It has been part of the search for understanding and inner peace by many beliefs, especially Hindus and Buddhists in the East. There are four major forms of yoga. Hatha yoga, as well as the other forms, has been found to aid in many physical problems. Instead of concentrating on only increasing muscle size and strength, yoga also looks at finding ways of relaxing and stretching muscles to become more supple and responsive. It is a form of meditation with movement, with conscious awareness always focused.
Yoga allows people who have health problems to regain a sense of the power of their body.
When a person has an illness, injury or physical problem, there's a tendency to become afraid or unwilling to fully utilize the body. What starts as a behavior to protect the body from injury can become the entire way a person lives, shaping that person's self image. We've all heard of persons lifting impossibly heavy objects to free a child or loved one. Yoga lets us get back in touch with our body, and that allows us to free our thoughts and emotions from the limits we have mistakenly imposed upon ourselves. Yoga is a gentle form of exercise.