I have always been a fan of yoga since my younger days when I used to watch (and exercise) with Swami Sarasvati on TV every morning. I remember being in awe of her as she was (supposedly) more than twice my age back then and she looked so young and beautiful. I also had her yoga handbook which I used when I couldn't see her shows. She now has a son, Sanjay, who has been a yoga master and teacher since he was a teenager.

Yoga fans come from all walks of life and all age groups. Celebrity fan Madonna practises ashtanga yoga, a style that focuses on the breath as well as the standard series of postures. She practised hatha yoga in earlier years and while she was pregnant, but switched to ashtanga and now practises daily. Ashtanga is a much speedier version than hatha and helps to build stamina.

Eva Longoria Parker combines two sessions of yoga with her kickboxing Reese Witherspoon also manages to drag boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal along to her private yoga classes and the actress practises on her own most mornings. Other yoga fans include Sting, Kate Beckinsale, Nicole Kidman and Geri Halliwell.

Another celebrity Yoga fan is Gwyneth Paltrow who has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for many years now. Ashtanga Yoga is a high energy yoga based on a set series of postures aimed at synchronising the breath with movement of the body. Ashtanga Yoga is not for the faint hearted and requires strong concentration and focus which is exactly what many of today’s celebrities need to step out of that world and calm their minds.

Today's society is much faster paced that ever before. People have more stress problems which lead to more health problems, mental and physical. There are more concerns with toxicity in the food we eat and the air we breathe. Millions of Americans today live a sedentary lifestyle, which is associated with obesity. The body, the cavities of our soul, was not meant to deteriorate in such a way that leads to disease. Yoga was developed over 5,000 years ago in India and it included spiritual beliefs, physical techniques, and scholarly philosophy.

There is a growing trend to practising Yoga for many different reasons, which include attaining the yoga body or physique, relaxation and peace of mind, or to prevent injury and ailments. Americans mainly practice Hatha Yoga, which focuses on postures and stretching the body.

Yoga, which is derived from the sacred Sanskrit language of India, meaning 'union' or 'to yoke or harness'. Yoga is a way or path to transcendence and liberation from the self and the ego by purifying the mind and body. Practising yoga leads to a union with the mind and body or the individual and universal consciousness. In other words, yoga is the union with the Individual Self and the Universal Self. Yoga predates all other religions and has influenced and inspired many other traditions and philosophies. Yoga is better understood as a union of the physical, physiological, mental, emotional, and intellectual bodies, which leads to a purposeful and balanced life.

There is simply no other discipline quite like yoga because it utilizes the body, mind and spirit, all in one practice. Yoga is indeed a spiritual path that is based on ancient sacred philosophy, but one does not need to make an ethical decision when practising yoga, rather finding your own path is wholly accepted. The holistic benefits of yoga are suitable for the young or old, sick or well, with any religious background. The secrets of yoga are inwardness, concentration, and purification of mind and body with cleansing thoughts and food. Indian philosophy states that within man is the spirit that is the centre of everything. 'Internal equilibrium is the basis and the ground for the higher illumination', The cultural Heritage of India (Vol. I) - published by The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Kolkata, India