What is the first word that comes to your mind when you think of Yoga? I do not know about you, but I had always thought of yoga as exotic exercises only related to relaxation until, some years ago, I was introduced to yoga by one of my friends. Only then did I realize what the physical and emotional benefits of yoga really are!
I was looking for some exercise to improve my muscle strength and flexibility when one of my closest friends told me about Yoga as a way to achieve that. Since then, not only have I become a yoga enthusiast, but I have also discovered a world that I had not known of before. There are in fact different kinds of yoga with various positions and variations. While some of them help improving flexibility and agility, others help getting relaxed and rejuvenated.
As regard the different yoga styles, the most well-known are the following:
Hatha: It is slow-paced, gentle, and focused on breathing and meditation. It helps relieve stress, provides physical exercise, and improves breathing;
Vinyasa: It is commonly called "Vinyasa flow" or just "flow" because you'll definitely be moving, flowing from one pose to the next. Although it covers basic poses and breath-synchronized movements, it helps improve strength, flexibility, and abdominal muscles tone.
Ashtanga: It is considered a form of power yoga, because it is fast-paced and intense with lunges and push-ups. It relieves stress, improves coordination, and helps with weight loss;
Iyengar: It is a school of hatha yoga very focused on alignment, which is known for the use of props like wooden blocks, harnesses, cushions, and straps. It is a good type of yoga for people who have a physical ailment and are looking for physical therapy, as well as those looking for a yoga practice that's a little more methodical in nature. It helps improve balance and build up body strength.
To sum up, it was thanks to a friend of mine that I have found out how the practice of yoga enhances the connections between the mind, body and spirit, but it has been doing it regularly that I have grasped the meaning of the famous Latin quotation 'mens sana in corpore sano,' which is often translated as 'a sound mind in a healthy body.' Since I started doing Yoga regularly, not only have I been rewarded with a better posture and improved health, but also with better mood and happiness.
All in all, no matter what style of yoga you practice, do it in order to achieve a better control over your body and mind. Although you have to maintain a routine practice each day, especially if you want durable results, you can practice it at home with the help of a guide book or a DVD, which you can easily get on internet.
