Though it is viewed as a spiritual experience in India, yoga, for most people, is a form of exercise that has benefits beyond just aerobics, for example, since it heals while cleansing the body of certain ailments. It provides a boost to overall health even as it stimulates blood circulation. Not only does yoga help in toning muscles, it also strengthens internal organs. Special postures can help to correct bad backs, improve -posture, and some asanas (exercise postures) even offer relief from headaches or hypertension.

Yoga is usually practiced in the early morning, since the air is at its purest then, and the early rays of the sun are meant to benefit most people. Yoga begins with exercises in deep breathing, and moves into simple asanas such as stretching asanas. People of all ages can take instructions in yoga, and continue to practice it at home.

Since yoga consists of a series of asanas that get more difficult, however, to undertake a complete course, one must devote oneself to its learning and be willing to spend enough time to gain at least some mastery over it. Besides physical healing, yoga also helps its exponents experience an inner calm, arriving at what is described by some as a higher form of consciousness.

In Rajasthan, yoga is taught to students in schools, but there are also institutes where adults can learn yoga, as well as instructors who train amateurs in parks and gardens. There are also large institutions devoted completely to this science, one of the most successful forms of exercise for the body and mind which has now found a permanent place in the west as well.