Yoga evolved over five thousand years ago in India. It has close connections with the oldest vedic religious practices. As ideas about faith and spirituality arose in India groups of people went their separate ways according to what they believed. Thus Hinduism and Buddhism began whilst yoga chose spirituality. Yoga has close ties with the developing religions . Of importance in yoga are where we come from, what gives us life, how we interpret things in life and how we should conduct ourselves in our relations with other living things and our planet. What we see today in yoga practices took many centuries to evolve.

A philosophy developed to underpin these beliefs. Inner study, perhaps in meditation, brought awareness of a universal divine energy responsible for the creation of life and the universe. Working with that life force, called in yoga, prana, led to the development of systems of practice that would reveal the work of this energy and how it interconnects all things.

It was only in mediaeval times that the human body was seen to have potential to be used as a tool to offer the practitioner of yoga a way to an enlightened state where fusion with the original essence, the source of life could take place. There are many schools of thought in yoga and many opinions on the paths that can be taken to evolve awareness of the Self - this original creative 'force'. Modern yoga in the West is frequently drawn from techniques described by and accredited to a revered sage Patanjali. His were with the first written descriptions of the values of yoga and the practical techniques that reveal the life force. This is called Astanga Yoga and consists of eight limbs that contain the following conducts and practices:

Yama - a code for society including Ahimsa, non-violence Satya - truthfulness Asteya - do not steal

Brahmacharya - right action

Aparigraha - non-coveting

Niyama - personal discipline, including Sauca - purity, Santosa - contentment.

Tapas - perseverance. Svadhaya - self study. Ishvara Pranidhana devotion to God.

Asana - yoga postures

Pranayama - regulation through breath of the pranic life-force.

Pratyahara - detachment of senses from external objects

Dharana - contemplation to one pointed attention

Dhyana - meditation

Samadhi - absorption in the self.

Most yoga classes will focus on asana and will incorporate breathing and meditation. If yoga practice becomes your be all and end all you can develop an advanced standard of practice. This requires a sustained dedicated daily practice building great strength and capacity to tolerate very demanding levels in asana, pranayama and meditation.