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Outside of India, Yoga is chiefly associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga or as a type of physical exercise. Many good yoga instructors are dedicated to bringing the most recent and up to date thinking and information on Yoga as exercise for the body as well as for the mind. Another aspect of Yoga, very important to Indian culture as well as North America is that of the spiritual awakening yoga can offer.

You can find useful information on spiritual yoga retreats such as “Finding the Buddha Within” and also offers tips on how to use Yoga as a benefit for a healthier life. When practiced properly, Yoga can be beneficial in stress reduction, a health concern that many people in our busy productivity driven society suffer from. Everything from sleep disorders to unhealthy weight gain and low-energy can be helped, if not cured by daily yoga practice.

Another emerging (and yet already popular) trend is children’s yoga, but beyond being fashionable this activity leads to a more well rounded happy family life, it’s truly an enjoyable and healthful way to become a fit and relaxed parent or child.  There are numerous opinions on what the goal of Yoga may be, although commonly they involve some kind of union, either of a personal or a non-personal nature. In Indian culture this union is explained spiritually.

Within the monist schools of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism  a perfected enlightenment takes the form of Moksha, which is a liberation from all worldly suffering and the cycle of birth and death ( Samsara) at which point there is a cessation of thought and an experience of wonderful union with the Supreme Brahman. For the dualistic bhakti schools of Vaishnavism, bhakti itself is the definitive goal of the yoga process, in which perfection concludes in a continuous correlation with Vishnu or one of his related avatars such as Krishna or Rama.

Regardless of whether one uses yoga as a method of enlightenment, family activity or just a great workout, the benefits will be vast. Whether you are united with family, find union with yourself, mind and body or find yourself in better shape Yoga will enrich one’s life.