Yoga is a method of discipline which started in ancientIndiaabout 3000 years ago.  A person practices yoga for physical, mental, and physical benefits. A male who practices yoga is called a “yogi” and a female yoga practitioner is called “yogini”.  The meaning of the Sanskrit (ancient Indian language) word yoga is “union”, a union of the physical and the spiritual. Through yoga, a being connects himself with God; thus he becomes capable of balancing his mind, soul, and emotions to connect with the Supreme Being and achieve enlightenment.

The term yoga also means “harnessing”, harnessing the lesser powers of your being and applying it in a loftier manner. Practicing yoga has many spiritual and physical benefits. The first and the foremost benefit of yoga is that it calms your mind so that you can have a clear thought process. Practicing yoga helps you to handle stress in a better way.  Yoga helps you to maintain a good temperament in your relationship with the people you are connected to.

The health benefits of yoga are never overlooked.  Through yoga you will improve your fitness and physical strength. You will become more flexible, chances of muscle or organ atrophy are very unlikely. Your cardiovascular strength will be increased, making you less prone to heart diseases. Regular practice of yoga flushes out all the toxic wastes from your system, and helps maintain the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal system, and get rid of problems like backache, arthritis, and asthma.

To enjoy the complete benefits of yoga there are certain things which are to be kept in mind. The first thing to remember is that yoga is not just another exercise regime by which we can reduce our fat.  Yoga is a lifestyle which can positively affect your being and can mend your character.  Another fact is that there are different kinds of yoga practices and we often get confused about which one to start with.

Some forms of yoga are

Hatha yoga – This is a slow-paced form of yoga which is best for someone who is new to this. The body movements are slow and asanas (postures) are simpler. This yoga aims at uniting the mind, body, and spirit.

Ashtanga yoga – This form of yoga is more physically demanding. You move from one pose to another with fast body movements. Ashtanga in Sanskrit means “eight limbs”. This fast moving and progressive sets of poses increases your stamina, flexibility, and strength.

Iyengar yoga – This form of yoga practice is done based on the guidelines outlined by B.K.S Iyengar , and it focuses on holding a posture for a longer period of time than other forms. Iyengar yoga helps you to increase your body balance and endurance.

Bikram yoga – The yoga is practiced in heated room so that people sweats a lot during the class and it helps in loosening the muscles and detoxifying the body of its toxins.

There are many institutions out there providing yoga instructions. Have a discussion with the instructor about their beliefs and ideas of yoga, prior to getting enrolled.  This will help you to choose a better form of yoga suitable for you.