Are you curious about yoga but never got round to trying it? Or maybe you gave it a go once but want to start again? Take part in the one of the largest psychological experiments on the effects hot yoga has on emotional wellbeing, and get rewarded with six weeks of free 'hot yoga' lessons! Cambridge: where scientific endeavour meets free stuff.

The Prosociality and Wellbeing Laboratory in the University of Cambridge's Department of Psychology are conducting an experiment on the effects of the ancient practice of yoga - and they need you to take part.

While there is some existing evidence that yoga has a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, much of the work is based on indirect evidence and non-experimental methods.

That's why Dr Alex Kogan and colleagues are running a large study on the psychological effects of yoga. Kogan and his research team are looking for a total of 400 people to get involved, offering them six free introductory 'hot yoga' weeks of classes worth almost £300 from the city's renowned Ethos Yoga studio, four class a week for a month and a half beginning now.

The team are on the hunt for yoga 'newbies': participants over the age of 18 who have either never tried yoga before, or who used to do it but haven't in at least the last six months.

Participants will need to have their own smartphone - either an iPhone or Android - so that they can download the app created by researchers. The app will ask you to check in with how you're feeling over the course of the six week yoga trial, allowing the psychologists to track the health and moods of participants and see what effect, if any, experiencing regular yoga sessions is having.

"Yoga is increasingly gaining popularity in the western nations. For instance, there are more than 300,000 people who regularly practice yoga in the UK and this number keeps growing," said Laurie Parma, a research associate from the Department of Psychology, who is coordinating the study.

"Given the large number of people practising yoga there is a pressing need to rigorously examine whether it benefits people wellbeing. We are hoping to understand which aspects of wellbeing, such as mindfulness, vitality and emotionality, as well as aspects of physical health, including blood pressure and lung functions, are responsible for the positive effect of yoga - if any," she said.

Hot yoga, also known as Bikram yoga, is a form of yoga derived from the ancient branch of yoga called Hatha. It is practiced in a room with the temperature set at 40˚C. Researchers say that participants must be in reasonably good physical health as the yoga sessions will be relatively strenuous, although designed for beginners.

Added Parma: "The purpose of our study is to explore in greater depth than ever before the relationship between hot yoga and different aspects of physical and psychological well-being. The study is currently running and recruiting and we will keep recruiting on a first come first served basis until we reach our target."

If you are interested in taking part, please email: research@ethoshotyoga.com

Participants must:

- Be over the age of 18

- Have no experience of yoga in at least the last six months

- Own either an iPhone or Android

- Be in good physical and mental health