Yoga is an ancient practice dating back 5000 years to Northern India. The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root “jui” meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. Today it is often seen as just a physical practice, but in fact its origins began as a spiritual discipline, used alongside its sister practices Ayurveda and Tantra.

The purpose of yoga is to connect the mind, body and spirit through poses (asanas), breath and mediation. By holding the yoga pose or by completing a sequence of movements, it focuses the brain on the exercise being completed and allows the brain to be present in the moment, helping it to relax.

The benefits of yoga not only help increase strength, flexibility and balance, they also help to reduce stress, improve sleep, help ease arthritic symptoms, improve energy levels, keep your heart healthy and help to relieve back pain, to name a few.