WASHINGTON -- In this week's Get Healthy 4 Life News4's Susan Kidd visits a local yoga class where she talked with students who said yoga helps then clear their minds and find a peaceful state of bliss.

Images of contorted and twisted bodies are popular stereotypes that exist in the minds of many people when they think of yoga. Like most exercise programs, fitness experts say, yoga is a great way to improve flexibility and balance. And yoga enthusiasts say it has deep emotional and spiritual dimensions as well.

News4 spoke with yoga students at a local D.C. Yoga studio who've found their niche with one popular form of yoga.

"Ashtanga is considered one of the most challenging types of yoga. It is cardio because there is a lot of flowing from one posture to the next as opposed to other styles" said Liana Sheintal, an instructor with Georgetown Yoga.

Sheintal said there's a form and level of yoga for almost everyone.

Devoted yoga students said it's good for the body and the spirit; many consider yoga a great exercise and calming therapy.

"It's a fantastic floor body workout and I don't go to the gym anymore, I just practice yoga instead and I feel like I have the same results," said yoga student Nikki Lindsay.

"It also gives more flexibility and time to sort of unwind and enjoy " Lindsay added.

"It's such a therapy just to come here and let everything go," added long-time student Greg Corbino.

And while some of the poses are difficult, most can be modified and every student in class isn't always doing the same move. After a while, yoga impacts their lifestyle, students said. Students begin watching their posture when they sit at their desks and many change their eating habits.

Yoga isn't just for the young, it can be especially beneficial in middle age, improving balance and lengthening muscles.

"People come to yoga a lot of times for various reasons," Sheintal said.

"A lot of times they begin for the physical, but once they start they get to enjoy the other aspects, such as the spiritual and it encompasses their whole lifestyle," she added.

Anyone considering enrolling in a yoga class should consult their physician first.

For more information you may go to Georgetown Yoga's Web site by clicking: Georgetown Yoga