I'm gonna go ahead and write this. All types of exercises are good. When you take yoga and look at it for what it is, it is a set of different kinds of postures. Now what the yoga teachers do is true to what is written in the comments. They've mixed religion with their art. I look at it as an exercise and say that what Caste Hindus have added to Yoga is completely uncalled for and unnecessary to follow by anyone who learns yoga. If I'm talking about yoga, I do so because I train myself and train others physically for a living. I'm a competitive martial artist and fitness coach. And yoga stretches and postures help tremendously to cope with muscle soreness.
We just stretch and wouldn't know what asana is what or the so called significance of a posture. Except a good yoga practitioner would be able to tell you that a posture helps you with your hips or you neck or something like that. All that other fancy write up about it meaning this or that or some gods is just unnecessary and was written by Casteist people to control human thought through their philosophy. We don't give it a second thought. That's how we train right. So, when you look at it that way, yeah, Yoga is good. Sure, when you are in pain, you're gonna go to a physiotherapist. When you're sick, you go to a doctor. Same way, when you want the best results from your body physically, you exercise. Yoga is a an exercise for those who do all other forms of exercises. It is a complementary exercise. An essential exercise for hard martial artists, body builders, etc. As someone said in the beginning, Hatha yoga is the physical part of yoga where you have thousands of postures. But you're gonna keep working on a select few, maybe 10 or 20 to increase your physical health. The practise goes on for anywhere from 10 minutes a day to an hour or more.
It does complement every sports person who competes and who undergoes rigorous sports training to stretch. Stretching is also recommended for athletes from all walks of life. Be it body building, basketball, Tennis, whatever. You need to stretch. Otherwise you hurt yourself. You warm up. Most of the stretching routines found in the world today come from yoga and Tai Chi. So, unless there are other alternatives, we gotta stick with what methods we know best to recuperate from injuries. Which is what I said in the previous comment. Yoga taught in the US or UK or other western countries or Australia, there are good schools where they take away all the asanas (Names of postures) and even have their own names, english names or terms for postures so that the practitioner can recognise what posture it is. So what I am saying is, you gotta watch out for yoga teachers who're gonna sell you yoga with philosophy. I say don't go for the one with the philosophy. But take the practical one which is practiced for it's health benefits. That's all.
Look no one is forcing anyone. There is no must or have to. Only free will. That's what it all comes down to at the end of the day, Right? I'm sharing this here, so that people keen on exercise and those who work out and look forward to cull knowledge of fitness techniques know that this is what yoga is what yoga does for the body. That there is a physical side to the stretching art. And those who already practice it will know what I am talking about. But those who are getting into it, just know that whether you read it in a Yoga text book or your teacher tells you this, don't buy into the philosophy. It's rubbish. Not all schools dwell in the philosophy. Yoga does promote better health and fitness overall. The advantage is that anyone can practice it. Young and old of all ages and whatever your physical attributes are. So those looking to go for it, please go for it knowing it for what it is. Thanks.
I'd just like to add one thing here. This is unrelated to the topic. I know the person who started this thread is not Christian. I am one however or consider myself one at least. But I don't like the bullying attitude of you all. Some people here in the comments section are total snobs. You can hate me, ban me, whatever. I don't care. Because Christ is nowhere near where there is no love.