• Many types of yoga use the same poses.yoga image by Indigo Fish from Fotolia.com
  
  Yoga is a meditative practice that originated thousands of years ago in India and plays a central role in the Hindu and Buddhist religions. The ultimate goal of meditative yoga is the understanding of the deep connections among mind, body and spirit. Modernized Western yoga is often focused more on the physical aspect, as it is an excellent way to stay in shape.
  
  

Hatha Yoga

• The Hatha style is a basic, slow-paced approach that is great for beginners. It is one of the six original schools of yoga, and was used in ancient times to warm up for more grueling routines. Practitioners of Hatha yoga focus intently on breathing exercises, known as pranayama, which aid concentration, and transition between poses very slowly and gently. Hatha is great for decompressing at the end of a long day.
  
  

Bikram Yoga

• Bikram yoga is unique in that it is practiced in a sauna-like room at temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity. The heat promotes detoxification and flexibility. Bikram is a series of 26 poses, each performed twice during a routine. Because of the heat, transitions between poses are slow. This style was created by yoga guru Bikram Choudhury, a former Olympic weight lifter, in the 1970s. A person practicing Bikram can burn up to 600 calories in one session.
  
  

Vinyasa

• Vinyasa is an intense, fast-paced and highly individualized form of yoga that incorporates many poses. As a result, no two routines are ever the same. The word "vinyasa" refers to quick transitions between poses, which is a challenge reserved for those with experience in other styles. Because vinyasa yoga allows the practitioner to create an individualized routine, it may take some time to find an instructor with whom you connect.
  
  

Anusara Yoga

• Anusara is a relatively new style that fosters an upbeat communal vibe and is great for beginners. Your instructor will likely break your class into pairs or groups to help each other with more complicated postures. But Anusara is more about learning the basics - proper alignment and breathing - than it is about mastering difficult poses. If you're doing yoga not only for the health benefits, but to meet and open up to new people, Anusara could be right for you.
  
  

Jivamukti Yoga

• While Jivamukti yoga was created in the 1980s, it is intimately tied to some of the ancient practices of yoga. A Jivamukti class often involves chanting, scripture reading and even singing to achieve the full mental and spiritual benefits of yoga. This style is heavy on philosophy, so it's ideal for people who are looking for more than a quick exercise routine. As an offshoot of Vinyasa yoga, Jivamukti is intense and involves a number of complicated poses.