A person who is practicing the art of balancing the body and mind through Yoga is most often called a Yoga practitioner. However, the term yogi refers to a male practitioner of Yoga and the term yogini refers to a female practitioner of Yoga. All to often these terms are left out of Yoga classes and although this may not seem important to the casual practitioner it is worth knowing when discussing Yoga with other yogis or yoginis. Practicing Yoga is a big step in the right direction for those who are looking to bring wellness to their life on a holistic level. By embracing Yoga as a discipline that has the power to transform oneself as person will begin to understand how much personal change is possible.

Very few people from western cultures have been able to completely master Yoga, and this is primarily due to the fact that Yoga is still a growing discipline in the West. Do not put much emphasis on those who have proclaimed themselves as “Yoga Gurus” as for the most part they do not exist outside of India. Beginners in Yoga can learn a lot from Yoga instructors and teachers however, typically these classes are very different from Yoga as it is understood by practitioners in India.

If you look at Yoga from an overhead view you might see a plethora of strands of development that have created the westernized Yoga we see today. It might help for you to view Yoga as a bee hive, with thousands of subdivisions each worked on by a specific member. Each subdivision is similar to the others and yet it has its own worker who might have a slightly different idea on how to complete the work. With so many different subdivisions there is a great chance that you will find the perfect one that will fit your needs and goals. Just because the westernized Yoga is different from is Indian ancestors does not mean that it is irrelevant or useless.