A Pilot Investigation of Effect of Yoga on Health-Related Fitness

Yoga has been designed by our ancestors to strengthen cleanse and balance the body and mind. The breathing focuses the mind and soothes the nervous system in linking or unifying thought and movement that further develops an awareness of the fundamental connection between intention action and consequence. The philosophy of yoga is sometimes pictured as a tree with eight branches. These eight limbs are: yama (moral behavior) niyama (healthy habit) asana (posture) pranayama (breathing exercises) prathyahara (sense withdrawal) dharana (concentration) dhyana (contemplation) and samadhi (higher consciousness). There are several schools of yoga practice such as hatha yoga karma yoga bhakti yoga and raja yoga. These schools vary in the proportions of the exercises of the eight limbs. However they are all similar in working towards the goal of self-realization. With the evident information available the present investigator sought to specially design a standard Yoga Exercise Module and to determine the effect of selected yogic training programme on Physical Fitness.