The term ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘YUJ’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic scriptures the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, Man & Nature. The aim of Yoga is Self-Realization, to overcome all kinds of sufferings leading to 'the state of liberation'. This is one of the oldest sciences of the world, originated in India, which is very useful for preserving and maintaining one's physical and mental health and also for 'spiritual evolution'. The practice of Yoga is believed to have started with the very dawn of civilization, Mythologically, Lord Shiva is considered to be the first teacher of Yoga. Yoga, being widely considered as an ‘immortal cultural outcome’ of Indus valley civilization – dating back to 2700 B.C. – has proved itself catering to both material and spiritual upliftment of humanity. Basic humane values are the very identity of Yoga Sadhana.

Though Yoga was being practiced in the pre-Vedic period (2700 B.C.), the great Sage Maharshi Patanjali systematized and codified the then existing practices of Yoga, its meaning and its related knowledge in his set of 196 aphorisms called "The Yoga Sutras”. The Sutras bring together all the various strands of theory and practice of yoga and present them in one concise, integrated and comprehensive text. According to Patañjali, there are eight components of the practice referred to as Ashtanga Yoga or eight ‘limbs’ of Yoga sadhana which must be practised and refined in order to perceive the true self - the ultimate goal of Yoga.

Yama's are restraints and Niyama's are observances. These are considered to be pre-requisits for the Yoga Sadhanas (Practices). Asanas, capable of bringing about stability of body and mind ‘kuryat-tad-asanam-sthairyam...’ , consists in adopting various body (psycho-physical) patterns, giving ability to maintain a body position (a stable awareness of one’s structural existence) for a considerable length and period of time as well.

Daily life in the modern world has left us with an immobile, sedentary lifestyle. This lack of exercise in our lives has left many people with chronic health and stress problems, especially as they get older.  Yoga enables the practitioner to find relief from these physical ailments and to strengthen the body and make it suppler. It is particularly beneficial for – muscular-skeletal disorders, arthritis, pains in the knees, shoulders and other joints, curvatures of the back and back pain, slipped discs and sciatic pain. From the psychological viewpoint, Yoga practice smoothen emotions, sharpens the intellect and aids concentration and steadies the emotions.   Yoga can be used to manage stress, psycho-somatic and lifestyle related disorders.

On December 11 in 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21 as International Day of Yoga by Hon’ble Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 wherein he stated: "Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition.  It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature." In suggesting June 21, which is the Summer Solstice, as the International Day of Yoga, Mr. Narendra Modi had said that, "the date is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world.