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Yin Yoga

Good for: Chilling out

Named for the calm half of yin-and-yang, this style requires you to move slowly into poses (most of them seated or lying down), then stay there for up to five minutes to allow for a deeper stretch and time to just, well, be.

Not surprisingly, Yin yoga is particularly good at activating the part of your nervous system that helps you bounce back from pain and stress, says Sara Gottfried, MD, an integrative physician in Berkeley, California, and author of The Hormone Cure. Expect meditative music and lots of attention to breathing, as well as those centers of spiritual energy known as chakras—all elements that add to the serene allure of the practice.

Next: Iyengar