The International Yoga Festival, which takes place near the Himalayas (pictured), pays homage to the lengthy history of yoga.
While there are many forms of the discipline known as yoga, the roots of the practice date back at least five millennia, to the Asian continent and sub-continent. Yogic practices came from places as diverse as India, China and Korea, each variety with its own philosophy. Today, practitioners of arts like Dahn Yoga look to Rishikesh, India, where the International Yoga Festival is held annually.
The gathering, which takes place near the Himalayas, pays homage to the lengthy history of yoga, which according to ABC News extends back 5,000 years or more. The meeting itself involves approximately 400 participants from 30 countries. They are there to unite the body and mind.
"Yoga is not merely for our bodies, but rather Yoga is for our bodies, minds, hearts and souls," the festival's official website states.
Dahn Yoga pursues just such a unity. This ancient meditative practice combines the physical methods of stretching, deep breathing and posing with the mental work of meridian channeling, energy gathering and brain wave vibration. Done properly, yoga can consolidate one's being into a single, harmonious totality.
