In the world of fitness, yoga has been known to be a calming and rejuvenating form of exercise. Some may not be comfortable with yoga because of the notion that one must be at a certain level of fitness. However, that is a common misconception. There are many different variations of yoga that would suit a plethora of people with different strengths and abilities.

“All of the poses are so beautiful to me,” senior Isabelle Williams said. “[Yoga] makes me feel so empowered to own my own body in such a peaceful, elegant way.”

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is the perfect type of yoga lesson for beginners. Hatha Yoga is an older type of yoga that centers around posture and breathing exercises, according to doyogawithme.com. The majority of these classes are gentle and slow because of the simple poses. Another large part of what makes them so great for beginners is the relaxation aspect of this style of yoga, according to gaiam.com.

Hot Yoga

Being one of the more well-known types of yoga, many people find this class invigorating. The overall purpose is to encourage perspiration while exercising. Even though this may not seem appealing at first glance, sweating is known to detoxify the body, improve flexibility, boost stamina, burn calories, relieve stress and increase circulation, according to yogapedia.com.

“We started off slow and built up faster as the class went on,” senior Meghan Hertling said. “I liked the fact that it felt like a workout because you sweat a lot but it was different than lifting or running.”

Restorative Yoga

The purpose of restorative yoga is to add balance to the hectic lifestyles. These classes were originally designed to help people recover from injuries or sickness. They often only include around six different poses that are held for longer periods of time. Most of the poses are for stretching and relieving tense muscles throughout the body.

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga is a more rigorous type of yoga. Based on ancient yoga teachings, it follows a very simple and precise sequence of postures. The main aspect of Ashtanga is that every movement is linked to a breath, according to doyogawithme.com. Being so specific and strict in manner, this class is more so suitable for experienced yogis.