Do I have to change my lifestyle to practice yoga?

One does wonder before starting yoga that if we need to change our lifestyle to practice yoga. The answer is NO. Yoga is not a religion. It doesn't require that you fast or abstain. You don't have to become a vegetarian or change your eating patterns. Nor do you have to give up drinking or smoking.

However, you might notice that your tastes change after you begin to practice yoga. As you become healthier and in tune with your body, you may feel differently about the impacts overeating, smoking and drinking alcohol have on your body.
The word Yoga comes from Indian philosophy, it literally means union, and in this context refers to the union of the individual's soul with the universal.

Yoga is an ancient philosophy of life as well as a system of exercises that encourages the union of mind, body, and spirit. In the words of Patanjali, author of the Yoga Sutras, "yoga is the ability to focus the mind on a single point without distraction." Yoga is a physical discipline; it uses the body and breathing to develop self-awareness and mental clarity.