Scaravelli yoga for gentle strength

Scaravelli yoga is named after its founder, Vanda Scaravelli, a dancer who wanted to create a form of yoga designed to allow the body to gain movement without resistance.

There's a lot less stretching and it's suitable for all ages and fitness types as you are not required to be bendy, but be open to subtle structural  movements instead of the sweeping posture routines as in Ashtanga or Bikram yoga.

10 steps to beat stress

Stress is associated with busy lives where pressure weighs heavy. It's no longer the exclusive domain of city types either - stress has spread to the suburbs, the country and into the heart of rural life too.

So how do we recognise when it's got inside us, and how can we tackle it head on without the use of drugs or expensive therapies?

Bikram yoga - bootcamp for body beautiful

Bikram yoga, sometimes called hot yoga, is practised in a heated room and incorporates a sequence of asanas (postures) which take you from limbering up a stiff body to feeling nicely mobile and flexible. And sweaty.

A Bikram yoga studio is heated to around 105˚f but allows for some humidity and encourages a sweat.

Iyengar yoga - the planet's most popular yoga!

Said to be the most commonly practised form of yoga on the planet, Iyengar yoga focuses on perfection.

Perfecting the union of body, breath and mind, the practitioner uses blocks, belts and bolster cushions to aid structural alignment and movement.

Mr BKS Iyengar began practising yoga when he was sixteen, then went on to develop a systematic method of yoga, which has taken him into his eighties.

Top tips to choose the right yoga class for you

If you're interested in yoga but are baffled by the number of different styles, or simply don’t feel bendy, then maybe this will guide help you choose which yoga is for you.

Yoga means union or oneness. It's from the Sanskrit yuj, meaning 'to join'. Practising yoga on a regular basis brings harmony to our mind and body. Yoga helps balance our emotions and helps us to meet life with equanimity. But which form of yoga is right for you?