Yoga, from the Sanskrit root "yuj" which can, depending upon translation, mean "to add, to join, to unite or to attach". Practicing yoga is a way to unify the physical, mental, and spiritual parts of ourself, as well as finding self-awareness or enlightenment. There are six main branches of yoga:

• Hatha – physical practice; techniques using body, breath, and mind
• Karma – practice of selfless service
• Bhakti – practice of love and/or devotion (often found in chanting)
• Jnana – path of knowledge and wisdom; study of scripture and one's self
• Raja - yoga of meditation
• Tantra – cultivation of a reverential attitude encouraging a ritualistic approach to life

In the west, the focus is mainly Hatha yoga – referring to physical exercises designed to align bones and muscles, as well as allow energy to flow freely within the body. Hatha is translated as "ha" meaning "sun" and "tha" meaning "moon, and it also means "forceful yoga" because the basis for it is the gross body. This can be expressed as masculine/feminine, ying/yang, hot/cool or more simply, balancing and uniting opposites, working from the "gross" or "larger" body to the more subtle "mind" and "spirit". All styles and disciplines of yoga stem from Hatha, such as Iyengar, Ashtanga, Bikram, and many more. A discipline of Hatha Yoga is Vinyasa, which was inspired by Krishnamacharya - guru and teacher to Pattabhi Jois who founded Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Vinyasa is derived from the Sanskrit word "nyasa" which means "to place" and the prefix "vi" which means "in a special way" or "with awareness". Vinyasa is the linking of the breath with movement in a flowing sequence of postures.

For purposes of simplicity, Just Plain Yoga divides the class offerings into two major classifications, each with subcategories based on pace, intensity, and focus:

Hatha – classes include asana (postures), pranayama (breath control or breathing exercises), and some form of meditation and/or relaxation. Hatha classes range from gentle to moderate in intensity and from extremely slow to steady, moderate in pace. Hatha classes are generally calming and relaxing and all hatha classes are suitable for beginners.

Vinyasa – classes include asana (postures) pranayama (breath control or breathing exercises), and some form of meditation and/or relaxation. Vinyasa classes provide a continuous flow of poses linked to the breath, and the intensity level of classes range from slow to moderate to vigorous, while the pace ranges from slow/steady to steady/moderate to dynamic/rapid. Within the flow of postures and often between postures, a "vinyasa" is taken – basically part of a Sun Salutation. Vinyasa classes are generally cleansing and detoxifying – be prepared to sweat.