As an ancient form of exercise, yoga uses certain postures combined with a series of specific breathing techniques in order to improve physical and emotional health. There is a great variety of yoga techniques which are practiced nowadays. The choice of certain yoga techniques over others comes down to personal choice, since every person has an individual way of judging physical and spiritual growth. The distinction among the yoga techniques usually lies in the yoga positions, or, as they are called in the yoga lingo, the asanas. This is the factor that justifies the necessity for a yoga instructor to guide the apprentice through the various yoga techniques in the most correct of ways.

The ways to approach the yoga techniques differ, and some trainees choose to go to yoga classes and try different styles, while others search on the Internet to identify postures, health benefits and even risks. For yoga practice at home, there are lots of DVDs and videos which teach yoga, and it is sometimes more affordable and money-wise than going to take different classes.

There are five specific yoga techniques which are usually followed by yoga practitioners. These are: the proper posture, the proper joint movement, controlled breathing, meditation and total relaxation. The common belief among yoga practitioners is that these five techniques combined improve the health of the mind and body. You can perform yoga while sitting, standing or lying. Furthermore, the difficulty levels of the yoga techniques differ according to the level at which the apprentice has reached.

The masters or the gurus may perform yoga techniques which go beyond the level of the five standards mentioned above. For example, Hong-Sau represents a technique that stresses out the use of the latent powers of concentration in order to overcome all the surrounding distractions when focusing on a specific target. Another yoga technique is Aum; its purpose is to expand one’s awareness beyond the usual human awareness. Nevertheless, such superior yoga techniques can be gradually reached or approached by anyone who makes progress with the practice.
Overall, yoga techniques of any kind significantly contribute to health improvement. Those who exercise yoga consistently report an overall sense of well being with increased fitness, flexibility, energy, and mental wellness.