Yoga has both preventative and therapeutic benefits. It has been shown to offer physical and mental benefits to the body and the mind.

The many physical benefits of hatha yoga are: it improves flexibility and joint muscle mobility; strengthens, tones, and builds muscles; corrects posture; strengthens the spine; eases back pain; improves muscular-skeletal conditions such as bad knees, tight shoulders and neck, swayback and scoliosis; increases stamina; creates balance and grace; stimulates the glands of the endocrine system; improves digestion and elimination; increases circulation; improves heart conditions; improves breathing disorders; boosts immune response; decreases cholesterol and blood sugar levels and encourages weight loss.

The mental benefits include: it increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress patterns in the body; refreshes the body by relieving muscle strain; relaxes the mind and body; centres attention; sharpens concentration, and frees the spirit.

Western doctors and scientists are discovering additional health benefits of hatha yoga. Studies have shown that it can relieve the symptoms of several common and potentially life-threatening illnesses; such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, chronic fatigue, diabetes, AIDS, asthma and obesity. Many believe it even fends off the ravages of old age.

A near-perfect fitness routine, hatha yoga provides the means for people of any age not only to get and stay in shape but also to develop balance, coordination, and grounding. It renews, invigorates, and heals the body - stretching and toning the muscles, joints, and spine and directing blood and oxygen to the internal organs (including the glands and nerves).

Yoga is distinctly different from other kinds of exercise. It generates motion without causing strain and imbalances in the body. When practised correctly, hatha yoga has no such negative effects on either the inner or outer body.

When done with dedication and purpose, hatha yoga can be a quite demanding, yet immensely rewarding type of exercise. While not inherently aerobic, it involves almost every muscle in the body and challenges the body to work differently and often more passively. Since the limbs function as free weights, resistance is created by moving the body's centre of gravity. This strengthening gives way to endurance as poses are held for longer periods of time.

Unlike conventional forms of exercise, such as weight training, walking, biking or hiking, hatha yoga stresses quality of movement over quantity. A consistent hatha yoga practice can quiet the mind and refresh the body, bringing health, relaxation, and happiness.