Our lifestyle can get extremely hectic from every day challenges, jobs, relationships, families, and therefore it is very important to let go of all the stress and tension that is accumulated in the body, while working long hours, being stuck to our chairs for hours without much movement. Although Yoga is known to be very effective when it comes to expelling the physical stress that accumulates in our bodies and helps in adding a dose of healthy activity to our daily schedule, it can prove to be a lot more then just that.

If you are a beginner of this fascinating form of exercise, here is a quick explanation of 3 most popular types of Yoga that you can start with:

1) Hatha Yoga has proven to be one of the most popular and common forms of Yoga, which combines the asanas (postures) with a balanced breathing that is synchronized. It is an amazing combination of meditation, pranayama (lengthening of the breath) and relaxation, which makes it a complete method to de-stress the body and bring your mind to peace and stillness.

2) Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is an effective form of Yoga to help you build a good level of strength and power; that is why it is mostly used among athletes and people who want to get more out of their physical workout. The main focus here is not to enter a meditative trance but to build a strong stamina from within and improve health internally. Ashtanga Yoga comprises of various postures, where bandas (seals) and ujjayi (victory) are used to raise the inner heat and cleanse your body of unwanted toxins.

3) Kundalini Yoga is widely referred to as the “Yoga of Awareness” as it helps an individual awaken the unused or blocked energy. This form of Yoga is a seamless combination of meditative and physical balance, which gathers and brings the mind and body together along with the spirit. This state of deep relaxation is a result of a carefully structured exercise that is made up of asanas, mantra chanting and pranyama.

If you really want to make your Yoga experience fulfilling and have a great start to practicing it, you might want to take a week off and spend it practicing yoga at a yoga retreat center, somewhere in a peaceful location. Let the soothing calmness surrounding you seep in, as it takes you and your mind to a completely new level.

Ashtanga Yoga is one of the most physically intense and demanding forms of Yoga, which is why it is so popular. The meaning of Ashtanga is ‘eight limbed yoga’ which was originally created and structured to take the body and the mind through a cleansing process.

 Ashtanga Yoga consists of eight spiritual practices in total, all having their own meanings:

• Asana – means posture
• Yama – means moral codes
• Niyama – means self-purification
• Pratyahara – means sense of control
• Prananyama – means breath control
• Dhyana – means meditation
• Dharana – means concentration
• Samadhi – means contemplation

 The core belief of Ashtanga Yoga is that the body has the ability to trap impure things. Therefore, before the body can get back into control again, the mind needs to be cleared. Then, what follows is the practice of vinyasa and tristhana through the above eight principles. When you control your breathing, the body experiences increased circulation, and as it perspires, the impurities are removed.

Tristhana means focusing in three different ways. These include, breathing, posture and the surroundings. To properly clear and cleanse the mind and the body, these three elements are always required. As you get used to the asanas, your posture tends to improve gradually. Breathing gains strength over time through the right balance of inhaling and exhaling.

A Yogi usually focuses on nine places in the body while practicing Yoga. These are the thumb, naval, nose, hands, feet, the area above the eyebrows, between them, on the right and left sides. Breathing is an essential element of Ashtanga Yoga and when you start practicing it, you will be shown a unique way of breathing, so you can get the most out of it.

Ashtanga Yoga is an amazing exercise to help your body stay active and motivated. However, if you want to give Ashtanga Yoga a try, make sure you visit an Ashtanga class at a yoga studio to learn how to do it properly, and so you know what to expect. Finally, if you have chosen to start practicing Yoga with Ashtanga Yoga, please remember that it does take a lot of perseverance, patience and a great amount of dedication to see some real results with this wonderful, life-changing form of meditation.