Hundreds of people toting their rolled-up mats gather in McKinley Park on Saturdays for yoga sessions. Storefront studios brag that they offer "hot" yoga. There even are "mommy and me" yoga classes out there.

Seems everyone's into yoga.

According to a "Yoga in America" market study released by Yoga Journal in 2008, Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products (equipment, clothing, DVDs, books, etc.). That's an 87 percent increase from 2004.

This Labor Day, yoga studios around Sacramento and in cities around the country will offer free yoga classes as part of a loosely organized event called Free Day of Yoga.

It started in Austin, Texas, in 1999 as a way to raise awareness of yoga. It's since spread to cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia. It's celebrated in Guam.

And this year, Sacramento.

Before you start posing like a crane or a cat or a dog or a plank, though, it's important to find the type of yoga that's right for you. Different styles have different benefits and degrees of difficulty, and finding the right fit can be the difference between enjoying yoga and hating it.

Here's a quick breakdown of some of the most popular styles of yoga:

Hatha yoga does not refer to a specific style of yoga, but rather is a general term that encompasses all forms of physical yoga. Other forms of yoga are derivatives of Hatha yoga. This particular style of yoga focuses mostly on the individual poses rather than on the flow between poses. "Hatha" literally means "forceful," and nowadays, most yoga studios use the term to refer to their most basic yoga classes that focus on teaching the main poses, making this the perfect option for beginners.

Vinyasa is another general description for many different types of yoga. This style tends to be slightly faster-paced than Hatha yoga, and it focuses on synchronizing movements and breathing techniques.

Read more:
Sacramento yoga studios offer free classes for Labor Day