Yoga For Beginners: An Overview of Various Types of Yoga

Life is a different experience every day. Some days it is peaceful and relaxing and other days it can be very compelling and taxing. Stress has become a fact of modern life and is often linked to poor health, disease and even depression. Learning to cope with the ebb and flow of life is a key ingredient to keeping stress at manageable levels and being comfortable and peaceful. Yoga is an activity that can be very helpful in keeping stress at bay.

What is yoga? Yoga is considered an intense form of exercise by many but is also the ability to control the breath, gain flexibility and quiet the mind. Yoga for beginners is simple, easy to learn and enjoyable.

While there are different types of yoga, most health clubs, gyms and yoga centers tend to offer a beginning level that is more about moves and mental attitude than exotic names and postures. Generally speaking there are four main types of yoga -- Hatha yoga (which consists of postures flowing together in unique sequences chosen by each teacher), Vinyasa yoga (focused on the connection between movement and breath), Bikram yoga (a specific sequence of postures practiced in a hot room), Ashtanga (a very strenuous, predefined series of postures not usually suitable for beginners) and Kundalini yoga (which is more focused on meditation).

For athletes, using yoga for fitness can be a lifesaver. Many sports create strength in key muscle groups, to the detriment of others. Yoga can help athletes dramatically improve overall flexibility, build up their core strength while decreasing the risk of injury in their main sport.

One of the most beautiful aspects of yoga is that it is not competitive. All bodies are different and beginning yoga is taught to allow each person to do what they can with their unique physique. For example, one person might be more flexible in the upper body and shoulders while another person might be more flexible with their lower body and legs. Neither is right or wrong. The yoga poses are taught to the individual to allow them to move to the level that their body is comfortable. Yoga typically ends with the body in a position called Shavasana, simply lying on one's back, with arms and legs gently rolled out. The mind is restful, the muscles relaxed and the body connects with a sense of calmness and serenity.

Beginning yoga is about mastering flexibility, controlled breathing and learning to quiet the mind. Being mindful of how the breath enters and exits the body is paramount to understanding the postures of yoga. As a yoga pose is done, the breath should be visualized going to any part of the body that is experiencing discomfort. The breath is the way the mind controls the discomfort. Pain is not a part of yoga. A pose that is being performed that causes pain should be stopped.

Beginners can learn how to do yoga through local classes at a gym or yoga studio, DVDs, research more yoga facts in books or online, or one on one yoga classes online. As a practitioner of yoga for 15 years, I hope you enjoy the beginning of your yoga journey -- it will surely change your life as it has mine!