The word yoga literally means "to unite" and the aim of the discipline is to help the practitioner unite his or her individual consciousness with the divine. This is achieved by raising awareness of one's self through spiritual, mental and physical discipline. Hatha yoga is based on physical postures called asanas , and although the most popular form in the West, it is traditionally just the first step leading to more subtle stages of meditation which commence when the energies of the body have been awakened and sensitized by stretching and relaxing. Other forms of yoga include raja yoga, which includes moral discipline and bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion, which entails a commitment to one's guru or teacher. Jnana yoga (the yoga of knowledge) is centred around the deep philosophies that underlie Hindu spiritual thinking; the greatest body of Hindu philosophic treatises are known as the Upanishads (c.1000 BC) which came to be embodied in the philosophical discipline of Vedanta. Rishikesh and Varanasi , both in Uttar Pradesh, are the two traditional centres for yoga, but numerous institutions throughout the country have good teachers and advanced practitioners. In many of the travellers' haunts such as Pushkar, Dharamsala, Goa, and Kovalam, posters in cafés advertise local teachers, although many offer dubious qualifications and may well be seasonal. Ask other tourists for a teacher of quality and repute, or ask the teacher if you can do a trial session.

Meditation

Meditation is often practised after a session of yoga, when the energy of the body has been awakened, and is an essential part of both Hindu and Buddhist practice. In both religions, meditation is considered the most powerful tool for understanding the true nature of mind and self, an essential step on the path to enlightenment. In Vedanta , meditation's aim is to realize the true self as non-dual Brahman or godhead - the foundation of all consciousness and life. Moksha (or liberation - the Nirvana of the Buddhists), achieved through disciplines of yoga and meditation, eventually helps believers release the soul from endless cycles of birth and rebirth.
Vipassana meditation is a technique originally taught by the Buddha, whereby practitioners learn to become more aware of physical sensations and mental processes. Courses last for a minimum of ten days and are austere - involving 4am kick-offs, around ten hours of meditation a day, no solid food after noon, segregation of the sexes, and no talking for the duration (except with the leaders of the course). Courses are free for all first-time students, to allow everyone an opportunity to learn and benefit from the technique. Vipassana is taught in more than 25 centres throughout India including in Bodhgaya, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Jaipur.