Everyone is talking about it, everyone is doing it. It’s the exercise “trend” that’s been on the rise for over 5000 years, and it isn’t losing steam. Yoga is practiced by over 15 million Americans as of 2013, and has become one of the best ways to develop your mind, body, and self.

There are many different kinds of yoga, centered around different focuses of the body and mind. In Pranayama yoga, there is a focus on breathing, and becoming more connected with your body’s flow of oxygen. In Vinyasa yoga, there’s still a focus on breath, but it emphasized how breath control helps to power your muscles. And these are just two of the many, many examples.

It’s easier than ever to learn yoga on your own, thanks to resources like Youtube. But there are also plenty of local yoga classes available at your city’s yoga studios. These classes can help you to improve your practice with the help of certified yoga instructors, who can assist you in maintaining the correct postures and poses you’ll need. They are certified to know which methods and practices can help you achieve your goals. This could be flexibility, weight loss, relaxation, you name it. Practicing with a certified instructor because it takes out all the guess-work, and helps motivate you to push yourself in your yoga progress.

If your yoga prowess exceeds that of the average yoga-Joe, those same yoga studios can also help you investigate yoga teacher training. With two different certifications, a 200 hour and a 500 hour, you can further your training and take your yoga game to a whole new level. Although it sounds like a lot of time, to put it in perspective, after eight weeks of yoga, participants improve their flexibility by up to 35%. By learning how to instruct others in the practice, you’ll be better able to target your own practice, and improve your understanding of how yoga works with your body and mind.

To find out more about yoga teacher training, find a yoga studio that works for you, and ask the instructors about how to get involved! Don’t be shy, I can assure you that everyone there is very relaxed.