Yoga Options

by Jenni Fleming

Yoga is often used to promote relaxation and improve fitness, strength and balance. There are many different types of yoga, so it’s important to find a teacher and style that are a good fit for you.
Yoga Use
Yoga is an ancient practice that aims to achieve and maintain mental, physical and spiritual well-being through the use of breathing exercises (called Pranayama), postures (Asana) and meditation. Health experts consider it to be a form of complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM therapy. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, more than 13 million adults and 1.5 million children have practiced yoga.

Many people use yoga techniques to promote relaxation and improve fitness, strength and balance. Research suggests yoga may also be beneficial for reducing heart rate and blood pressure, increasing lung capacity and reducing levels of anxiety, depression and insomnia. Investigators are also looking at the effects of yoga on treatment for many types of health problems, like chronic low-back pain, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Yoga Types
There are many different types of yoga and combinations of styles. Here is a brief overview of some:

Hatha yoga is the most common type of yoga practiced in the U.S. Followers use breathing exercises and a series of slow-paced, gently postures to achieve a balance between internal and external forces.

Vinyasa yoga focuses on breath control while moving through a series of postures. Each pose emphasizes stretching and is quickly followed by a counter pose to achieve balance. It’s good for improving tone and flexibility.

Ashtanga yoga is an intense, physically demanding workout. It involves the quick progression through a series of six increasingly difficult postures. This type of yoga builds strength and is ideal for athletes.

Bikram yoga is often called “hot yoga.” It’s performed in a heated room with temperatures ranging between 95 and 105 degrees F. The style emphasizes a series of 26 postures designed to stretch the muscles, ligaments and tendons. The heated room enables a person to stretch further and promotes sweating to remove toxins from the body. Bikram yoga is very intense and not for everyone, especially pregnant women.

Iyengar yoga emphasizes longer-held postures to improve alignment of the skeleton and muscles. Unlike other forms of yoga, it incorporates use of props, like chairs, belts, blocks, pillows and blankets, to promote balance safety and maintain comfort throughout the poses. This type of yoga is often preferred by seniors and those who have problems with flexibility and balance.