When people think "yoga," different concepts emerge. Some believe it is an Eastern religion while others believe it is only an exercise system. Some think yoga is passive meditation; others think it only consists of basic stretching exercises, while others believe it also promotes strength and endurance. Confused? Read on!

Yoga can improve physical conditioning, but it is not exactly exercise.

Yoga develops concentration and quiets the mind, but it is not exactly meditation.

Originally a part of the Hindu religion, contemporary yoga has absolutely nothing to do with religion.

So if yoga is NOT exercise, or meditation, or religion, then what is it? Well, that depends primarily on who's teaching it. But first, a bit of history:

Derived from an ancient language, "yoga" simply means: "union or balance of body, mind, and spirit."

Yoga developed thousands of years ago in India by Hindu priests living a strict and disciplined lifestyle. Through the millennia, the "yogis" as they were known, were vegetarians, wore minimal clothing, and lived literally close to the earth learning directly from nature. They were more flexible than Gumby.

These ancients observed that in nature, the bodies of animals were nearly perfectly balanced exhibiting profound flexibility, strength and endurance. They were in balance with their environment.

The ancient yogis observed that animals ate when hungry, rested when tired, stayed quiet when injured, and showed little fear or anxiety. But when they did, it was brief because animals did not appear to worry about their past or future. The ancient yogis developed yoga to imitate the effects of nature.

Through millennia, yogis developed and codified a system including both exercises and breath control, using it to enhance their health and spirituality.

In our western youth-oriented society, the more popular forms of yoga range from the restorative and quiet, all the way to extreme forms of physically challenging aerobic yoga. Yet most are based upon an ancient system that tries to enhance a person's flexibility. Unfortunately, people drop out because they are not flexible enough to "perform," or they because they get hurt.

Personally, I rejected the older "classical" system many years ago because I believe appropriate yoga should create a balance between strength and endurance, as well as flexibility.

When adapted to honor the variable nature of today's women and men of all ages and levels of capacity, I believe yoga can be a significant vehicle for both maintaining and improving health. It is also profoundly spiritual because when appropriately practiced, and when used in combination with gentle yoga breath control, the actual "balance and union" of nature can be experienced.

Through the years, I adapted yoga so that "normal" people could safely practice in a way that has absolutely nothing to do with flexibility, and especially with anyone's religion.

In order to maximize yoga's potential and minimize its liability, the yoga I teach is based upon known physiological principles and laws, which are presented in my free yoga educational website, www.extensionyoga.com

So, what is yoga? It is a system that when appropriately practiced, promotes wellness of body, mind, and spirit. It promotes a physical and emotional balance between strength and flexibility, which builds functional endurance. In so doing, yoga quiets the mind and promotes a profound feeling of well-being.

It's at that point when yoga truly becomes: "Meditation in Action."

The above article was written by Sam Dworkis. This article and others can be seen on his webiste at www.extensionyoga.com