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All over the world, yoga is practised in many different forms, the major forms being Ashtanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga is named after the eight limbs preached by Maharishi Patanjali in his yoga sutras (scriptures). In this form, practitioners must follow eight steps, namely yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara,dharana,dhyana and Samadhi, to lead towards the realization of God.

Hatha Yoga is another branch of yoga. Hatha means “Force” and yoga means “Union.” Hatha Yoga refers to the practise of physical yoga postures or asanas. Most forms practised in the West, like Power Yoga, can be classified as Hatha Yoga

Yoga asanas are famous all over the world because of its ability to transform a person’s body completely. They can help you gain strength and flexibility to a great extent. It also promotes holistic weightloss.

Not only does yoga constitute the practise of asanas, but also pranayama and meditation. Pranayama is the regulation of breath. Prana means “breath” or “life force”. The regulation of breath has innumerable benefits. It has proven to cure and heal many diseases. It can also increase the longevity of life.

Meditation brings balance to life and relieves stress. It also helps a person evolve spiritually and mentally.

Prescribed mantras, chanted by a healthy person, alters a person’s aura to make them feel and be a more positive person. It relievestheir stress, helps them evolve spiritually and booststheir energy.

The first main benefit which yoga provides is holistic health. It increases the number of years you live a healthy and energetic life. It boosts immunity and keeps all the organs healthy and strong.

Yoga used for healing comes under YogChikitsa. The combination of asana, pranayama, chanting and meditation is advantageous in strengthening the immunity of a person and driving awayalmost any disease. It can treat and heal thyroid, diabetes, blood pressure, and almost any other ailment.

There are many yoga asanas to heal back pain. Not only do these asanas heal the back, but also strengthen it to prevent any future injuries from taking place.

Practising asana flows and a certain set of pranayama techniques is very effective in combating hypothyroid and hyperthyroid.

There is nothing as good as yoga for weight management. Regular practise of weight management formula, a certain set of asanas and pranayama can help a person lose weight holistically, even without leaving stretch marks on the body. Yoga also brings a glow on the face of the person who has lost weight.

There are various reasons why people seek to join a yoga class. Flexibility, Weight management, Stress relief, health, spirituality are some of the many reasons.

Yoga classes are fast spreading to every nook and corner of the world. Most yoga classes teach a combination of power yoga, hatha vinyasa and ashtangavinyasa flows. Some well-known yoga institutes also provide many levels of teacher training courses.

When we go through sufferings and depression, we tend to lose the power to think straight. Our minds fail to focus on the finer aspects of life. The solution to such a problem is a Yoga Retreat, where not only does the mind come at ease, but also helps an individual to think straight and develop a clearer perspective of life. It’s a great way to detach digitally and detox. It also is great in replacing unhealthy habits with more constructive habits.

Himalayas is the birthplace of yoga. Yoga was spread all over the world by many missionaries. It can be observed that the yoga practised all over the world focuses more on asana practise. The rate of the number of people joining a yoga class every year is increasing at a high rate in most countries of the world.

Why is yoga spreading worldwide? Because yoga can help a person realize the purpose to their life. Many people started practising yoga to find relief from the stress of modern life. Yoga goes beyond the one or two hours spent on a yoga mat. Yoga is a way of life.

The sales of yoga accessories and yoga mats have increased manifold times over the years. Yoga mats are so extensively used because they prevent hands and legs from slipping during a yoga practise.

Annually, the number of people registering to become a yoga teacher is increasing at a very high rate.

A yoga teacher understands the anatomy of a human body and alters each class according to the different type of bodies which enter class. Each human body’s anatomy is different.

Yoga is practised in large numbers in India. In India, more significance is given to the spiritual aspect of yoga than the physical aspect. Many people from all over the world come to India to learn yoga from the place of its origin.

The 21st of June is annually celebrated and observed by millions all over the world as The International Yoga Day. On this day, millions of people gather to spread love and harmony through the practice of yoga asanas and pranayama.

There also are a large number of yoga videos found on YouTube. Online yoga videos and classes are a very popular form of teaching and learning yoga from well-known yoga teachers.

Words are always less to describe how important yoga is. It leads to a healthier, happier and a more sustainable world as a whole. Yoga promotes harmony and compassion. More of love and less of hate is always beneficial to the maintenance of peace in the world.

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