Fitness 101: Yoga

Yoga Workout In Ten Minutes

Between school, sports practice, friend drama, realizing your crush sucks and all the other crap you have to go through as a teen ... some deep breathing might help. After all, you could use some relaxing, right?

Yoga may seem like a hot new trend, but it actually began more than 3,000 years ago in India. It just seems new since we hear about celebrities like Madonna, Meg Ryan, Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow and others. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit, and it means "to yoke," or bring together the mind, body and spirit.

Although yoga includes exercise, it is also a lifestyle for which exercise is just one component. Disciplining your mind and body as well as connecting with your spirituality are the main goals of the yoga lifestyle.

There are many different forms of yoga that all focus on different components. Some of the most popular forms include hatha, vinyasa and ashtanga. Hatha is a very general term that can encompass many of the physical types of yoga. If a class is described as Hatha style, it is probably going to be slow-paced and gentle, and can provide a good introduction to the basic yoga poses. Vinyasa, which means breath-synchronized movement, tends to be a more vigorous style based on the performance of a series of poses called Sun Salutations in which movement is matched to the breath. Ashtanga practice is very physically demanding, because of the constant movement from one pose to the next. Ashtanga is also the inspiration for what is often called Power Yoga.

The postures, or asanas, help align your muscles and bones, which promotes a sense of unity and balance. And when your body feels balanced, so does your mind. A person who practices yoga goes through a series of specific poses while controlling his or her breathing. Some types of yoga also involve meditation and chanting.

Yoga can help strengthen bones, increase flexibility, improve heart and lung function, boost energy, and reduce stress. (Stress, what's that?) There are hundreds of poses that have different levels of difficulty. Click here to see some of the most popular yoga poses.

Here's a yoga sequence you can do in just 10 minutes. Move from one pose directly into the next in coordination with your breathing -- each movement occurs on an inhale or exhale, which reminds you to breathe deeply. (Inhale and exhale through your nose, not your mouth.) Anybody can do this sequence. You don't need to be in shape or flexible -- yoga will take care of that for you in time. Start just where you are and use modifications as needed.