Yoga and health are closely related.  Yoga is a popular aid in improving both physical and mental health.  This is basically the most common goal of people who practice Yoga ... for health reasons.  They want to ease their back pain, find a method to ease stress, or learn ways to deal with their health problems. 

The huge variety of yoga styles and practices can be confusing.  Some of the most common are:  Ashtanga, Kundalini, Ayur, Raja, Gitananda, Tantra, Siddha, Bhakti, Laya, Satyananda, Shiva, and Hatha.

Hatha Yoga is perhaps the path of Yoga you are most familiar with.  Hatha is is the most popular branch of Yoga in the West where the term generally refers to the yoga postures themselves.  This branch of Yoga uses physical poses or Asana, Breathing Techniques or Pranayama, and Meditation to achieve better health, as well as spirituality.  There are many styles within this path.

Some well-known styles of Hatha are Satyananda, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Contemporary Classical and Bikram.  To complicate matters, within each syle of yoga, there are many variations with influences from other styles and blends of styles.  Yet all of them have their origin in the Yoga Sutra written in the first or second century AD by Indian scholar Patanjali.  This is one of the earliest yoga texts and outlines eight precepts of yoga:  Yama (restraint from vice), Niyama (control of desires), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (realization).

These eight precepts basically act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful life in preparation for the ultimate goal of Samadhi, or oneness with the divine.  Most modern day forms of yoga are based on this eightfold path and share a common philosophy of personal development through mental and physical discipline.

If what you want is a peaceful mind and a healthy body to go along with it, Hatha Yoga may be just the path for you.

• Bhakti Yoga or Yoga of Devotion, is the path most followed in India.  This is the path of the heart and devotion.  Bhakti Yoga develops a person's love and acceptance for all things.
• Raja Yoga or Yoga of Self-Control is the path considered to be the King of Yoga and this may be due to the fact that most of its practitioners are members of religouos and spiritual orders.  Raja yoga is based on the teachings of the Eight Limbs of Yoga found in the Yoga sutras.  Raja Yoga is a perfect match for those who wish to learn discipline.
• Jnana Yoga or Yoga of the Mind is the path that basically deals with the mind, and as such, it focuses on man's intelligence.  Jnana Yogis wish to gain knowledge, so they are open to other philosophies and religions.  They believe that an open and rational mind is crucial in knowing the spirit.
• Karma Yoga or Yoga of Service is the path which holds the belief that your present situation is based on your past actions.  So by doing selfless service now, you are choosing a future that is free from negativity and selfishness.
• Tantra Yoga or Yoga of Rituals is perhaps the most misunderstood of all the paths.  Tanta Yoga is about using rituals to experience what is sacred.

There are still a lot of misconceptions about Yoga, for instance, Yoga being a religion.  Yoga is not a religion.  It is more a set of techniques for us to find spirituality.  In fact, yoga is being practiced by a lot of people from different religions like Christians, Jewish, Buddhists, and Muslims.

Another misconception is that Yoga is an exercise, a way for us to keep fit.  it is partly true, but if you think that Yoga is just that then you are greatly mistaken.  Yoga develops the body since a weak body is a hindrance to spiritual growth.  It does not simply focus on the physical but on the mental and spiritual aspects as well.

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