The Benefits of Yoga

Why You Must Try It!

After hearing great things about this class, and not to meantion, the stressfulness of my life taking a toll on me (school, work, boyfriend), I have decided to take up yoga!

Yoga is a great workout program that is easy to learn and requires little or no equipment. It can improve your flexibility, strength, balance and stamina. It can also reduce anxiety and stress.

It seems like a new trend but it actually began more than 3,000 years ago in India. The word comes from the Sanskrit word "yoke" meaning to bring together the mind, body and spirt.


Hatha yoga is the physical component of yoga. A person who practices yoga goes through a series of specific poses while controlling his or her breathing. Some types of yoga also involve meditation and chanting.


There are many different types of hatha yoga, including:

Ashtanga yoga: It is a vigorous, fast-paced yoga that helps to build flexibility, strength, concentration, and stamina. When doing Ashtanga yoga, a person moves quickly through a poses while remaining focused on deep breathing.

Power yoga: Similar to Ashtanga yoga, but it is more of an active form of yoga that improves flexibility and stamina by completing poses.

Bikram yoga: Bikram yoga is also known as "Hot Yoga." It is practiced in rooms that may be heated to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius).

Gentle yoga: Gentle yoga focuses on slow stretches, flexibility, and deep breathing.

Kundalini yoga: Kundalini yoga uses poses, deep breathing and other breathing techniques, chanting, and meditation.

Iyengar yoga: This type of yoga focuses on precise poses. and participants use benches, ropes, mats, blocks, and chairs.

You may also want to try a yoga video first, before you try any classes. They certainly can be intimidating. Shhhh...that's what I did. Try any video with Rodney Yee. He is excellent! Sure, when I first tried his video, it was funny watching him do some of the moves, but I got some of the basic moves and ideas down, and then I wanted to make sure I was doing them correctly, so I tryed a class at my gym.

Remember to wear compfy clothing and to have fun.

I really hope you can try it at least once. It is certainly a great experience.

Namaste* (a respectful yoga greeting pronounced nama-stay).

-- Christina