Already about 7,000 years ago, yoga was originated, as or similar to how we know it today! In India, where it originally came from, it was already practiced regularly at that time and served two essential purposes, among others: physical as well as mental health.
Then as now, yoga is more than just a sport, because the teaching of yogis, in whose school’s yoga is taught, has an ancient tradition, which is aimed at bringing mental as well as muscular relaxation to the person. A variety of different physical and breathing exercises developed, which are practiced in the course of various types of yoga. In the course of many thousands of years the yoga positions changed, but still today yoga is supposed to bring body and soul in harmony and to direct the perception inwards. One should feel into oneself, connect with body and soul, reach a kind of meditative state and be able to let oneself fall completely. A whole book could be written about this, and indeed there are countless works of relevant literature!
Even if yoga is practiced according to various rules of conduct and the exercises are taught in schools, yoga is by no means about doing everything one hundred percent correctly. Everyone can and should be able to design yoga individually and use it for themselves. It is important to really get involved in the state of complete concentration, the focus on the here and now, on your breath and on your inner self. If you can do this, a yoga session can work wonders. It not only strengthens the connection to oneself and the soul, but also promotes physical strength, flexibility, metabolism, mental abilities and concentration. The list of benefits is long and so is the practice. Yoga is taught at special yoga schools for a reason. The state of complete depth and relaxation, as well as the ability to look inward, is not achieved immediately by everyone. But those who do, benefit enormously from their yoga sessions and can use this method of complete relaxation for their physical and mental health!