Yoga Styles For Beginners

Yoga is a fundamental form of exercise, combined with elements of meditation and relaxation that help to create better circulation throughout the body. This art of stretching and muscle strengthening has been around for many centuries in the East; however, it is now catching on in the Western Hemisphere. And of course, as soon as the West gets its hands on anything alterations are sure to be made. So now we have a variety of new styles of yoga that many people are taking part in, in addition to the traditional styles. So why don't you join me as we explore some yoga styles. Who knows, you might learn a thing or two!

Why Choose Yoga?

Before we get into these yoga styles, let's look at the art of yoga and why many people are switching from more rigorous exercise plans to this calming style of exercise. The reason people are switching over to yoga is because they are finding that, like meditation, yoga provides a calming energy that cannot be achieved through normal exercise. Yoga is based on meditation and breathing, and is very spiritual in nature. Its plan is essentially to get your blood circulating though the body more easily, training your muscles to strengthen slowly and healthily, and calming your mind in the process.

Some are finding that as their jobs become more and more stressful, they need something to completely counteract the stress, and for many, yoga is the answer. As more people seek yoga for relief, more yoga styles are also being sought. I have provided a few of the different styles you have to choose from.

Yoga Styles

Ananda Yoga - Ananda Yoga is a class that helps you learns to quiet your body before meditation. You work to move your energy to your brain by aligning your body. Then you control your breathing to calm yourself for your meditative practice. This is great for a person who is not only trying to start as a beginner yoga participant, but also beginner in meditation.

Bikram Yoga - This is one of the more popular yoga styles, especially in the Chicago area, because of it takes on the style of a comprehensive work out, focusing on muscular strength, endurance and cardio exercises. The class was started by Bikram Choudhury, an Olympic gold medalist in weight lifting in the 1960s, who wanted to incorporate yoga into an exercise routine. His style of yoga is said to encourage flexibility, detoxification, and prevention of injuries. And it is unique because it is practiced in a heated environment for increased circulation.

Hatha Yoga - This is one of the more easy-to-learn styles of yoga and is more popular in the West than East. It incorporates several styles of yoga, including Asanas, Pranayama, and Dhyna, to help create a system that gives you a toned body and a sense of enlightenment at the same time. This is one of the yoga styles that are better known for its ability to relieve stress. And it is useful in teaching the novice yoga participant the basics of the skill.

Yoga for Health - This style of yoga is very specific and only offered at the A.R.E. Center in Virginia Beach by a revered yoga instructor of over 30 years. This high energy yoga class was designed to help build strong blood circulation throughout the body and is a wonderful way to warm the body and lift spirits. This class is held for free on the beach every Sunday morning when weather permits, and is loved because it provides beautiful sunrises, crashing waves and leaping dolphins, along with stretching and toning. The class lasts 2 hours and can be very challenging initially, but over time, after you adjust to the level of energy required, you won't want to miss a class.

There are tons of resources available to help you get started on your yoga experience. And with the numerous available yoga styles out there, you are guaranteed to find a class that best suits you. And who knows, you might become so comfortable in the class that you decide to instruct your own and become one of the pioneers of the many new yoga styles to come!

Jeffrey Meier at Jam727 Enterprises at http://www.thearticlehome.com blog offers even more detailed information on a wide variety of topics.

What Yoga Can Do for Your Health

In the past, yoga has become one of the coolest and trendiest of the exercise and alternative methods that have made a big appearance in the world today. Not only is yoga a fun thing to do, it is also a way for you to loose weight and make yourself more healthy without undo stress on the body. Many people have taken upon themselves to start this wonderful and easy way to get in better health. Thousands of humans that are any age and that are from many occupations now do it. it is a safe thing for even children to start doing on a regular basis. Professionals are now looking into yoga to provide the user with many benefits to your health. can you imagine how great it will be to know that the easy exercises of yoga will also help to cure you of an ailment that has bothered you for years with no relief?

You will definitely be able to find a way to use yoga for the bettering of your health and your total life. Yoga will take you to a place where you are stronger and more flexible. You can find a way to prevent or cure a serious illness in your life, even serious ones. You will also get a stress reliever and a way to meditate that is also beneficial to your health.

Several claims have emerged highlighting the health benefits of yoga. Yes, according to several resources, yoga is not only capable of making you feel strong and flexible, but it can also help cure whatever ailments you may be suffering from, even the most serious health conditions. It is exciting to find that results from studies are showing that with a regular schedule of yoga that has breathing deeply, different poses, and meditation, you can help problems with asthma, mental health, and heart diseases, and more. It is not certain what other things that yoga can help you with. Each person who is practicing yoga will give you a story about how yoga has helped them.

We will look at a few of the ways that yoga can help you.

A.) Asthma - yoga can help anyone to heal him or herself of asthma. Deep breathing is involved in yoga and there is also a relaxing of the muscles of the chest that will give you an easier time breathing. There are many people who have problems with asthma today and yoga is helping it. Yoga will help to focus on helping those who have it. The symptoms that are associated with the problems of asthma are reduced in a big way by practicing yoga on a regular basis. The meditation part of the yoga will also give those suffering from asthma a way to control their fear when the asthma attack starts and thus provide themselves a way to not make the situation worse. Those with asthma tend to get more upset when an asthma attack occurs and this will help them to stay calm.

B.) Mental Health - There are some reports that yoga can help those who have a mental health problem. Professionals have had their interest peaked with the strength of the yoga. They have started to work with people of all ages who are known to have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Within the months that the study continued, the group that was practicing yoga has shown to help. It was in the range of forty percent of the people who have started the study doing yoga would continue and have positive results from the disease. Learning to meditate and to release your feelings in a positive way instead of holding them in is a result of the yoga.

C.) Cardiovascular - One other way that yoga can help is with cardiovascular problems. This benefit from yoga comes from the results that yoga is a great way for you to get rid of stress and will make the length of the cardiovascular system better. It has also shown to give you a better blood pressure and rate of heartbeats. The yoga will give you a way to learn to breath deey and it will give you a proper blood flow to all the right places in the body which will ultimately improve the whole system.

Because of these and other things that yoga can give you, it has caused many people to get interested in practicing it. The amount of the classes for yoga have also increased. The positive effects are endless and are different for each person.

You can also find more information at Yoga Equipment and Yoga Pants Ezyogaguide.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Yoga and its importance.

How Yoga Can Strengthen Your Body and Soul

Yoga is best known as a type of exercise system that stretches and strengthens the body through various poses known as asanas. But yoga goes far beyond just a mere exercise routine. Yoga is also about healthy living, which includes a healthy diet. That doesn't mean you have to become a vegetarian, just that you should be conscious of the foods you eat, sticking with natural, fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, etc. Yoga is a great way to support you body and the newly forming body of your child. There are some precautions however, so you will want to let your doctor and your teacher know that you are pregnant.

Yoga is suitable for most adults of any age or physical condition. Because of the nonstrenuous nature of our approach to exercise, even those with physical limitations can find a beneficial routine of Yoga. Yoga is not about simply completing a stretch so that you can move on to the next one. It is about being present in the moment. Yoga is less expensive than most other methods of attaining and maintaining health and relaxation.

Yoga is fantastic exercise and if you respect your body and don't over push yourself you can make quick gains in flexibility, strength, stamina and balance. Yoga is a wonderful way to find relief from everyday aches and back pains. And developing such symptoms from working out is quite different from the discomfort that results from sitting at a desk. Yoga is beneficial for the health in ways that modern science is just beginning to understand. Even though it has been applied with therapeutic intention for thousand of years, Yoga Therapy is only just now emerging as a discipline in itself.

Yoga is not a medical practice, but it has been shown to be very helpful in many ways. Yoga is a 5000 year old science whose teachings were first imparted not in a classroom or Gurukul, but on the battle field. In the epic Mahabharata, the sage, Lord Krishna is first said to have imparted the teachings of Yoga to his despondent student Arjuna. Yoga is an effective method to reduce stress and anxiety. See how to get started.

Yoga is a science which is been studies and researched over by many scientists even now. Today the doctors also advise the patients to continue their yoga every day for their well being and fitness. Yoga is no longer a practice just for hippies. Many modern students are affluent, and the consumer data shows they are willing to pay for quality service and added value. Yoga is an ancient, eastern practice meaning union. It teaches us to take responsibility for our own health through the union of postures ( asanas ), breathing ( pranayama ), relaxation and meditation.

Yoga is an age old magical practice that fits this modern day perfectly. Here at Divine Goddess we are very passionate about yoga and the benefits it bestows. Yoga is also considered one of six classical Indic schools of thought (or "darshanas") in and of itself. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, written between the 1st century and 3rd century A.D., is the scriptural foundation of this school. Yoga is for everyone. It doesn't matter if you can't remember the last time you exercised or even if you believe you can't get back into good shape, lose weight or increase your flexibility.

Yoga is both the system of physical and meditative techniques involved on the journey and a description of the goal. Yoga is especially ideal for people that are overweight, elderly, pregnant, or all three. Yoga also promotes a feeling of clarity and serenity -- there's a reason many people who do yoga seem so relaxed and focused. Yoga is not merely a form of exercise for the body, but a path towards total harmony of body, mind and spirit. It is ancient wisdom for a healthier, happier and more peaceful way of living that ultimately leads to Self-realization, the union with the Self.

Yoga is a way of life as well as a way of moving. Many people think of it as just an extreme exercise but it is a very gentle custom designed for each individual at the exact place that person is at the moment, whether that person is an expert or a beginner. Yoga is not about physical perfection, competition or forcing yourself into painful postures. Nor is it a religion.

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In the Shade of the Yoga Tree - A Living Context for Practice

"The living context for practicing various yoga branches is not to flee one's existence, but to realize the profound experience of one's path." Author "Namaste'."

Without false modesty, pride, or preconception we greet kindred spirits along the path, meeting them eye-to-eye and toe-to-toe because we are all concurrently students and teachers. While individuals experience life through different personalities, we share weighty truths allowing us to recognize one another. I know you as I know myself; all of us wish to give and receive respect; all of us hope to lead lives of security, not only in the material sense, but stepping forth into this universe secure in who we are and the works we accomplish; all sojourners desire love. My first teacher - poet, yogi, and mystic - Eden Ahbez, gifted the world with his song, Nature Boy. Many listen to the song failing comprehension that his lyric, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return, " is the call of a mystic who refers to 'love' in its broadest sense - the ability we have to recognize and value our connection with others and our universe. Realizing these truths, we bond across great divides of land and sea transcending culture and language. "Namaste'," meaning to say, "Your energy and my energy, honored as one energy."

Our multifarious existence proceeds from a single subtle energy force, and the yoga tree, planted and nurtured by this energy, manifests itself through varied branches. Over five thousand years ago in northern India, the universe gave birth to the yoga tree blossoming into Buddhist branches, Hatha, Kriya, and Pranayama branches, Bhakti, Gnani, Kundalini, and Tantric branches, and fresh branches of Power Yoga developing in the West as we speak. Each branch evolves as an offshoot of the tree, and every branch exhibits its own style or energy frequency. Which branch do you practice? Whichever style you find yourself committed to, you are practicing 'subtle energy manipulation'.

Like my adventurous friends and teachers before me, Eden Ahbez and Arleta Soares, I am an energy maverick - a shaman learning and practicing styles from all over the great tree. Studying for thirty-five years accustoms one to leaps of faith in the nature of a single underlying spiritual energy or as Buddhists say, "one's true face."

The foundation of all yoga is energy. Understanding The Law of Subtle Energy Return is imperative and of great aid in the quality of our practice. Subtle energy return is that tie which binds us to an infinite universe unborn as the one undifferentiated energy and born as the manifested variety of energy frequencies composing our world.

Refining individual energy frequencies and accomplishing a living return to the undifferentiated source is the purpose of yoga practice. Applying The Law of Subtle Energy Return, we seek to balance and evidence our individual energy frequency to reflect that energy of which we are manifest - the one original energy: our higher self or infinite mind, that which whispers to us when we are alone, ineffable spirit. The Law of Subtle Energy Return states that the energy frequency we manifest in our lives is the frequency of energy the universe returns to us. Through yoga we arrive at the notion that standing alone in front of our cave in the Himalayas and shouting any strange sound, that sound is precisely what will be echoed back; we learn energy manipulation, as those hermits in their lonely spiritual mounts learned and practiced for thousands of years. The Law of Subtle Energy Return refines The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection, and with practice this connection grows clear, direct, and powerful. The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection allows us to form a completed cycle of communication between the finite and infinite.

"Yoga is an art, a science and a philosophy. It touches the life of man at every level, physical, mental, and spiritual. It is a practical method for making one's life purposeful, useful and noble. ... ...Yoga helps to keep one's body and mind in tune with the essence, the soul, so that all three are blended into one. ..." B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

If you're sensing karmic law peeking around the tree, you are correct. However, I find the term karma largely misunderstood and incorrectly practiced. I believe this is in part due to 'karma', the word's, superficial western definition of "As you sow, so shall you reap." The Law of Subtle Energy Return, as a title, gives us a brief description and an immediate sense of arena. The title does not originate with me, but arrives via ancient Taoist doctrine.

Learning The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection, we appreciate that yoga, as a wholistic lifestyle, affords us space to practice through our material bodies and mundane individual minds a linking with infinite mind, the spirit.

Grasping a single branch, Hatha Yoga is not merely a series of asanas - yoga postures - for the body. Each asana issues a direct command utilizing the body in a two-fold manner: first, by purposely performing, using full consciousness, a new movement the body is unaccustomed to, we establish a break from our personal history of heretofore limited movement. Sustaining a back-bend with chest thrown upwards and outwards, our limbs stretched and head upside-down, at that moment we are - as a side benefit to our conscious activity - feeding our unconscious mind a groundbreaking picture of its world. For this reason, it is critical that we practice Hatha yoga with our eyes open. Yoga is freeing one's self of history.

Secondly, along with this amazing upside-down picture, the unconscious mind receives the command information that we are capable of this expanded experience. The difference between the unconscious and the conscious mind is that the unconscious is not capable of making a judgment call; it accepts what it is given at face value. This acceptance is the first step in the process of refining energy through The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection because the unconscious reports to the conscious mind this new truth, which in turn reports this truth to the body, and the body seeks to balance the energy picture by establishing different parameters fitting its new knowledge. Taking this knowledge of the two laws - energy return, and mind, body, spirit connection - outside of the yoga studio and into our lives expands our abilities to meet goals and impact our world. Yoga is finding one's power to be at home in the universe.

"Yoga takes the doing out of our spiritual quest ... BEING present through a daily practice of yoga brings us balance of body, mind and spirit. Yoga is 'everymans' path of transformation to wholeness." Reverend Arleta M. Soares, U.R.M.

Mind and body evolving together refine energy - they manifest that energy frequency born of the one original universal energy, the infinite mind. The universe returns infinite mind energy and spiritual communication succeeds. Practicing yoga asanas is an expansion of consciousness meditation. Indeed, all yogic movements, controlled breathing, visualization, and mantra follow The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection accomplished through The Law of Subtle Energy Return.

If "Namaste'" is yoga's spoken greeting, "Sah aham," is yoga's interior attitude. This piece of hoary Sanskrit means, "Eternal spirit I am."

Through a balanced yoga practice of physical and mental meditation, and seeking to maintain an intelligent, responsible, and compassionate bearing that deep truths connect us all, we arrive at an understanding that the mind does not reside in the brain, but rather throughout and beyond the body extending itself further than the manifested universe to the infinite. Existence, as an event of The Mind, Body, Spirit Connection, and The Law of Subtle Energy Return, even while alive in the body, is a constant cycle of return to the source; while our bodies are not immortal, our true natures are eternal. Sikh master, Yogi Bhajan, and lecturing author, Dr. Wayne Dyer, have both expressed the timeless truth that we are not human beings seeking a spiritual experience, but actually spiritual beings having a human experience.

In this excerpt of The Sunflower Sutra, a poem by Allen Ginsberg, the poet sits by a dirty, rat infested riverbank, one imagines poor, hollow-eyed, and downtrodden by the almost impossible task of a commitment to spiritual, poetic survival under the weight of an overbearing steel and concrete metropolis. Allen forcefully delivers his sermon on this condition of remembering the spiritual in the midst of the human experience to the ghost of his deceased best friend, Jack Kerouac:

"...Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower? when did you look at your skin and decide you were an impotent dirty old locomotive? the ghost of a locomotive? the specter and shade of a once powerful mad American locomotive? You were never no locomotive, sunflower, you were a sunflower and you Locomotive, you are a locomotive, forget me not!

So I grabbed up the skeleton thick sunflower and stuck it at my side like a scepter, and deliver my sermon to my soul, and Jack's soul too, and anyone who'll listen,

-We're not our skin of grime, we're not our dread bleak dusty imageless locomotive, we're all golden sunflowers inside, blessed by our own seed & hairy naked accomplishment-bodies growing into mad black formal sunflowers in the sunset, spied on by our eyes under the shadow of the mad locomotive riverbank sunset Frisco hilly tincan evening sitdown vision." Allen Ginsberg, Howl and Other Poems

We are all microcosms of the macrocosmic infinite energy. We contain all of the elements, qualities, and possibilities of the infinite. However, we are wrapped up simultaneously in the throes of an often earth shattering human experience. We forget our true eternal nature. Living a complete yoga life does not mean escape from our condition. One does not practice a yogic lifestyle with attachments such as creating good karma. Through yoga, the infinite bud within each of us is encouraged to flower, and by this blooming process, we naturally return to the source. Yoga practice, in the context of our mortal journey, is the art and science of standing steady yet unattached with one foot in the finite world and the other foot in the infinite world of spiritual energy; realizing the infinite through the finite, the absolute through the relative, the spiritual through the mundane is our condition. That nirvana - final liberation - is found in the midst of samsara - the cycle of existence - is a given across the panorama of Eastern thought.

"The meaning of our self is not to be found in its separateness from God and others, but in the ceaseless realization of yoga, of union." Rabindranath Tagore

The living context for practicing various yoga branches is not to flee one's existence, but to realize the profound experience of one's path. Practicing in this fashion is the art of grounding one's self, sometimes referred to as centering, and pragmatically speaking, taking the time to learn this bit of sobering philosophy is balancing and invaluable in all areas of our journey.

Finally, yoga imparts natural balance in our lives through The Universal Law of Homeostasis; both the infinite and manifest aspects of creation proceed because homeostasis demands energy seek refinement through establishing a direction towards balance flowing within limitations. Hatha Yoga expresses this balance by repeating asanas equally on both sides of the body, while Pranayama Yoga seeks to increase the collection and flow of prana (refined energy) by equalized breathing exercises through both nostrils simultaneously or consecutively, and sitting meditation devotes a portion of practice to balancing or clearing the chakras (energy centers or blockages depending on your school of thought) and equalizing energy meridians flowing within the body or issuing from the body. All of these yogic modalities are practiced as an east-west force crossing the planet's natural north-south energy lines. Completing a yoga session where we have created statements of balance to the unconscious mind, The Mind, Body, Spirit connection responds and we feel relaxed and balanced. As our practice matures, we carry this natural balance into our daily lives.

"...Who fasts and sleeps under the stars Who wears ashes sitting in eternal meditation So long as this one doubts, he will not find freedom. ..." Buddha

Yoga is a leap of faith in the one energy - from what we know of the finite to what we do not know and cannot say about infinity. Namaste'.

Thank you for your comments!

Youngbear Roth's in-depth resume' may be viewed with a mouse click here. 818-985-3976 or suc-srv@pacbell.net

The Usefulness Of Yoga Accessories

Although yoga does not require too much accessories, the usefulness of yoga accessories cannot be doubted as it will make you more relaxed and secure. There are a few requisite yoga accessories that you cannot do without, especially clothing such as upper body wear and pants. The next is a yoga mat for practicing the various yoga poses, and then there are the yoga shoes or socks. Other like a bag for yoga mat, DVDs for self study and water bottle are optional, including yoga props.

One of the most essential yoga accessories is the clothing and it should not be too tight or too loose as you will not want it to interfere with your yoga exercises or leave you unfocussed. The upper body wear should be just right and usually they are made with a combination of cotton or Lycra as these materials are ideal for yoga for they provide comfort and pores for circulation

Another is the lower body wear and for warmer climate, it can be just shorts so that you won't get too hot while practicing. During colder weather, you can wear pants but they should not be too loose and distract your exercises. Except for t-shirt and pants, you should leave your jewelry and watched at home to avoid getting in the way of your yoga practices.

Other necessary yoga accessories are the yoga mat as it will cushion you against the hard flooring and it should be hygienic as your body and head will be in contact with it. Other consideration is that it will provide friction between your body and the mat as you will perspire during the exercises so as to ensure that you do not slip and get yourself hurt.

In addition, the yoga mat should be tried out and it should also be easily maintained and wash so as not to add to your stress level. As the yoga mat will be rolled up after practices, it should be able to lay flat when you need it and not too sticky when you are doing the poses.

Those staying in colder countries should ensure that the yoga mat remains flexible after it is out in the cold climate or when you need to place it in your car trunk. Also check the sturdiness and lifespan and it is neither too light nor heavy. For those mindful of the environment, it is essential that it can be recycled or reused.

Most of the time, yoga is done barefoot or just with a pair of cotton socks but yoga shoes can provide the comfort that you need. Yoga shoes are different from the usual exercises shoes in that it has slim soles to provide suppleness and the top part of the shoes is lighter so as to ensure air circulation.

In addition yoga shoes are vital as bacteria and germs will not form and also when you need to share yoga mat. On the other hand it can avert injuries like stepping on jagged pebbles or ants bite. With the yoga shoes, it will help ensure that you do not slip when you are carrying out certain postures.

Yoga socks can be used in place of yoga shoes as wearing them is like putting on gloves for your feet but some would choose to use toe socks that is accompanied by non-slip rubber dots to provide friction and those are feasible choices besides yoga shoes.

The optional yoga accessories like a bag for your yoga mat so that you can transport then back and forth from your yoga classes and with provision for change of clothes, keys or wallet. Yoga DVDs can help you to revise the moves that you have practiced and other like yoga props to assist you in the various poses.

Water bottles can be useful but not necessary as you will perspire profusely during the exercises, as a result releasing toxins. With the replenishment, it will replace lost fluids and remove the excess toxins. In addition you will be dehydrated after practices so a fresh, rejuvenating bottle of water will lighten you up.

Shopping for yoga accessories can be done at yoga specialty retailers and it is better to shop there than just any retailers as they will have a wide ranging items and knowledgeable sales staffs to guide you. Also it can be done online but the drawback is that you will not get to test the items, on the other hand, it provide a relaxed ambience and convenience without stepping out of your house.

Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit free yoga exercises to learn more about tantric yoga and tantra yoga.

How To Find Yoga Classes

Maybe you want to try yoga out. Maybe you practiced it before and want to start again. If you want to do yoga, you probably want to find a yoga class. You can use the following methods to find a local yoga class.

Local Gym - In addition to their weight rooms and cardio machines, many gyms offer a large assortment of fitness classes. Some gyms offer brochures that list and describe all of their different classes. Nonetheless, you can more easily find out whether or not a local gym offers any yoga classes simply by calling them and asking. When you call, remember to ask for the price. Try calling more than one gym and writing down the different prices and other details. That way you can choose the best class for you. You can usually find a whole bunch of gyms in any given community, so you most likely can find a few that have yoga classes.

Yoga Studio - Yoga studios are basically places dedicated to practicing yoga. They are to yoga practice what a martial arts studio is to martial arts. Depending on where you live, you may not be able to find a yoga studio nearby. Even if you find one or more, they may not meet your budget or your needs.

Craigslist - You can read and post local classified ads on craigslist for free. If you do not see anything on there about yoga classes, post a classified ad asking about yoga classes in your neighborhood. You can also use this method to find a yoga partner, but be very careful meeting anyone from the internet. Craiglist lets you remain anonymous when posting ads.

Ask Your Friends - If you know other people who practice yoga, ask them where they practice yoga. This will not only help you find places that offer classes, but it will also let you get immediate first-hand information about those places. You can ask the person if they recommend the classes. You can also ask friends and other people you know about yoga classes. Even if they do not practice yoga, they may happen to know of local places that offer yoga classes.

Before looking for yoga classes, you want to figure out what you want out of the classes. Figure out how much you are willing to spend. Also, figure out what type of class you want. For example, do you want one that focuses on the spiritual aspects of yoga, or do you simply want an exercise class?

Some gyms and studios may want you to sign up for a long-running class and pay upfront. Avoid doing this unless you have tried the class out, especially if you are new to yoga. You do not want to pay hundreds of dollars for months of yoga classes only to find out that you do not like yoga or the class.

You can also start practicing yoga by getting a yoga video. A video would allow you to practice yoga at home.

Whatever you do, good luck and have fun!

Scott Hughes owns and maintains an informative website about yoga at OnlineYogaClub.com. You can talk about yoga for free at the Yoga Forums. If you have any questions about yoga, post them there. It's completely free!

Can I Lose Weight With Yoga?

Yoga has many benefits. A regular program of yoga can help keep your spine supple, your core strong, and help you maintain balance and poise. It also tones your muscles, helps strengthen your immune system, and boosts your metabolism. However, yoga alone cannot help you lose large amounts of weight. It is, however, a good idea to add it to any healthy living plan.

Yoga will help you feel better about yourself and is a great confidence booster. Many find yoga is an island of calm in an otherwise hectic world. While not all yoga is aerobic, there are some types of yoga that can substitute for aerobic activity. Using yoga to lose weight all depends on the type you do and how frequently you do it. You should opt to engage in 90 minutes of aerobic style yoga three or more times per week, and if you add in another style of yoga the remaining days per week you can gain all the benefits of most other types of physical activity such as weight or strength training and flexibility.

In order to lose weight and keep it off you need to effect lasting changes in your lifestyle permanently. Doing this requires incorporating 5 key elements into your lifestyle. These are adequate rest, drinking enough water, eating a balanced diet, proper types of exercise, and caring for yourself emotionally. Yoga can help with the exercise and emotional elements. So what is yoga?

Hatha Yoga: Exercise for the Mind & Spirit

Yoga is based on eight principles as a study of all religions. It is not of itself a religion. One of the eight studies deals with physical training and keeping the body in good working order. When people in the west think about yoga, it is the branch of Hatha Yoga they have in mind. Hatha Yoga itself has many branches or types of physical training systems developed over many years that are all based on the same physical postures or poses. Here are just a few:

o Hatha: while this is the yoga branch that deals with physical yoga, here in the west a class that is called Hatha generally means it will be slow and gentle and thus provide a good introduction for beginners to learn the yoga poses.

o Vinyasa: this may also be called sun salutations or breath-synchronized movement. It is just slightly more vigorous than Hatha. Some places use this as a warm up before other more vigorous types of yoga begin.

o Ashtanga & Power Yoga: Ashtanga means eight limbs and is based on the whole philosophy of yoga. It is a very fast paced type of yoga that is always performed in the same order. It flows and moved without pauses. Power yoga is usually based on Ashtanga, but not always, though it usually is the inspiration for power yoga.

o Iyengar: this is based on the teachings of Yogi B.K.S. Iyengar which is based on an emphasis of body alignment. Precise alignment is effective to maximize benefits and avoid injury. In this type of exercise you usually hold each pose over long periods of time rather than moving quickly form one to the next. You usually will use props such as blankets, blocks, and straps.

o Kundalini: this emphasizes breath in conjunction with movement. Combining movement with controlled breath is meant to move and free energy within the chakras or body systems. This type of yoga can be very helpful to encourage regulation with the digestion and adrenal systems.

o Bikram or Hot Yoga: be prepared to spend time in a hot room that is usually around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This type of yoga is useful for detoxing though profuse sweating and loosening tight muscles. The original Bikram was based on 26 poses. But not all classes follow this.

o Anusara: this relatively new style of yoga founded in 1977 by a man named John Friend combines physical alignment with positive energy derived from tantra. The philosophy here is the goodness of all beings. Props are also often used in this class which is generally open to people of all levels of fitness and abilities.

o Jivanukti: David life and Sharon Gannon founded this style in New York at one of the most elite Yoga Studios. It is inspired by Ashtanga and strongly emphasizes chanting, meditation, and spirituality. Most teachers of yoga in the United States have been trained by them.

o Forrest: Originated by Anna Forrest in California and is based on vigorous Asana poses. It is designed to strengthen, purify, release, and heal the body and promote healing form within both physically and emotionally. You can expect intense aerobic exercise that helps develop your core and expand your breathing ability.

o Integral: based on the teachings of Yogi Sri Swami Sachinananda who came to the US in the 1960's. He founded many Institutes that use gentle Hatha practice along with chanting and mediation. You can find books also based on this such as Richard Hittlemans 28 day exercise plan which help newbie's and beginners to receive maximum benefits and results through daily practice in their first month.

Yoga is generally based on 5 general principles Proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, and positive thinking. By incorporating aerobic Yoga or other aerobic exercise for 90 minutes per session 3 or more times per week along with yoga on most other days per week in to your exercise plan you can expect to see results n your first 4 to 6 weeks. The trick is to stick with it and make a real effort for consistency. Yoga along with rest, water, sleep, and other lifestyle changes can help you lose weight and keep it off. Just remember to perform it daily and follow along with a book, video, or audio material if you opt to do it at home, especially if you are a beginner.

Yoga works by stimulating the adrenal systems and helping to clear out your lymph and immune system of toxins. The release of pent up energy, the effects of the calmness yoga emphasizes, and by performing both aerobic and stretching, Hatha type yoga, you can get you strength, flexibility, and aerobic exercise all jut by practicing the different types of yoga styles. You will firm and tone muscles, burn calories, and boost your immune system and metabolism. Other effects are long lasting, such as calmness, poise, and balance. Most yogis know that regular yoga produces a glow and vibrant energy that tends to draw like minded people to you. (Anyone who practices yoga regularly is considered a yogi.)

If you have ever wanted to lose weight you may have found the wide array of methods and ideologies confusing. You may have wondered if you could lose it by dieting, pills, exercise, or other drastic measure alone. The answer is no! Losing weight takes a determined effort, willingness and patience, and the process of trying and combining methods to achieve what works best for you personally. In addition to lifestyle habits, dietary changes, and following the 5 key principles of a good lifestyle, yoga can help you achieve your goals.

Angela Blake is owner of [http://www.weight-loss-discovery.com] and is a mother of two who is on a mission to lose weight in a healthy way while educating others along the way.