So, you’re a regular in the spin studio, you’re a committed body pumper, you hit the pool a couple times a week, and you’ve got CXWORX permanently on your schedule—that’s all you need, right? That’s a great variety, but what about rounding it out with a little yoga?

If you haven’t found your way to the yoga mat, you could be missing out on a chance to build strength, flexibility, and balance—and reap a whole bunch of other benefits.

What Exactly Is Yoga?
Forget everything you think you know about yoga—because yoga can be different things for different people.

Yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning “union.” This gentle, low-impact form of movement began more than 3,000 years ago in India as a way to promote union of mind, body, and spirit. The practice incorporates physical postures called asanas, with breathing practice (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana).

Yoga is considered a practice—not a religion—and anyone can choose to practice it without compromising individual religious or spiritual beliefs. Many people associate yoga with pretzel-like movements performed by contortionists, but nothing could be further from the truth. There are many different styles of yoga and the practice is available even to the most inflexible, stiff bodies.

Yoga as a Form of Exercise
Whether or not you embrace the breathing and mediation aspects of yoga, the physical postures are an excellent form of exercise. The gentle, low-impact movements target every muscle group in the body. Chances are you’ll begin yoga focused on the physical postures, but you’ll eventually find yourself noticing your breath and striving to quiet your mind, both of which can only benefit you.

Benefits of Yoga
There are countless benefits to practicing yoga. You may experience improved flexibility, strength, balance, and stamina. Yoga can also promote mental clarity and relaxation—and even improve your sleep!

Try It
The only way to know if yoga is right for you is to step onto the mat and give it a try. There are a lot of different types of yoga—some more vigorous and others more relaxing. At Zenergy, we offer a wide variety of yoga classes:

• Flow: A flow class consists of poses that are linked to the breath and performed in a flowing sequence. The practice builds strength and stamina and can be an intense aerobic workout.
• All Levels: This class focuses on the integration of classical yoga philosophy and practices with contemporary alignment principles. It is designed to purify and strengthen body, breath and mind.
• Gentle Yoga Stretch: This class is designed for athletes with tight muscles. The class consists of seated and supine poses with an emphasis on opening the back, hips and shoulders, and lengthening the hamstrings and quadriceps.
• Hot: Hot yoga is practiced in a room that is heated to 95 to 100 degrees. The practice focuses on detoxification and building stamina.
• Restorative: Restorative yoga is a very relaxing form of yoga designed to help muscles fully relax. Expect to spend long periods of time in reclined poses supported by bolsters and blocks. Restorative yoga is a form of passive stretching.
• Yin: Yin yoga is a slow practice that consists of holding poses for longer periods of time to allow the muscles to relax.
• Guided Meditation with All Levels Yoga: This guided practice of meditation will impart life skills for relaxation techniques and stabilization of mental focus.