Yoga, the science
based on ancient Indian wisdom and culture, is an
art of living a healthy, balanced, peaceful and
contented life. Yoga, being a total integrated system,
studies man in his wholeness - body, mind and spirit
and is integrated to certain principles, ideas,
values, attitudes and a way of life for personal
and social benefits.
The form of Yoga
that has gained popularity worldwide and which
is taught in schools across Kerala is Hatha Yoga,
which emphasizes the training of the body and
mind to attain a higher state of fitness and consciousness.
Yoga has gained popularity worldwide as a form
of exercise and relaxation. While the asanas taught
at yoga schools in Kerala, promote flexibility
and the physical conditioning of the body, the
breathing exercises improve concentration and
the whole process helps relieve mental and physical
stress. Well-known international systems of yoga
include Iyengar Yoga and Bikram Yoga.
Yoga had recognised and accepted
the importance of the mind and the subconscious
over the total human personality much earlier
than modern psychology did in its present form.
Yoga is a stepwise, stage wise eight fold path
to final liberation from pain and suffering.These
steps progressively take us to the highest state
of creativity, of discriminative knowledge and
towards attaining the desired perfection.
