To many people, yoga is a stretching exercise and nothing more. Most people think yoga is easy and an exercise meant only for the super flexible! I used to be one of those people and I must say I couldn't be more wrong!

Yoga not only an exercise for your body but also for your mind. It builds strength as well as flexibility in your body. Besides that, your mind needs to be focused during each practice. Yoga is an overall exercise that works every part of your body.

In fact, after practicing yoga for only 3 months, I have lost a whopping 3kg and never felt so fit in my life. I have built toned muscles and my consistent yoga practice have maintained my weight for 2 years even with no diet restriction.

Is it any doubt then, that the people in India has been practicing it for thousands of years?

Yoga is a word derived from Sanskrit root yuj which means to bind or join. In many books and publications, yoga means to unite oneself to God. Some say it is to unite the body and mind.

Personally I think yoga to me is the unification of the body to mind, to bring more awareness of the mind to your body.

Anyone can do yoga. Yoga is not about flexibility but about bringing awareness to your body. In fact, I would recommend yoga even more so to anyone who has health problems or weight problems.

Do yourself a favor and start yoga today!

The very original yoga originate from India. However, yoga has since evolved and grown. Here are some popular yoga that has evolved :

1. Hatha Yoga
Said to be the original yoga from India. Consists of over 200 yoga poses. Many of these poses form part of the other yoga styles.

2. Ashtanga Yoga
This is a fixed sequence of hatha yoga poses taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. This is a intense yoga practice that consists of flowing sequence of poses coordinated with your breath. Benefits include detoxification the body and calming of the mind. Personally I have experienced brightness and clarity after a strong practice. Excellent for weight loss!

See more details at Ashtanga Yoga

3. Power Yoga
Essentially power yoga is mostly flow type of yoga but there are no fixed sequences here. The poses done in class is entirely dependent on the teacher. Read more here on Power Yoga

4. Hot Yoga
As the name implies, it is hot! This is yoga done in a heated up room. This form of yoga is popularized by Bikram. Practicing in a hot room actually helps you go into the poses more easily. Not only that, it helps you detox your body. This is one form of yoga that is guaranteed to get you all "red-faced"!

5. Iyengar Yoga
This is a style of yoga by B.K. Iyengar. He focuses mainly on alignment using props like yoga blocks and belts. He is known for his strict teachings on alignment.

6. Anusara Yoga
A style of yoga by John Friend. See my lens on Anusara Yoga

7. Yin Yoga
This is the "yin" of yoga as opposed to the "yang" of yoga in most practices. For chinese, yin usually means the feminine side or the softer side as opposed to yang which is the male side. In yin yoga, the focus is on the joints. Usually we are engaging our muscles in yoga poses and thus using much muscular energy. In yin, the focus is on elongating the joints without the use of muscular energy. The poses in yin class is usually held for long periods of time, eg. 5 minutes or more. This is to help the body sink into the pose and let the joints naturally extend.

and many many more...