When you say yoga, one immediately imagines an Indian sadhu (saint) twisted and turned into an impossible mass of flesh and bones. Yoga has been long since, believed that it involves only impossible-to-perform yoga postures which (as difficult as some may be) are extremely beneficial to the body.
Yoga Postures vs. Other Exercises
When you say, exercise' it is meant a certain physical activity which promotes health and overall well being of the human body. Yoga is also classified as exercise' - however, this is a totally different concept than the Western concept of exercise. For yoga, the yoga posture itself is the exercise. You do not to keep repeating a certain yoga posture to enjoy the benefits it gives - rather your benefit will be from achieving the said posture and maintaining it for as long as it is prescribed to help the body.
The basic difference between the ordinary exercises and yoga postures is that the former one has to be repeated, repeated and repeated for the right outcome, while the yoga posture looks like a short-cut which achieves the same thing in a relatively (and seemingly) easier way. Since the proof lies in the pudding itself, many studies have been carried out to compare and contrast aerobic exercises and others with yoga breathing exercises and yoga postures. In the majority of the cases, the benefits from the yoga posture were more pronounced than those from the regular exercises. This is one of the main reasons why yoga is spreading like wild fire all over the world.
You do not need much investment to start yoga; it is almost free - since the clothing requirements are simple and the only real prop it needs is a mat which is used for practicing your yoga posture as and when it is required. The other props required by and by could be used from your own house, i.e. chairs, high cushions, etc.
This brings us back to the yoga posture and the yoga exercises - which, normally speaking is the same thing. In other words, yoga exercises mean that you learn to put your body through a series of postures that influences the body to function at its full capacity. For example, there are postures that improve digestion by helping it release bile form the gall bladder, and helping it along.
Similarly, there are postures which will benefit people with heart, kidney and respiratory problems and so on. Each of the yoga postures that you will be taught will help in some aspect or other of physical or mental health.
