One of the benefits of doing yoga is an improvement in one's overall health and sense of well-being. Yoga is a multidimensional spiritual instrument. Asana, which refer to physical postures, pranayama, which refers to controlled breathing and meditation, are the aspects of yoga that are most often practiced for their beneficial effects on health. Because yoga seems more like a kind of physical exercise when it is spoken in the context of asana, some people get the mistaken impression that yoga is just another form of exercise. It is generally accepted that physical activity is a valid means of enhancing and sustaining both one's physical and mental health. The hypothalamic– pituitary–adrenal axis and the sympathetic nervous system are both thought to be down regulated as a result of practicing yoga, which is believed to have positive effects on both the physical and mental health of those who practice it. Research on the benefits of yoga and exercise as treatments for improved health is the focus of this article.

Yoga, exercise, health, physical and mental health