Overview
Yoga is believed to have originated in India thousands of years ago, a combination of spiritual, physical and mental discipline practiced in religions like Buddhism and Hinduism. Today, yoga is practiced by millions for health rather than religious reasons. One of the most popular forms of yoga, called hatha, is practiced for purification of the entire body and for restoration of equilibrium to the body and stress relief to the mind.

Benefits of Yoga
Yoga is an ancient Oriental form of exercise that is believed to promote organ and gland health in order for those organs to produce healing chemicals for optimal organ and overall body health. Yoga exercise also helps maintain joint health and flexibility. Yoga helps increase and improves flexibility, muscle tone, and strength. Such benefits help to reduce pain and to relieve the stresses and strains on joints and the spine.

Types of Yoga
Forms of yoga used for exercise, meditation or as a treatment for bone and joint disease, organ damage, chronic illness and overall strengthening and toning of the muscles, ligaments and tendons in the body include:

• Hatha - a gentle, slow approach to yoga positions and breathing techniques
• Ashtanga - a faster-paced form of yoga designed for more advances yoga students
• Vinyasa - breathing movements and patterns combined with basic yoga poses and offers intense stretching and joint range of motion
• Iyengar - this form of yoga is designed to realign the body and longer body pose holds
• Kundalini - this yoga method combines breathing techniques with certain body movements to encourage energy flow through the body.
• Bikram - a very popular form of yoga in the U.S., this technique is also called hot yoga, often performed in very warm rooms. Used for loosening tight and sore muscles, improving range of motion, this yoga form uses 26 poses performed in a series.

Yoga exercises are low-impact but offer effective stamina, strengthening and toning benefits for all ages.

How Much Do Yoga Retreats Cost?
Yoga retreats, spas and treatment facilities around the world are growing as more health care professionals understand and combine yoga, meditation and traditional forms of medical and mental techniques, procedures and treatments for illness and disease processes. In the U.S., yoga and meditation retreats are still pricy, with average stays of 3 to 5 days costing an average of $500 or more, with an average cost of $100 to $200 a day, sometimes up to $300-$350 a day including food and lodging.

Those traveling to locations in India can find deals of two-week stays for the same price, including food and lodging, meditation sessions, consultations with doctors or certified and trained CAM professionals, and yoga sessions. Travelers visiting countries like Central Europe or South America may also find deals and packages for several-day or several-week stays in yoga resorts.

Who Uses Yoga and Meditation in Medical Practice?
Yoga is often combined with a meditation technique, but can be done by itself for effective treatment of many conditions. Yoga, as an alternative form of medicine more commonly known as CAM, can be used in conjunction with conventional medical practices by medical doctors (MDs) as well as doctors of osteopathy (DOs). This combination of traditional and alternative health approaches to deal with high blood pressure, osteoporosis, arthritis, and other bone and joint diseases are suggested not only by such physicians, but also by physical therapists who adapt many forms of yoga and meditation into both physical and recreational therapy programs.