Starting a yoga routine or adding one to your existing fitness program is probably one of the best things you could do for your body, mind, and soul. Many people initially go for two reasons; to get more flexible and to reduce stress, but the benefits are many including: muscular endurance, lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure, better focus, mental clarity, less depression, stronger pelvic muscles, improved posture, increased lung capacity, higher endorphin levels, heightened self awareness, more happiness, and so much more. The yoga workouts guide will help you find the best types of yoga for your needs and offers tips to get started.

What Is Yoga?: A system that explores the eight limbs outlined in the Yoga Sutra including: restraint, observation, poses, breathing, withdrawal of senses, focus, meditation, and absorption. It is intended to unite mind, body, and spirit, and to achieve a deeper consciousness and ultimately enlightenment.

What Types of Yoga To Choose: There are many many types of yoga all with a different focus. Some are more physical, some are more spiritual, and some are all about spinal alignment. Your best bet is to choose something that fits with your goals and that you feel comfortable doing. The styles below are the ones most commonly found in studios and remember that you can try many and do many. You don't have to stick to one kind.

Anusara - Heart centered practice that focuses on outlook, alignment, and expression through movement. Challenging, fun, and uplifting.
Ashtanga - 6 series of flowing poses and pranayama. Fast, vigorous, and challenging.
Bikram - 26 poses in 100 degree temp to cleanse and purify the body. Demanding, vigorous, and predictable.
Hatha - Catch all phrase for eclectic yoga. Style will vary depending on the instructor so be sure to ask about their focus and level of difficulty.
Iyengar - Focuses on proper alignment and relies heavily on props. Slow and safe. Great for injury rehab.
Jivamukti - Similar to ashtanga but more educational and spiritual with emphasis on readings, chanting, and music. Inspirational, and challenging.
Kundalini - Energy releasing practice with chanting, meditation, and dynamic breathing during poses. Liberating and energizing.

Studio Yoga vs. Yoga DVDs: If you're new to yoga the best way to get into it is to buy a good beginner yoga DVD i.e. Bryan Kest Power Yoga Complete Collection and do it 3-4 times. This will give you the most basic understanding of breathing, easy poses and the language that is used in classes. Once you get the feel for it then choose what type of yoga you want and find a studio that offers primarily that type of yoga. The reason for this is that DVD instruction is not hands on and yoga is a very interactive pursuit. You need constant feedback and instruction in order to advance and you can only get this from a good instructor. But don't worry, most studios give you a free trial session so if it's not a good fit you can keep looking until you find a place that feels comfortable. *Note: It may be tempting to practice in a health club but keep in mind that most health clubs instructors have little or poor training so your practice will suffer and your chances of getting injured are high.

When To Practice Online Yoga Workouts: After you've been practicing for some time you may experience time conflicts, instructor preferences, expense, etc. You may find that you want to practice more with certain instructors but you can't make their class or you can't afford to do more. This is the time to sign up for online yoga and the best site for that is My Yoga Online. Their instructors are the best and the practices are so varied you have plenty of options. I have a membership there and so do many of my clients who just can't find the time to go to studio yoga but need yoga workouts to make their strength training more effective. I typically assign yoga practices to them when they are not training with me and they love how convenient and effective the online yoga workouts are. My client Claudia's favorite instructor is Bernie Clark. My favorites are Nico Luce and Carolyn McManus. Visit My Yoga Online to check out sample yoga videos.

Helpful Yoga Tips & Gear: When you go to class you might be surprised to find that Anusara typically begins with the Om Namah Shivaaya chant, that cobra pose is called Bhujangasanais and downward dog is called Adho Mukha Svanasana, or that with pranayama (proper breathing) any pose is 10 times easier. Try to be open to all this. It may seem strange but it all helps you transcend your practice. Other really important tips to keep in mind: tell your instructor about injuries or limitations, be clean, bring a towel, and don't eat 1-2 hours before class. You will have a much better experience if you are prepared and have good yoga etiquette. Also don't forget to get some cropped yoga pants and your own mat so you can focus on the poses and not worry about germs.

Practice at home with My Yoga Online