A set of specific exercises, called poses, combined with specific breathing techniques and meditation principles are the building blocks of a yoga class.

Yoga is not one-size-fits-all: The best yoga workout for you will depend on your individual needs and goals.

Yoga’s focus on the breath can calm you and help you learn to be more mindful of your body and that can help you to move with greater ease.

Before yoga was a popular physical exercise, it was, for thousands of years, mainly a meditation practice.

A well-balanced series of yoga exercises gives you the opportunity to scan your entire body, noting how you feel as you move through the poses.

People who have in recent years focused on the physical aspects of yoga are moving toward meditation, as they find “they have an increasing need to have time to reflect, release and recalibrate.

Yoga is generally practiced in bare feet on a mat. Socks are slippery, which is why wearing them is not recommended. If you really want to wear socks, look for sports socks that have rubber grips on the soles.

Ten or 15 minutes a day of yoga may be more valuable than going to one class a week.

Most yoga styles being taught in America today are a form of hatha yoga, which is a general term that refers to the physical part of yoga, rather than yoga philosophy or meditation.