Finding your center: yoga can help you form a better relationship with your body and improve you health, flexibility and tranquility--if you find the right class and instructor. Here's how.

A candle was burning in the dimly lit yoga studio as Trisha O'Reilly rolled out her mat and readied herself for the morning yoga class. As she moved through the series of poses. an irritating voice pierced O'Reilly s calm. It belonged to her yoga teacher. "Her tone of voice became so annoying that it was impossible for me to relax. She talked throughout the class, and it didn't flow together," says O'Reilly, a social worker and mother of two, who had recently carved out time in her busy schedule to attend the eight-week session.

While O'Reilly had chosen a reputable yoga studio and a class that stilted her skill level, the teacher's voice and pace were so grating that she didn't want to return. "I'm the type of person who needs a teacher with a soft, mellow voice. Now, I also know I need a slow, flowing class," says O'Reilly.

O'Reilly is one of 16.5 million Americans--a 43 percent increase since 2002--seeking the benefits yoga offers the body and mind. But to get those benefits, it's vital to recognize that in yoga the student-teacher relationship is a personal one. Like dating, sometimes you simply have to shop around to find the best match. "Ask several friends about their teachers," advises Amy Weintraub of Tucson, Arizona, senior Kripalu yoga teacher and author of Yoga for Depression. "Do they feel inspired and empowered to stretch a little deeper? Do they feel safe? When the class is over, do they feel like hugging someone?

"Going to a class is not about accomplishing the perfect posture; it's about learning to build a new relationship with your body. A sense of self-acceptance and compassion should emerge on the mat. A good yoga teacher can help make that happen," says Weintraub, an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT). "If you walk out of a class and feel ashamed of your body or feel you're not good enough, that's a sign you should find a different teacher or a different class. Feelings like those are the antithesis of yoga."

what's your style?

Yoga's health benefits include increased breathing capacity, better circulation, stress reduction and improved flexibility. It's up to you to prioritize what you want from this 5,000-year-old Indian discipline. Are you looking for a gentle, relaxing yoga class with plenty of time to meditate? Or do you want an energetic class to boost strength and become leaner?

Yoga means "unite" or "yoke" and is designed to attain union of body and mind, according to Carol Krucoff, RYT (registered yoga teacher), author of Healing Moves, and a yoga practitioner for 30 years. Your goal is to find the style that suits your needs.