Yoga in India

The teachings of the Vedas are very much imbibed in the Indian social setup and Indian way of life. Yoga has a root that is embedded in the Hindu philosophy and it is directly linked to attaining higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance and suffering.

The other major Indian religions like Buddhism too places great emphasis on the theory of austerity and meditation to attain renunciation. Yoga is based on the theory that physical condition is enhanced by controlled stress with the help of certain postures popularly called Yogic postures.

There are quite a few kinds of Yogic practiced in India. Patanjali's Yoga, better known as the Raja-yoga or "royal yoga" is the type of yogic theory that is widely practiced in the Western part of the country. In India there are three principle type of yoga, "Jnana Yoga" i.e. the path of realization and wisdom, "Bhakti Yoga" i.e. the path of love and devotion to personal god and "Karma Yoga" i.e. path of selfless action.

It is extremely important to realize that yoga is a complex exercise and it is not a good idea to try it without any guidance. Only a trained master can teach you the finer aspects of the art that will help you attain a well toned body and a stress free mind.