Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word 'yuj', that means Union of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Yoga is a 5000 year old Indian body of knowledge. Yoga is believed to have evolved during the period of the 'Sat Yuga', also called the Golden age.

The state of Arizona celebrated the International Day of Yoga on June 25 2016 at the IACRF Community Center, 2809 W. Maryland Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85017.  More than 208 people actively participated in the event. The program was coordinated by HSS, Phoenix.  Multiple Yogasanas by Yoga teachers Vijay Kumar, Anila Adusumilli, Anita Rangaswami, Shampa Sudhakar & Isha team for Adults were taught along with each Yogasana benifits.

The Indo-American Cultural and Religious Foundation of Arizona is a group of visionary community leaders with the goal of keeping the community united and support the Indo-American community’s social, cultural and religious activities in the metro Phoenix area. They provide the Indo-American community with a campus for social and religious services.

Indo-American Foundation of Arizona is a Non Profit Organization in Phoenix, serving the Community through Community Center & Ekta Mandir Hindu-Jain Temple.

Within this, over 90 kids learnt Yoga with Shobana Bhat along with her daughter Molly with a great success and smooth flow.

"Patanjali defines yoga as" Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha "- Yoga is the cessation of mental fluctuations." Yoga can be defined as a state of complete stillness of mind. To achieve this goal, Patanjali prescribes the eight limbs or stages.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga:

Yama (moral restraints)

Niyama (spiritual practices)

Asana (seat posture with spine erect)

Pranayama (breath control)

Pratyahara (withdrawal of from the organs of sense and the organs of action)

Dharana (deep state of concentration)

Dhyana (directing attention to the subject of meditation)

Samadhi (complete absorption in super consciousness or divine mind)

The United Nations declared 21 June as the International Yoga Day. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, said that, "By proclaiming 21 June as the International Day of Yoga, the General Assembly has recognized the holistic benefits of this timeless practice and its inherent compatibility with the principles and values of the United Nations."