Yoga offers a wealth of benefits, from enhanced strength and balance to a greater sense of peace and well-being. But traditional mat-based yoga isn't the only path to these advantages. A variety of unique yoga styles cater to different preferences and fitness levels, offering exciting ways to deepen your practice or simply add a touch of fun.

Yoga's versatility extends to various settings and even incorporates furry friends. (CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

1. Taking Flight with Aerial Yoga

Trade your mat for silks in aerial yoga. Suspended fabric or ropes provide support, making it a low-impact way to enhance flexibility, stability, and balance. The silks assist with challenging poses, reducing strain on the body.

2. Turning Up the Heat with Hot Yoga

Prepare to sweat in hot yoga, an intense workout conducted in a studio heated to 80–100°F. This practice burns calories but increases the risk of dehydration, so proper hydration is crucial. Consult your doctor before trying hot yoga, especially if you're pregnant or have heat-related health concerns.

Hot yoga studios reach temperatures up to 100°F. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

3. Embracing Joy with Laughter Yoga

Combine exercise with laughter in laughter yoga, developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995. This group practice incorporates breathing techniques, clapping, and chanting to promote voluntary laughter. Laughter yoga is known for its stress-relieving and mood-boosting effects.

Experience the benefits of voluntary laughter in a laughter yoga class. (Avijit Ghosh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

4. Sharing the Mat with Dog Yoga

Strengthen the bond with your canine companion through doga, or dog yoga. Developed by Suzi Teitelman in 2001, this practice offers physical and mental benefits for both human and pet. Many studios offer doga classes, or you can practice at home.

Puppy yoga adds an extra dose of fun to your practice. (Omar Marques/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

5. Finding Flow with Aqua Yoga

Experience the buoyancy of water with aqua yoga, practiced in pools, oceans, or lakes. The water supports the body, making it ideal for beginners and seniors. This low-impact practice combines breathing, poses, and meditation to improve strength, flexibility, and balance. Remember sunscreen for outdoor sessions.

6. Engaging with Goat Yoga

Enjoy the playful company of goats in goat yoga, a relatively new but increasingly popular style. Be prepared for adorable goats to join you on your mat, sometimes even perching on you during poses. Created by Lainey Morse in 2016, goat yoga is known to reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, and elevate mood.

Goats often climb on participants during goat yoga. (Britta Pedersen/picture alliance via Getty Images)

7. Balancing on the Water with Paddleboard Yoga

Challenge your balance with paddleboard yoga, performed on a paddleboard in calm waters. Transition through poses like seated pose, cobra, child's pose, plank, and downward-facing dog, enjoying the serene setting while improving stability and core strength.

Paddleboard yoga offers a unique balance challenge. (Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto via Getty Images)