Yoga is a discipline of the body and mind that dates back more than 5,000 years. The word yoga means “to join” or “to yoke,” and it brings the mind and body together. Yoga has three components: exercise, breathing, and meditation.

There are over one hundred different schools of yoga, but Hatha yoga, which combines physical movements and postures with breathing techniques, is what most people associate with practicing yoga. According to MedicineNet, Hatha yoga is the most widely practiced yoga in the U.S. With its slow and smooth movements, it is excellent for beginners. It is also a great introduction to yoga as it incorporates many different poses (asanas), as well as breathing techniques and chanting.

Some of the most popular schools of yoga in the U.S., and the ones that you are most likely to find in yoga and fitness centers, according to MedicineNet, are: Hatha, Iyengar, Astanga (or Ashtanga), Bikram, and Kundalini.

According to the American Yoga Association, there are eight steps of Classical yoga: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Classes generally focus on asana, physical exercises; pranayama, breathing techniques; and pratyahara, preparation for meditation.

According to WebMD, close to 11 million Americans are practicing yoga and enjoying its numerous health benefits. Yoga poses safely stretch your muscles and increase the range of motion in joints. Yoga also provides strength and endurance benefits. Different poses help you build strength in certain areas. For example, Upward Dog strengthens the lower back and increases upper-body strength. Because of increased flexibility and strength, you also naturally have better posture. The mindful breathing involved with yoga often improves lung capacity as well.

In addition to the physical benefits, there are numerous mental benefits of practicing yoga. By learning how to deepen and lengthen your breath, your relaxation response is stimulated, leaving you feeling more relaxed. Some schools of yoga also teach meditation techniques. Recently, researchers have begun studying the effects of yoga on depression. Because yoga boosts oxygen levels to the brain, it may benefit your mood.

According to AARP Bulletin Today, Dean Ornish, MD, founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California, has been studying how lifestyle alterations can halt or even reverse the effects of serious conditions such as heart disease and cancer for decades. Since the 1980s, he has incorporated stress management through yoga and meditation with other lifestyle modifications like eating a diet low in fat and getting regular exercise. He has found in his studies that the more yoga and meditation the participants did, the more they improved their health. But it was the consistency of doing it every day that mattered more than duration.

A study published by the National Academy of Sciences and another published in the Lancet in 2008 used an identical group of 30 men with low-risk prostrate cancer. Both studies found that lifestyle changes, such as getting regular exercise, eating a low fat diet, attending support groups, and practicing yoga and meditation, turn on good or disease-preventing genes and turn off bad genes which can cause conditions such as heart disease and cancer.

Medical researchers are now studying the benefits of therapeutic yoga or integrative yoga therapy (IYT). It’s used as an aid in treating medical conditions such as clinical depression and heart disease. Yoga also helps to relieve the symptoms of asthma, back pain, and arthritis, according to WebMD.

The research evidence is mounting that yoga is good for both your body and your mind. If you want to get started on the road to a healthier you, visit www.yogafinder.com. This online directory will help you find classes, events, and retreats near you.

Sources: AARP Bulletin Today (bulletin.aarp.org), American Yoga Association (http://www.americanyogaassociation.org), Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com), WebMD (http://www.webmd.com)

Different types of yoga

Hatha yoga: Good for beginners, it focuses on holding poses and integrating your breath into the movements. You will learn many different poses, as well as breathing techniques and chanting. It will be beneficial for stretching and working your muscles.

Iyengar yoga: Good for beginners, it uses poses that are similar to those in Hatha. It differs because it focuses more on balance and body alignment. You will also hold poses longer and use props such as straps and blocks.

Kundalini yoga: More advanced type of yoga, it emphasizes rapid movement through the poses while breathing, chanting, and meditating. It focuses on the energy balance in your body.

Bikram yoga: This yoga is designed to make you sweat as it is practiced in a room heated to around 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Its objective is to loosen muscles and to cleanse the body, removing symptoms of disease and chronic pain.

Astanga (Ashtanga) Yoga: Also known as power yoga, you move quickly from one pose to another in order to build strength and endurance. There is not an emphasis on meditation, so this is more like a strength training workout than any other type of yoga.

Source: http://www.medicinenet.com