Yoga is one of the best exercises for both body and mind. There are numerous health benefits associated with yoga. Not only does it improve posture, strength, and flexibility, but it also relaxes and clears your mind. With so many different yoga types to choose from, take a look at the following types of yoga you can try in your own home.

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Iyengar Yoga

This is the most practiced yoga style around the world. It puts emphasis on precision and alignment, and its main focus is posture and breathing techniques and control. This type is ideal for building strength and flexibility and is suitable for all ages and ability. Take a look at these health benefits of practicing yoga for reasons why you should give it a go.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga is more slow-paced than other traditional yoga styles. It focuses on working the lower areas of the body, such as the inner thighs, hips and pelvis, as well as the lower spine. Yin Yoga is a brilliant way to learn the basics of meditation and relaxing the mind.

There are twenty main Yin Yoga poses, and although this may not seem like a lot, these poses are held for much longer than in standard yoga practice. Take a look at these poses to inspire your own Yin Yoga sequence that you can try at home.

Restorative Yoga

Restorative yoga focuses on healing the body and mind through simple yoga poses held for as long as 20 minutes. During a Restorative Yoga class, you hardly move, performing only a few postures over the course of an hour. Restorative Yoga is similar toYin Yoga, but puts more emphasis on relaxing, and less on the flexibility side, therefore it is perfect if you’re looking for something to help you unwind.

Anusara Yoga

Anusara yoga, a relatively new yoga type, is based upon the belief that everyone has an intrinsic goodness. It seeks to use yoga to help open your heart and always looks for the goodness in every situation in order to appropriately respond to what’s happening in the present moment. Anusara is quickly becoming a popular type of yoga as it is beneficial for the body and mental well being.

Bikram Yoga/Hot Yoga

Completely different to practices such as Restorative Yoga, Bikram Yoga is traditionally set in a hot room, and consists of a series of 26 different poses and two breathing exercises. This is very similar to hot yoga, which is practiced in a hot, humid room. The hot conditions lead to excess sweating, and promotes flexibility, as the heat relaxes your muscles. Although it has many benefits, when practicing hot yoga, it is vital to drink plenty of water, as increased sweating leads to faster dehydration.

Take a look at the history of yoga to learn more about this ancient practice and why you should give it a go. With so many different types of yoga, you are sure to find the perfect one for you.