World is embracing yoga in a big way. Although it is still associated with the ascetics, its usefulness is being rediscovered by every-body. Yoga can benefit us all and any one from the age of 7 years to 70 years can do it. Yoga is a great need of our time. Yoga means the Union of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness. Yoga is preventive rather than curative and in no way is limited to race, religion, sex, age, caste or creed. Its practice prevents illness and hence it should be regarded more as a health programme. Yoga is a method of training the mind and developing its powers of subtle perceptions so that man may discover for himself.

Yoga is not a religious system but an Art of living and also the wisdom of life. Maharish Patanjali Yoga is Asthangyoga. Asthangyoga has stage wise eight fold path to final liberation from pain and suffering. These steps progressively take us to the highest state of creativity. Yoga provides the best means of servicing the body and mind. Infect some of its asanas are good for relaxation of the mind, while others are good for digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous and glandular system. Pranayama promotes blood circulation and helps to improve the oxygen supply to all parts of body. Meditation is good not only for restoration of the lost psychosomatic balance, but it is equally good for prevention of loss of balance. Yoga promotes a balanced and integrated personality.

It is effective in controlling both stress and functional disorder. Practice of Yoga develops the whole human system. Modern mundane muscles building exercises develop only some parts of the body for out word display. Yogic asanas, mudras and pranayama are the best means of serving the body and mind. They are good for relaxation of the mind. Modern research is slowly uncovering the mechanics of Yoga and explaining terms of it that can easily be understood. A person's mental and physical health depends on brain and body chemicals. Yogic practices give direct and tangible benefits to every-one regardless of their spiritual aims. Yoga has succeeded as an alternative form of therapy, in diseases such as like asthma, blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders and other ailments of chronic and constitutional nature. Yoga provides a means for people to find their own way of life. According to medical scientists, yoga therapy is successful because of the balance created in the nervous and endocrine system which directly influences all the other system and organs of the body. The practice of asanas integrates and harmonizes mind and body.

Asanas release mental tension by dealing with them on the physical level. Yoga is compact package and several asanas give benefits not only restricted to particular part but to a system as a whole. Its continuous practice can help to promote social harmony and building individual health.