Thank God for my friend Becky who recommended I try yoga. At the time, I blew it off repeatedly as just a fad because yoga schools and videos were advertised far and wide promising a variety of benefits. I believed it was merely another phony miracle treatment for overweight people that would hopefully go away if I ignored it long enough. At some point my friend (who happened to be a very attractive girl, mind you) convinced me to try a class with her. I'll be the first to admit that I really only went because I wanted to see her practice the downward facing dog in spandex pants but by the end of the class I was already hooked. Bikram yoga NYC has been like my second home since then and I can't get enough.

I know everyone says this but I will say it again because its true. When you initially enter a yoga class to see everyone moving into these strange poses, all synchronously, it looks a little weird. You really can't help but wonder how this could possibly be beneficial, let alone to the extent which everyone claims it is. Anyway, after a few classes I was already noticing some minor improvements. It really is amazing. For the first week or two I was somewhat in shock at how difficult some of the poses could be. After training a couple days a week I could finally get into all the poses after about a month or so, although I still performed many of them like a caveman. Despite all this, the health benefits were enormous and noticeable within the first month.

Yoga does incredible things for your body and mind. The first thing you will notice physically is that you become more flexible and stronger. Your body quickly adjusts to the movements and these two benefits lead to a slew of others. In the longer term you will also benefit your respiratory system. Mentally, yoga brings about a feeling of peace and calm which I otherwise never would have attained. I am a bit too energetic for my own good and my mind is always racing. After a few months of yoga I found a sense of peace I had never experienced before.

If you are in the city area I highly recommend Bikram Yoga NYC. I was hooked after my first class there and I have no plans to ever stop attending. Yoga has done things for me which I never thought possible, and although it does seem like there is a lot of hype surrounding what is really a simple set of exercises, much of it is true and it can't hurt to try a free class.

Hot yoga is practiced in a climate controlled environment, but other than that is no different from any other yoga. Typically, the temperature is somewhere between 85 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit and usually the humidity will be controlled as well, most often in the range of 40-60%. The concept that drives hot yoga is that the heat will help let the toxins sweat out of the practitioner's body while also warming the muscles, allowing one to better perform the poses and stretches while lowering the risk of injury.

Bikram Yoga NYC is a popular hot yoga training center. Bikram yoga is a form of hot yoga named for its founder, Bikram Choudhury. His classes are based on a static set of 26 poses and 2 breathing exercises. Since they are always the same exercises, he has also been able to create a class which lasts exactly 90 minutes. This makes Bikram Yoga NYC a great place to train for everybody because it is easy to fit into one's schedule and once you learn the exercises you have the advantage of being able to practice them anywhere. Nonetheless, training with a group is useful because doing so can help keep you focused and often makes it more pleasant.

TriBalance is another preferred type of hot yoga which actually features several different styles, including Bikram yoga. TriBalance yoga encourages a philosophy of the unity of mind, body and spirit. It also promotes self discipline. In this respect, TriBalance yoga gets to be more than simply an exercise but also delivers some meaning by way of its philosophy and character.

Finding the right yoga school can be a challenge and it is not unusual for practitioner's to cycle through several styles before finding the one that fits them best. However, many schools offer a free trial class which I advise everyone to take advantage of before signing up. The trial class lets you experience a particular style before getting signed up which may include a contract or additional starter fees. Taking a few free classes will let you see some of the differences and find out whether or not you prefer one style over another.

I have remained loyal to Bikram yoga over the years but I do like to try other styles from time to time. I love the 90 minute classes which I can fit in at almost any time of the day and, although it does sound strange at first, training in the hot and humid room feels great. Hot yoga is naturally more intense than regular yoga, but if you are up to the challange I highly recommend it.

Exercise in any form helps to decrease stress, but yoga seems to be a step above the rest. In addition to that, many of us prefer it because it is not usually a grueling, horrible exercise routine when you are doing it but as an exercise it is almost just as effective. The main basis for this is that most styles of yoga integrate some form of meditation, which needless to say contributes to stress relief. I can say personally that I used to suffer from a lot of day to day stress but training at Bikram yoga NYC has helped me overcome this.

Regular yoga practice can make you feel both relaxed and focused. The movements in the vast majority of styles are slow and controlled, which means you may feel strained in a targeted portion of your body but while that is going on your mind is entirely focused on forming that singular pose properly. It requires a focus which is calming and clears your mind by necessity.

I was also surprised to discover that yoga includes a variety of breathing exercises. Even a lot of the simple poses necessitate breath control which contributes to a meditative like state when training. I can tell you first hand that this is so relaxing after a while I found myself doing a set of 5-10 movements when I got home from work each day just because it helped me to chill out and relax at the end of the day.

If you feel you experience excessive stress throughout the day then you might wish to try Bikram yoga NYC to help relieve it. Of course, if you are suffering from a serious mental issue which brings on your stress you might wish to speak to a doctor instead. This isn't a clinical treatment. However, if you are just another stressed out person running around day to day with too much to do and too little time (that's pretty much all of us, by the way!) then you might be able to find a little relief in yoga. Yoga gave me an enourmous sense of relief which many other effots failed to deliver.

One of the best things about yoga is how inexpensive it is. The classes themselves are what you will inevitably spend the most money on. Other than that you may want a yoga mat or more comfortable pants but you still won't spend much. It is well worth the time to try a free class and see if yoga can offer you any stress relief.