As our knowledge of health and fitness increases, people are becoming more and more interested in not only taking care of themselves physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. As a result, many are turning to more complete approaches to health, including less mainstream fitness methods such as yoga.

    Yoga's origins lie in Hindu philosophy, which was developed thousands of years ago in India. Today, yoga is a system of movements and meditation that emphasizes physical control and discipline as a way to achieve a state of spiritual knowledge.

    Yoga’s ideal state of knowledge is reached after a person has gone through eight different stages. These include aspects of self-control, religion, postures, regulation of breath, restraint of senses, steadying of the mind, meditation, and profound thought. For a practitioner of yoga, or "yogi" the progression through these stages is a movement from the physical toward a perfect mental state.

    There are eight major schools of yoga, each varying in its area of emphasis. The type of yoga thatis taught in the West is mainly a combination of exercise and meditation called Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is said to have a number of positive effects, such as reducing weight, strengthening muscles and nerves, cleaning out the body, and generally improving health and prolonging life.

    Recent decades have seen yoga gain widespread acceptance as a method of staying in shape, as well as a way of handling stress. Pop singer Madonna and supermodel Christy Turlington are just two of the many celebrities known to be strong advocates of yoga.

    At present, there is a lot of speculation and uncertainty about yoga and its effects. One thing, however, is certain: In our modern world of fast-paced lifestyles, taking time out to meditate and do some relaxing exercise cannot be a bad thing!

    我们对健康与健身的知识与日俱增，人们越来越感兴趣的是不仅仅关心身体健康，还关心心理与精神的健康。因此，许多人转而寻求更全面的途径来增进健康，包括一些还未成为主流的健身方式，如瑜珈。

    瑜珈起源于印度哲学，在印度已经发展了数千年。而今，瑜珈是一组强调身体控制与修身养性的运动和静坐，是达到“天人合一”境界的一个有效途径。

    人要经过八个不同阶段的训练才能达到瑜珈的完美境界。这包括了自制、信仰、体位、调息、节欲、内省、冥想和三摩地。对瑜珈修习者来说，这些阶段是从身体到完美精神境界的进程。

    瑜珈有八大流派，每派强调的领域有异。西方国家传授的瑜珈名为“哈他瑜珈“（又称“运动瑜珈”） ，主要是运动与静坐的结合。据说“哈他瑜珈”有许多良效，如减肥、强化肌肉与神经、净化身体进而增进健康，延年益寿。

    几十年来，瑜珈已广为世人接受，成为一种既能保持身材又能舒缓压力的方法。有许多知名人士亟力推荐瑜珈，流行歌手麦当娜与超级名模克里斯蒂·特灵顿只是其中两位。

    目前，关于瑜珈及其作用有很多揣测与怀疑。然而，有件事是毋庸置疑的：在快节奏生活方式的现代社会中，花点时间静坐和做些放松身体的运动，绝不是件坏事！