What's the best type of yoga to help me with flexibility?

[ryan]

I can barely touch past my knees and I have always had a lot of problems with flexibility. I am not overweight, I am very physically active and walk over 10 miles a day, but have no flexibility. What is the best type of yoga to help and if I do it frequently how long will it take until I can see real improvement?
Thanks.

[john]

Basic hatha yoga is the type you would like to try as a beginner. Like you, I was quite inflexible, especially with my hamstrings. These are the muscles located at the back of your thighs which are responsible for the forward bending action. Walking, running, wearing high heels, etc. can cause your hamstrings to tighten.

Based on personal experience, it usually takes a couple of months to see significant improvement. You can start practicing 4 times a week increasing to doing it everyday when you feel comfortable enough with the yoga poses. Although you will feel a noticeable change in your body, mind and emotions even just after a few weeks of consistent practice.

Yoga will complement and even enhance your walking exercise. It is always best especially for beginners to practice yoga under the supervision of a certified instructor. If you cannot find a hatha yoga class, I highly recommend that you try Iyengar yoga.

Good luck!

[B]I needed more info on this so I cheated and went to Wikipedia ... Thought I'd share ...[/B]

Hatha Yoga (Sanskrit हठयोग haṭhayoga, IPA: [ɦəʈʰəˈjoːɡə]), also called Hatha Vidya (हठविद्या), is a system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In this treatise Swatmarama introduces Hatha Yoga as preparatory stage of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation. The Asanas and Pranayama in Raja Yoga were what the Hindu Yogis used to physically train their body for long periods of meditation. This practice is called shatkarma. The word Hatha is a compound of the words Ha and Tha meaning sun and moon ( हकारः कीर्तितः सूर्यष्ठकारश्चंद्र उच्यते | सूर्यचंद्रमसोर्योगाद्धठयोग निगद्यते || ), referring to Praana and Apaana, and also to the principal nadis (energy channels) of the subtle body that must be fully operational to attain a state of dhyana or samādhi. According to the Monier Moneir-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, the word "hatha" means forceful. It is a strong practice done for purification. In other respects Hatha yoga follows the same principles as the Raaja Yoga of Patanjali including moral restraint yama and spiritual observances niyama. Hatha Yoga is what most people in the West associate with the word "Yoga" and is practised for mental and physical health throughout the West.

Hatha Yoga, pronounced [ˈɦəʈʰə] in Hindi, is also known as hatha vidya or the "science of hatha" yoga. The word Hatha comes from combining the two Sanskrit terms "ha" meaning sun and "tha" meaning moon. The word "ha" refers to the solar nadi (pingala) in the subtle body and "tha" the lunar channel (ida). However, when the two components of the word are placed together, "hatha" means "forceful", implying that powerful work must be done to purify the body. Yoga means to yoke, or to join two things together, hence hatha yoga is meant to join together sun (masculine, active) energy with the moon (feminine, receptive) energy, thus producing balance and greater power in an individual.

Originally Posted by isodoTrig

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[B]There is so much to learn here at EnviroCitizen you'll love it !!! Welcome to the EC forum !!! [/B]

[johnsenfrankin]

All types of yoga will increase your flexibility, but bikram yoga is particularly good for elongating muscles. Bikram is not for everyone, as they heat the room to 105 degrees. By being in such a hot environment, your muscles are more pliable and thus more flexible. Bikram is also called hot yoga.