Yoga (Health)

Practicing yoga is an excellent way to build strength and flexibility as well as to center and calm the mind, but which style of yoga should you practice? Here is an introduction to several different types of yoga which will help you determine which style is right for you.

Hatha yoga is most likely what comes to mind when you think of yoga. It is a physical yoga discipline which trains the body along with spirituality. The most famous part of hatha yoga is the postures or asanas which are used to stretch, strengthen and tone the body. When you practice hatha yoga, you move through a series of asanas, holding poses and working in a set order to ensure the muscle groups are warmed up and equally worked. Another important part of hatha yoga is its breath work or pranayama. Yoga practitioners are constantly mindful of their breath because control of the breath is vital to the control of the body. Pranayama also encourages an inward focus to develop one's spirituality.

Another type of yoga is vinyasa yoga, which is one of the most commonly practiced forms of yoga in the western world. The literal translation of "vinyasa" is "to arrange,"...