Yoga is a form of exercise and meditation that dates back more than 5,000 years, according to the American Yoga Association. The practice is a popular form of exercise today, and it's also used by some as a form of meditation that can help relieve stress and improve focus, among other mental health benefits. Proficiency in yoga can take years to attain, and there are literally hundreds of schools of yoga that all have different focuses from one another. However, several types of yoga have risen to a much greater degree of popularity than others.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga focuses on physical disciplines and exercise poses. It is the kind of yoga many people think of when they think of yoga, and it is the most common type of yoga taught as an exercise routine. The exercise poses in hatha yoga--also called asanas--are taught as a means of attaining a position from in which an individual can meditate. These positions both calm the mind and invigorate the body and soul with energy. It is considered a good introductory form of yoga for beginners.
Raja Yoga
This type of yoga is referred to as the "royal road" yoga because of the increased emphasis on meditation. It continues to incorporate the exercises and breathing of other forms of yoga--such as hatha--while using meditation and study to enlighten and produce a "well-rounded individual," according to the American Yoga Association.
Tantra Yoga
Tantra is a unique yoga in the way it uses exercise and the body to express the unseen consciousness through words, actions and movement. These symbolic diagrams created by the body can represent a joining of the physical and spiritual bodies. Various positions can help to represent and evoke the spiritual body through the physical body, such as providing energy or support to the spirit and strengthening an individual's overall being.
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