When those who don't know about yoga think about it they imagine someone who is impossibly supple stretching into all kinds of positions that the majority of us would find it impossible to achieve. However yoga isn't complicated and can be undertaken by anyone of any age. Yoga isn't all about getting into impossible positions, there is so much more to it that that and yoga can benefit people by a wide variety of things not only illness.

There are many different types of yoga, some simpler forms than others and some lighter forms than others, however all forms of yoga are based on breathing, poses and meditation. Yoga is a total holistic system that can be used in order to make a change to your lifestyle and how you see yourself.

The poses or postures used in Hatha yoga to help control your movement, flexibility and to develop a more conscious form of breathing. Postures can range from very simple and basic and although they are done in a slow fashion they are very invigorating and provide an excellent workout for not just the body but also the mind.

Hatha yoga is considered to be a complete fitness system that keeps the whole body supple and flexible, when combined with the extensive system of yogic breathing it stimulates the endocrine, the nervous system, the digestive system and the circulation.

There are many different types or styles of yoga and these are briefly touched upon below

Yama - yama yoga focuses on the moral and ethical feelings, it shows us how we conduct ourselves and how others see us. This type of yoga can help you to control tendencies and to take a better hold of your life and make changes for the better.

Niyama - this type teaches self-discipline, self-development and brings out the spiritual side. They teach you how to control yourself and discipline yourself and show you how to seek contentment.

Pranayama - these are the breathing exercises in yoga that help to rejuvenate the body and teach spirituality aspects of yoga. This type of yoga can be done alone or it can be combined with poses and postures.

Darhana - this type of yoga develops the concentration; it teaches the person how to avoid the pitfalls of distraction that lead to confusion. The whole idea behind this type of yoga is concentration of an object and is a form of meditation. The object can be something as simple as watching a candle flame flicker. This type of yoga relaxes and allows the person to look into him or herself instead of being distracted by what's going around you.

Dhyana - this type of yoga relies on meditation that has always been very successful at easing the body and mind, the whole point of this type is to ensure that the body and mind become still and to achieve a state of total peace and harmony within oneself. In this you are aiming to be totally relaxed in both body and mind while ensuring that you remain totally alert at all times, it is one of the hardest techniques to master in yoga.

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