Today yoga is very popular. In most cities and towns, yoga classes are available. The gentle exercise, the relaxation, the refuge from daily stress prove yoga to be the ideal pastime for the modern world. Yoga is an ancient philosophy, but it has stood the test of time and is appropriate for any person, in any place and era. Patanjali, a Hindu sage, was the first to rationalise and commit to writing the basic philosophies of yoga practice. He did this in eight concise aphorisms or small paragraphs. These aphorisms, thought to be written somewhere between 200 BC and 300 AD, are easy to comprehend. They offer a set of eight practices and principals for a healthy, contented life.
