Jess Ainscough - The Wellness Warrior

Bare with me while I'm completely biased for a moment: Yoga is the best form of exercise ever. Before you get all shirty and alert the writing police, hear me out while I put forward an argument to support my claim.

When you practice yoga, you are exercising, stretching and meditating all at the same time. You can tone your body and raise your heart rate while at the same time calming your mind. Yoga improves your posture, increases your body's intake of oxygen, and enhances the functioning of the respiratory, digestive, endocrine, reproductive and elimination systems. It also has a wonderful anti-ageing effect. As we age, our muscles tend to stiffen, creating more pressure on the joints. Regular stretching will prevent this gradual stiffening and joint deterioration. What other form of exercise offers you all of that?

A form of open-eye meditation, yoga's effects on your emotions are equally beneficial. It calms the mind, attunes us to the environment and helps with insomnia caused by mental restlessness. Yoga also works to unite the split between the body and the mind. So much healing is going on when you hit the yoga mat.

The best part about yoga is that there are so many different types out there so chances are you will be able to find one that suits you and your level of fitness. Most classes are suitable for beginners right up to the more experienced yogis.

Here is a brief run-down of the most-popular practices:

Hatha: Usually more slow-paced and gentle, Hatha provides a good introduction to the basic yoga poses.

Iyengar: This style of practice is most concerned with bodily alignment. Iyengar usually emphasises holding poses over longer periods.

Vinyasa: Vinyasa means breath-synchronized movement. This tends to be a more vigorous style based on performing a series of poses in which movement is matched to the breath. Vinyasa can also be called Vinyasa Flow due to the way it flows from one posture to the next.

Ashtanga: Ashtanga is a fast-paced, intense style of yoga. A set series of poses is performed, always in the same order. Ashtanga is physically demanding because of the constant movement from one pose to the next (also called flow).

Power yoga: Power yoga describes a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style yoga. Most Power yoga is closely modelled on the Ashtanga style of practice, but unlike Ashtanga, Power yoga does not follow a set series of poses. There is an emphasis on strength and flexibility.

Kundalini: Kundalini is the combination and science of breathing, specific postures, chanting, mudras, meditation and relaxation, which rid the body of negative 'patterns'. Poses in Kundalini are held much longer and done with powerful breathing techniques.

Bikram: Often called hot yoga, Bikram is practiced in a room heated to 40 degrees. The heat helps to warm muscles, which allows you to work deeper in a shorter amount of time, seeing results faster. Heat takes the trauma out of stretching, heals and helps prevent injuries. It also promotes sweating, which assists the detoxification process using the body's largest organ, the skin. Click here for more on Bikram.

What form of yoga is your favourite? What do you love about it?

Positive affirmation for the day: Today I will be true to myself and my own needs, whether anyone agrees with me or not. I have the courage to follow my own inner voice.

Jess Ainscough is The Welness Warrior, in pursuit of perfect health, mind, body and spirit. Read more by following her on Facebook or Twitter.