Yoga is one of those traditional sciences which are known to man since ages. No one really knows when Yoga was first developed or who gave it to the humankind. There are many historical conjectures which even suggest that the Gods themselves taught Yoga to man.

The knowledge of Yogic practices was handed down through the ages from generation to generation by word of mouth and by example, through unbroken chain of devoted Guru-Shish (Teacher- Disciple) relationship until around 2000 years ago, Patanjali, the founder of what is known as classic Yoga or Patanjala Yoga first systematised and codified the then existing knowledge of Yoga into 194 aphorism or sayings and gave it to the world the Yoga sutras. The Yoga system of Patanjali which is also known as Raja Yoga, is a world view, away of life and a set of practices for regulation of mind to achieve the highest goal of Yoga i.e. Kaivalya.

Patanjali has prescribed an eight fold path for achieving the goal of Kaivalya. Ashtanga Yoga involves: Yama (restraints), Niyama (discipline), Asana (body attitude/postures), Pranayama (breath regulation), Prather (detachment of sensory activity from the external objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (Yogic Meditation) and Samadhi (spiritual absorption). Patanjali describes the first five limbs as the external form of Yoga and that they are preparatory, the last three as internal and essential aspects. Indian Rishis of old, recognised the unalterable fact of life, namely that man is not a mere body, not a mere mind, but a body-mind complex in which one reacts on the other but, one can not be separated from each other.

No modern educationist or thinker could possibly disagree with such a comprehensive view of man. Yoga even emphasizes that mind influences the body more than the body influences the mind. It had a silent existence and was considering it as a spiritual practice until recently in the later half of 20th century its true potential was understood. Yoga has now become a powerful tool to fight the diseases of the modern society but also has become a way of life.