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Getting your body in good condition or simply just keeping it in shape is becoming more and more important in the modern society. There are numerous techniques that promote physical health and there are new ones being developed every day. However, many popular forms of exercise are everything but new. In fact, many are based on ancient practices from thousand of years ago and have deep spiritual roots Yoga is one of them.

The meaning of the word yoga can be translated as “union”, the joining of the spiritual and physical worlds. The exact origin of yoga is not known. However, it is generally accepted that it was discovered around 3000 BC when the Indus Valley Civilization fabricated seals depicting figures in the asana posture. In this period the Vedas have been written. These scriptures are the main source of what is known as Vedic yoga, which is centered on the old Indian obsession with rituals and sacrifices such as the yogic corpse asana.

To the western world, popularity of yoga has increased over the years and is now considered just a fashionable way to get into shape. Traditional yoga focuses both on breathing techniques and positions, which combined offer both medical as well as physical advantages, such as decreased stress, more energy, flexibility, and strengthened muscles. In the western world, however, focuses more on the postures and not as much on the breathing. In fact, many people will begin practicing yoga for the flexibility the exercises bring and, in most cases, its spiritual aspects of have been completely lost. Even though the techniques and movements are the same, their meaning is different. However, even in modern yoga some spiritual aspects are still present. For example, it is possible to change your awareness through the practice of stillness and the asanas. This change in turn affects your outlook on life which allows you to feel a part of the whole universe and learn how giving to others is actually helping yourself since we are all a small part of the whole.