Want an easy way to reduce stress and stay in shape? Yoga is a great way to relax your mind and body while still exercising. Beginners to yoga can pick it up quickly and still be challenged as they increase their skill level.

Yoga was developed in India 3,000 years ago. The word yoga came from an ancient language in the East called Sanskrit. Yoga means yoke or to connect the mind, body, and spirit.

There are many different forms of yoga. Some are more upbeat and challenging for experienced participants. While others are slower and focus more getting the poses correct for yoga novices. Beginners might want to start out with an easier class, such as gentle yoga, which focuses more on stretching and breathing slower. People who have done yoga before should opt for a more challenging fast pace class like ashtanga or hot yoga. In hot yoga, the room is usually heated to a temperature higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Other forms of yoga include vinyasa yoga which is a fast pace class that works on improving flexibility, strength and stamina.

Many gyms hold different kinds of yoga classes every week, just ask an employee for their activity schedule. If you don’t belong to a gym, you can buy yoga DVD’s and practice the poses in the comfort of your own home. Websites and books also provide pictures of specific poses that you may be interested in.

While practicing yoga you may want to wear pants of shorts that can stretch so you can move your body correctly. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes that allow you to focus on the poses. No specific type of shoes are required because yoga is practiced barefoot. You may also want to invest in a yoga mat, which has sticky texture to help keep your body balanced during the poses.

Yoga is a great to reduce stress because it helps you stay focused on one thing and not worry about school, work or other activities. It is proven that yoga helps increase the oxygen level that reaches your brain, which helps with depression. Yoga is not competitive so you won’t feel challenged to increase your level of abilities until your comfortable. According to webmd.com yoga is also a great to improve your posture. Most of the poses focus on core strength which helps make your posture better.

Major health problems like heart disease and strokes can be avoided if you practice yoga. Decreasing your cholesterol level and increasing your immune system are some benefits from yoga that can help decrease your risk of heart problems later in life. Yoga can also help lower back pain and arthritis.

Yoga has also been proven to help students do better with their schoolwork and memorization. Some studies show that yoga can improve friendships and relationships with your family.

Over the last couple of years yoga has increased drastically in popularity so now is a great time to get started. Just grab a water bottle and mat and head over to your local community center.