What is Yoga anyway?

I was asked this seemingly simple question by a gentleman at a health and wellness fair that I recently attended. He wanted to know what this thing, "yoga" really was and if/how it might help his back. At first thought, I started to say that it is moving and strengthening and stretching, but then I thought, it's more than that. Then I started to think, well, it's breathing and meditating and relaxing but it's more than that, too....So, what's the answer? It's ALL yoga. Yoga is translated to mean, Union, literally to bring together. In yoga we bring movement and posture, strengthening and stretching, breathing and relaxing, mindfulness and meditation all together. We bring our bodies, minds and spirits together on the mat and work on being present and aware of each moment, on flexibility of muscles, thoughts and feelings, on letting go of the past so we can live fully right now, and most importantly we accept who we are, where we are. Right here, right now. So, he asked, "How can that help my back?" I was so glad that he asked. I told him how, without strong structural support, our bodies cannot hold our skeleton and organs in their proper anatomical position. Chronic tension is another concern for sufferers of back pain. When we habitually hold a lot of tension in our muscle tissues, this discomfort becomes our normal "neutral" state. If posture and organs are out of balance due to posture or tension, function can become impaired, and then pain/disease begins to settle into the body . However, the human body has a tremendous capacity for change and healing, and anyone can begin a program of wellness to reverse this process. Why Yoga? While other forms of exercise develop strength and flexibility in the body, yoga alone integrates relaxation, mindfulness and acceptance of yourself for the miracle that you are. This is an integral part of the healing process, on both the physical and emotional level. "Yoga is the Uniting of Consciousness in the Heart" Yoga Sutras I.3