of yoga The yogis consider that we are all searching for happiness and that this is ever ybodys main goal. Its just that most people settle for the brief, watered-down ver sion of temporary pleasures. The yogis state that at some stage in our spiritual evolution over many lives we will become dissatisfied with brief, temporary pleasures and start our quest fo r eternal bliss. Methods to achieve this were developed and perfected by the yog is thousands of years ago. They consider that natures laws are so designed that w e must evolve. The main mechanism nature uses in the early stages is pain. When we find that relationships, money or alcohol, for example, do not produce happin ess or a sense of purpose, we will start looking more deeply into life. Yoga wai ts patiently for you to reach this stage. Pre-Vedic The history of yoga may go back anywhere from five to eight thousand years ago, depending on the perspective of the historian. It evolved wholly in the land of India, and while it is supposed by some scholars that yogic practices were origi nally the domain of the indigenous, non-Aryan (and pre-Vedic) peoples, it was fi rst clearly expounded in the great Vedic shastras (religious texts). Pre-Vedic findings are taken, by some commentators, to show that yoga existed in s ome form well before the establishment of Aryan culture in the north Indian subc ontinent. A triangular amulet seal uncovered at the Mohenjo-daro archeological excavation site depicts a male, seated on a low platform in a cross legged position, with a rms outstretched. His head is crowned with the horns of a water-buffalo. He is s urrounded by animals (a fish, an alligator, and a snake) and diverse symbols. Th e likeness on the seal and understandings of the surrounding culture have led to its widely accepted identification as Pashupati, Lord of the Beasts, a prototype and predecessor of the modern day Hindu god Shiva. The pose is a very familiar o

ne to yogins, representing Shiva much as he is seen today, the meditating asceti c contemplating divine truth in yoga-posture. Veda Yoga can be traced back to the Rig Veda itself, the oldest Hindu text which speak s about yoking our mind and insight to the Sun of Truth. Great teachers of early Yoga include the names of many famous Vedic sages like Vasishta, Yajnavalkya et c. Ideas of uniting mind, body and soul in the cosmic one, however, do not find real yogic explication until the most important mystic texts of Hinduism, the Upanis hads or Vedanta, commentaries on the Vedas. Upanishads Explicit examples of the concept and terminology of yoga appear in the Upanishad s (primarily thirteen principal texts of the Vedanta, or the End of the Vedas, tha t are the culmination of all Vedic philosophy)While protracted discussions of th e ultimate, infinite Self, or Atman, and realization of Brahman, are the true le gacy of the Upanishads, the first principal Yoga text was the Bhagavad Gita (The Lords Song), also known as Gitopanishad. In the Maitrayaniya Upanishad (ca. 200-300 BCE) yoga surfaces as:Shadanga-Yoga The uniting discipline of the six limbs (shad-anga), as expounded in the Maitray aniya-Upanishad: (1) breath control (pranayama), (2) sensory inhibition (pratyah ara), (3) meditation (dhyana), (4) concentration (dharana), (5) examination (tar ka), and (6) ecstasy (samadhi).