Follow The Buddha
Most forms of yoga are based on Patanjali's eight-fold path, in which one practises in stages. First, you simply follow a moral and ethical code, e.g. not telling lies, not hurting others, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. You graduate to practising postures ('asanas'), regulating breath ('pranayama') and meditating ('dhyana').

Based on the seven charkas of energy in our body, 'Kundalini' yoga also includes the main elements of yoga, but it's more sexually oriented. The 'kundalini' energy resides at the base of the spine and you awaken it with poses, breath control, chanting and meditation. It helps people deal with addiction.

Many find it a natural way of getting a high just by breathing. The 'asanas' are combined with 'pranayama', hand and finger gestures ('mudras'), body locks ('bhandas'), chanting (mantras) and meditation. 'Karma' yoga recommends the principle of 'work is worship' and encourages you to work without expecting rewards.

'Raja' yoga is recommended for the mystics - those who prefer the solitude of the caves and forest groves to reflect and meditate on Nature.

In 'Bhakti' yoga, like Mira who loved Krishna, you express devotion through music, poetry and art. You find its traces in the dervish dances and songs of Sufi mystics. Similarly, the motifs in Tibetan gomphas, Hindu temples and Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine chapel all evoke the same heightened sense of devotion.

In an 'Ashtanga' yoga class, expect your teacher to guide you through a sequence of poses daily, till you master it. You move to more difficult sequences that are called 'vinyasa'. These involve a combo of standing, seated, backbends, twists and balancing poses into a 'Surya namaskar'. If you're an athlete, or do sports, Ashtanga yoga is the choice for you.

Iyengar yoga is meditation in action. And it's the best option if you're worried about some injury or chronic ache. Benefits include toning muscles, reducing tension, easing chronic pain. When you strengthen your weak areas and open and stretch tight ones, your body comes to a greater balance.

Iyengar is the most widely recognised approach to 'Hatha' yoga, and was created by B K S Iyengar. Characterised by the use of props such as cushions, benches, wood blocks, straps, and even sand bags, the teacher focuses on alignment and inner awareness in this form.

Derived from the word 'know-ledge', 'Jnana' yoga is very similar to the spiritual path of Vedanta. It's a path of self-realisation where you learn to discern between what's real and what's illusory.

Find A Guru To start with, find an experienced teacher, one you feel a connection with. Often, you can try out a yoga class the first time for free. If you want to start slow, go for a gentle, or restorative class. If you've got an injury or chronic pain, find a very experienced teacher who has dealt with students with a similar problem. Look for a teacher who guides you through the poses.

Don't ever feel you need to be doing the perfect pose. Remember each body is different, so while you may find a particular pose easy, someone else might find it difficult (and vice versa). Yoga is never a competition, but a time for going inward to hear your body. While yoga is universal and divine, it's the divinity within ourselves that we attempting to rediscover with it.