| When you feel tired or under too much stress, you | | | | method that can be used by anyone to pursue their |
| can try yoga to relax yourself. Yoga has become one | | | | own religious (or non-religious) goals. |
| of the most popular health trends around. | | | | Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism, practiced yogic |
| Yoga has become so popular in recent years, and it's | | | | meditation, and meditation is still a central part of |
| easy to overlook the fact that it is actually one of | | | | Buddhism today. |
| humankind's oldest activities. It is believed that yoga is | | | | Yoga was practically unknown to the West until the |
| originated from shamans in Indus Valley over | | | | 1960s, when popular culture began to show an interest |
| 5000years ago. | | | | in Eastern religions. People began to look at yoga as a |
| Shamans were regarded as the holy men of early | | | | way to find peace of mind in a world that was |
| human civilization. It is said that they can communicate | | | | anything but peaceful. |
| with the spirit world to find solutions to problems facing | | | | Since the 1960s yoga's popularity has grown steadily. |
| their people. Over time, these shamans developed a | | | | Nowadays, Westerners practice all kinds of yoga. |
| system of mental and physical exercises to expand | | | | There are even yoga classes for people in their 70s! |
| their consciousness, and thereby give a new | | | | In fact, there are so many people who want to learn |
| perspective on the problems of daily life. These | | | | yoga that yoga schools across the United States are |
| exercises formed the foundation of modern yoga. | | | | having difficulty keeping up with the demand. Judging |
| For thousands of years yoga was practiced mainly in | | | | by its popularity, yoga is as useful for solving the |
| India. The exercises of yoga were incorporated into | | | | problems of today as it was for solving the problems |
| three of the Indian religions: Hinduism, Jainism and | | | | 5,000 years ago. |
| Buddhism. Technically, yoga is not a religion; it is a | | | | |