During the 1st and 5th century CE, the Hindu sage Patañjali started to codify the meditative traditions practised throughout India into 196 manuals called the Yoga Sutras.

These texts described yoga as 'yoking'  (restraining) the mind from concentrating on external objects to reach a state...

Although there are many approaches to modern yoga, three core elements of Patañjali's practice remains:

• Physical postures
• Breathing exercises
• Spiritual contemplation.

The combination of physical and mental exercise is believed to have a unique set of health ...

Like other low-impact exercises, yoga's physical postures stretch multiple muscle groups.

Stretching can make these muscles, ligaments, and tendons more elastic by changing the water content. Regular stretching stimulates stem cells which change into new muscle tissue and o...

Studies show that yoga reduces pain and improve mobility in patients with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders.

Adding yoga to other exercise routines can improve strength and flexibility for conditions like chronic lower back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis....

One big claim is that yoga improves symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders, but there's little conclusive evidence of how yoga affects mental health.

However, there is evidence to suggest that yoga can reduce stress and help with relaxation.