Yoga has become so popular to a lot of people since it is known to relax the whole body and most of all, yoga relieves stress. There are different poses involved and sometimes these postures are named after animals. In each class, it teaches the art of breathing, posing and meditation. Yoga classes can be seen everywhere from trendy health clubs to small classes in town.

The main goal of yoga reach complete relaxation of the mind and body. According to traditional yoga, students will be able to achieve this through meditation, diet and behavior. There are different kinds of yoga and you might be wondering which is best for stress management. Hatha yoga is best for this purpose since it aims at providing the person with a calmer mind and encourages more flexibility.

Hatha yoga relieves stress through its different versions and it is up to you which version suits you best. But all versions of this type of yoga has two basic components which are breathing and poses. The coordination of body, breathing and mind can enhance psychological, spiritual and physical well-being.

Hatha yoga poses is suitable for anyone and usually, you will learn about 10-30 poses in one class. It starts with an easy pose known as corpse pose that is just lying down on the floor completely relaxed and to the most difficult pose. You do not have to master all the positions in one day, if you cannot do the position as your instructor is doing it then sit quietly and wait until he shifts to another position. Your instructor will not force you to do a position if you can't.

To be completely relaxed, you should know how to control your breathing which is an important part of yoga. When you control your breathing, you are able to control you body and mind. You control your breath by paying attention to it. In a class, your instructor might ask you to take deep, loud breaths and other ways to control it is by paying attention to your breath as it flows into your body.

Hatha yoga relieves stress effectively as you continuously do it and just by attending one session of it will surely relax you and you will be back for more.

]]> http://americanfitnessandtan.com/fitness-exercise/hatha-yoga-relieves-stress/feed 0 http://americanfitnessandtan.com/fitness-exercise/popular-kinds-of-yoga http://americanfitnessandtan.com/fitness-exercise/popular-kinds-of-yoga#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:28:39 +0000 admin http://americanfitnessandtan.com/?p=104 For sure, everyone has heard of yoga. This has become so popular in such a short time because a lot of people attest to its effectiveness of maintaining a person's physical and mental health. Yoga originated in India and this kind fitness regimen entails a lot of discipline in oneself both physically and mentally.

If you think that yoga has only one kind you are wrong. There are actually 8 popular kinds of yoga or even more. But here are the ones that are becoming popular today.

1. Bhakti Yoga: This is said to be the most natural path. If you are seeking for fulfillment emotionally then this is the right kind of yoga for you. Bhakti yoga teaches you to visualize that the Lord is beside, to make yourself aware that the Lord is present. But visualizing the Lord is not enough, you should also see yourself as one with the Lord. As the person does Bhakti meditation he begins to have a permanent relationship with the Lord.

2. Karma Yoga: Karma means to act or to do. This person must change his acts to be able to achieve positive effects. With every cause there is an effect and this principle basically rules Karma yoga.

3. Jnana Yoga: The word Jnana means discernment or wisdom.  The Jnana meditation teaches a person to stop thinking negative things about life and himself. When this is done, the person gets to live more peacefully and at ease.

4. Raja Yoga: The word Raja means kingly or royalty. The Raja meditations helps one person to direct his life force to balance his emotions and his mind. When balance is achieved, the mind becomes at ease.

5. Mantra Yoga: Mantras are a group of words or phrases that are chanted sincerely with growing intention. The words or phrases are chanted until the superconscious is revealed. This is done to guide the mind back to the meditation since it is believed that the minds wanders so much.

6. Laya Yoga: Laya yoga meditation will require a teacher that will find the doorways to higher consciousness to certain parts of the body. These doorways are known as energy centers so for instance if you want to locate the heart center it is inside the spine which is directly at the back of the heart. Once these energy centers are found, you will enter into a world with sky blue light and find that you can easily love.

7. Tantra Yoga: The word Tantra means expansion. The Tantra meditation helps a person expand different levels of his consciousness until he reaches Supreme Reality. Devotees of this kind of yoga are focused on changing personal limitations and eliminating subconscious blockages.

8. Hatha Yoga: During the 20th century, Hatha yoga was used mainly for vitality and health. It is an excellent way to stretch the body and free the body so it will live longer and become a great instrument of the soul and mind. Devotees of this kind of yoga becomes more focused and clear-minded.

So now that you know the popular kinds of yoga and its purpose you can now determine which fits you best. But when it comes to yoga there is one clear goal, that is to become one with yourself and have a more positive outlook in life which will then lead to healthy living.