The classical techniques of Yoga date back more than 5,000 years. In ancient times, the desire for greater personal freedom, health and long life, and heightened self-understanding gave birth to this system of physical and mental exercise which has since spread throughout the world. The word Yoga means "to join or yoke together," and it brings the body and mind together into one harmonious experience.

Yoga has simple and effective body movements that strengthen one's back, firm the stomach, and redistribute body weight. Yoga exercises stretch and tone the body muscles. They increase endurance and improve flexibility.

Benefits of Yoga
Increasing Flexibility - yoga has positions that act upon the various joints of the body including those joints that are never really on the 'radar screen' let alone exercised.
Increasing lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons - likewise, the well-researched yoga positions exercise the different tendons and ligaments of the body.

Surprisingly it has been found that the body which may have been quite rigid starts experiencing a remarkable flexibility in even those parts which have not been consciously work upon. Why? It is here that the remarkable research behind yoga positions proves its mettle. Seemingly unrelated "non strenuous" yoga positions act upon certain parts of the body in an interrelated manner. When done together, they work in harmony to create a situation where flexibility is attained relatively easily.
Massaging of ALL Organs of the Body - Yoga is perhaps the only form of activity which massages all the internal glands and organs of the body in a thorough manner, including those - such as the prostate - that hardly get externally stimulated during our entire lifetime. Yoga acts in a wholesome manner on the various body parts. This stimulation and massage of the organs in turn benefits us by keeping away disease and providing a forewarning at the first possible instance of a likely onset of disease or disorder.
Complete Detoxification - By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the various organs, yoga ensures the optimum blood supply to various parts of the body. This helps in the flushing out of toxins from every nook and cranny as well as providing nourishment up to the last point. This leads to benefits such as delayed ageing, energy and a remarkable zest for life.
Excellent toning of the muscles - Muscles that have become flaccid, weak or slothy are stimulated repeatedly to shed excess flab and flaccidity.
In fact yoga = meditation, because both work together in achieving the common goal of unity of mind, body and spirit - a state of eternal bliss.
The meditative practices through yoga help in achieving an emotional balance through detachment. What it means is that meditation creates conditions, where you are not affected by the happenings around you. This in turn creates a remarkable calmness and a positive outlook, which also has tremendous benefits on the physical health of the body.

Positions:

Standing Position
Stand erect with the feet quite close together, heels and the big toes touching each other. Hands touching thighs, this position helps achieve stability of pulse.

Sitting Position
This is the sitting position with both legs together and stretched, toes erect, spine erect and both hands straight and palms resting on the floor.

Supine Position
Lie down on the back with legs together, straight extended, the toes erect and hands straight and palms resting on the floor.

Suitable tips of yoga:
ØThe time most suitable for Yoga is in the morning before breakfast when the mind is calm and fresh and the movements can be done with ease and vitality.
ØAlways remember that you should begin with the easy postures and then proceed to the difficult ones. One must follow the graded steps of Yoga.

The ratio for the composition of meals should be:
grains and cereals 30% of the calorific value
dairy products 20%
vegetables and roots 25%
fruits and honey 20%
nuts remaining 5%
· The clothing should be loose and as scanty as possible, because maximum amount of the skin should be exposed to air.
· For lying postures use a woolen carpet, and spread a clean sheet over it.
·You can check out some other commercial Yoga accessories, like Yoga belt, foam blocks, Yoga pillows and rubber mats.