Expert Yoga Tips for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Help You Start Today

Expert Yoga Tips for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Help You Start Today

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Are you new to yoga? If you are a beginner, don’t worry, this guide on expert yoga tips will help you learn an enjoyable practice that will support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.



Also Read: The Art of Living – How to Live a Life of Purpose and Happiness

Source: Yoga With Adriene

What is yoga?

Yoga is a body-mind practice. It offers immense benefits for physical and mental health. As a result, it has grown in popularity across the world.

The root of the word yoga means union, integration, or wholeness. In the context of yoga, this means the integration of body, mind, and spirit, or the union of the individual and universal consciousness.

Living a healthy lifestyle is what yoga is all about. To live a healthy, happy life to the fullest extent, yoga provides a complete philosophy. As the founder of the Art of Living Foundation says, “Every human life has the potential to blossom fully.” Yoga is a way to blossom human potential to its full potential.

This guide to yoga for beginners will help you get started with proven expert tips that have helped many beginners yogis all across the world to start a beautiful, fulfilling practice!

Expert Yoga Tips for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Help You Start Today

Yoga Tips #1: YOGA FOR THE YOUNG

For children, yoga is a great way to develop self-awareness, self-control, and powers of concentration.  If you have kids, encourage them to join you in your yoga practice. They are likely to be flexible even if they lack stamina. However, the latter will increase with regular sessions.

Yoga Tips #2: YOGA FOR THE ELDERLY

There is no age limit for yoga, in part because it is non-competitive, and you work at your own pace. Done correctly, there is no risk of injury, and regular practice helps maintain good health and mobility. Additionally, yoga stimulates circulation and reduces the effects of arthritis.

Yoga Tips #3: YOGA FOR THE PREGNANT

Practicing yoga during the prenatal period can be a valuable learning experience. Also, it can help ease your pregnancy, as well as the delivery. Work slowly and gently, allowing the poses to relax and strengthen the body and help it adjust to the changes that are happening within. However, talk to your instructor about which poses should not be attempted while pregnant.

AND BREATHE Yogic breathing exercises—always important—come into their own during pregnancy, helping you make the most of your breath.

Yoga Tips #4: YOGA FOR STRESS

Many yoga asanas help relieve stress by releasing tension that has built up in your body. Breathing exercises and meditation are also helpful since they relax the body and calm the mind. Mental tranquillity can be further encouraged by avoiding stimulants.

Yoga Tips #5: YOGA FOR RELAXATION

Just as relaxing the body and mind helps get you ready for your yoga practice, your regular sessions make it easier for you to maintain a relaxed state in general—and easier to achieve that relaxed state when you are feeling the stresses and strains of daily life.

Yoga Tips #6: WHEN TO PRACTICE YOGA?

Because yoga should be practiced on an empty stomach, early mornings or evenings tend to be the best times, but you need to consider what suits you best. Morning practice awakens the body and eases stiffness by lubricating the joints and energizing the muscles. Digestion is stimulated, and mental alertness is increased, ready for a productive day. Conversely, evening yoga can help counter the stresses of the day, improving the quality of your sleep. Whichever you choose, setting aside regular time is good for establishing a routine.

Yoga Tips #7: WHERE TO PRACTICE YOGA?

You don’t need a special room or fancy equipment for yoga, but there are some things to consider when choosing a practice place. Ideally, opt for a private area away from distractions. If that area is spacious, even better, since this can have a positive effect on the mind and, therefore, help you relax. Try to personalize the space, too, because this can also calm the mind.

TIPS

LIGHT AND AIRY

Ideally, your space should be lit by natural light and have some form of ventilation. The floor should be level, firm, and nonslip.

OPEN-AIR YOGA

If you are lucky enough to be near a quiet, flat open space, take advantage of it. Lay down your mat, and greet the day with open-air yoga.

Yoga Tips #8: YOGA CLASSES

Regardless of how small or large your class is, it is always best to have your yoga practice supervised by a qualified teacher at least until you are confident. This is the only way to learn how to ease your body correctly into and out of the asanas, as well as how to breathe correctly when holding a pose.  Your teacher will also make sure you do not strain your limbs.

EXPERT HELP

Get your yoga practice off to the best possible start by taking classes. They will also help you improve your technique and build your confidence.

Yoga Tips #9: YOGA AT HOME

Yoga’s portability means that, once you have some experience, you will be able to practice the postures in the comfort of your own home. Indeed, your teacher may even suggest that you work at home with some of the simpler asanas or with relaxation techniques.

MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS

With just yourself and a mat (or a comfortable floor), it is perfectly possible to practice yoga at home.

Yoga Tips #10: GETTING STARTED WITH YOGA

KNOW YOUR BODY

Before you undertake any yoga practice, first take the time to understand your body, bearing in mind any factors that might affect its performance, such as recent surgery, pregnancy, or medical conditions.

CHECK FOR TENSION

While in an asana, check for any tension and try to relax it with your breathing.

UNDERSTAND YOUR LIMITS

It is important to know what your body’s limits are and not to force yourself to go beyond them. There is no rush; yoga is completely non-competitive. Continue your regular yoga sessions, and you will find your body becomes more flexible with time.

CONSULT A DOCTOR

Regardless of age, yoga is perfectly appropriate for everyone. Nevertheless, as with any physical exercise, if you have any medical concerns or conditions, it is a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning a class.

ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT

Yoga equipment will keep you safer and more comfortable while you practice. Some pieces, such as blocks and straps, can also be used to help you achieve poses that would otherwise be beyond your capabilities, as you continue to work on expanding your level of flexibility. Props and supports can also extend the time you can hold a pose with proper body alignment.

YOGA KIT CHECKLIST

The equipment you are most likely to need or find useful in your yoga practice comprises:

  1. Slip-resistant mat
  2. Block, usually foam
  3. Strap or belt
  4. Cushion
  5. Towel

WHAT TO WEAR

Whatever you wear for your yoga sessions should be comfortable and must allow complete freedom of movement. Ideally, you would practice in bare feet, but socks are fine. If practical to do so, also remove any dangling jewelry before beginning your session because it may distract or annoy you.

PLAN YOUR SESSIONS

More experienced yoga practitioners working alone may find it useful to create a plan in advance of each session or to work out the sequence of asanas. This will save time because you don’t have to choose between postures during the session.

SAMPLE WORKOUT/ YOGA ROUTINE

1. Mountain Pose

2. Triangle Pose

3. Warrior 2

4. Extended Side Stretch

5. Downward-Facing Dog

6. Warrior

7. Warrior Lunge

8. Cobra

9. Cat Balance

10. Plank

11. Child’s Pose

12. Cobbler

13. Corpse Pose

KEEP A YOGA JOURNAL

Writing in a yoga journal after each session will help you track your goals and accomplishments, as well as allow you to identify any problem areas that need more attention. A yoga journal can also act as a means of reinforcing your practice so you can more easily tailor it to your own needs.

SET YOUR GOALS

Although yoga is not a competitive pursuit, it can be fun and rewarding to set your own goals in a yoga journal.

MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS

It’s important when practicing any discipline to have a way of tracking progress. As well as keeping a yoga journal, a good method of self-assessment is to listen to your body. This requires practice and concentration, but once you are attuned to your body, you will be able to identify the benefits of your practice.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

Take time to reflect on your progress. This will help you build a firm foundation for your future yoga sessions.

SIMPLIFY POSES

When you first start yoga, you will almost certainly experience some stiffness and soreness in the joints. This shows you are working on areas that may have been neglected. Building flexibility in these parts requires patience and commitment. If you find a specific pose hard, practice a modified version until you can progress.

USING PROPS FOR STANDING POSITIONS

Forward bends and other standing postures may be beyond your reach to perform correctly when you first attempt them. Blocks or other means of support— a chair, for example—can be used to modify the posture so that increased flexibility can be gradually attained without injuring yourself.

USING PROPS FOR FLOOR POSES

By using a strap or a belt, you can start working toward achieving a posture that would otherwise be impossible for you when you first begin to practice yoga. When lying down, cushions and blankets can help provide the comfort you need to relax fully.

ABDOMINAL BREATHING

It is important to learn how to breathe efficiently for yoga. Lying on your back, place your hands on either side of your navel. Feel how the abdomen expands as you inhale and contracts as you exhale. By breathing slowly and deeply, you can take air into the lowest parts of your lungs, while also exercising your diaphragm.

HOW TO INHALE & EXHALE?

Inhalation can be used to lengthen and expand within an asana, while exhalation helps release deeper into the pose. Careful and progressive work within postures will allow for a full, easy- flowing breath, which is a crucial indicator of how well the asana is being executed. In this respect, the breath and asana practice must work together.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WARMING UP

Before beginning a yoga session, make sure you are fully warmed up.  You should also take some time to practice your breathing techniques. Mastering breath control will allow you to breathe more deeply, enable you to position yourself correctly in the yoga asanas and assist you in holding the poses.

Yoga Tips #11: WARM-UP EXERCISES FOR BEGINNERS

EYE WARM-UP

This series of exercises is purely for the eyes, so be sure not to move the head or neck while doing them. Look up (below left). Look right (below middle left). Look up diagonally to the right (middle right). Look down (right). Repeat the sequence, this time looking to the left side and up diagonally to the left. Hold each position for a few seconds.

NECK WARM-UP

Sit upright with your back straight. Slowly tilt your head forward, and then backward. Then tilt your head to the right, before repeating the same to the left. Finally, rotate your head 90 degrees to the right and then again to the left side. Hold each position for a few seconds. Never move your neck beyond what is comfortable.

SHOULDER WARM-UP

Stand upright with your fingertips on your shoulders and your elbows out to the side. Inhale, bringing your elbows in front of you so they touch. Exhale, lifting the elbows up and apart, stretching them up. Finally, lower the elbows down. Repeat ten times.

TORSO WARM-UP

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your palms resting on your hips. Gently and rhythmically, twist your upper body side to side, rotating at the hips, waist, and spine. Perform ten twists on each side, also allowing your head and shoulders to go with the movement.

HIP WARM-UP

Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, and put your hands on your hips. Keeping your legs straight and kneecaps pulled up, rotate the hips in a circle, ten times clockwise and ten times counterclockwise. Make sure you engage the hips and upper body in the roll.

KNEE WARM-UP

Stand with your feet together and with your legs slightly bent at the knees. Bring your hands to rest lightly on your kneecaps, with fingers pointing downward. Rotate your knees gently in a circular motion, ten times in each direction, keeping your feet firmly rooted to the ground.

ANKLE WARM-UP

From a standing position, lift your right leg slightly, keeping the left leg firm. Balance yourself, then gently swing the right leg, toes pointing down. Hold for a few breaths before switching legs. Follow this by gently rotating the right foot at the ankle—first one way, then the other. Repeat with the left foot.

FOOT WARM-UP

The feet should be stretched in both directions. First, stretch the heels a few times. Do this by lifting the right heel as far as possible, then lowering it. Next, roll onto the front of the right toes, curling and gently pressing them under the foot. Hold for 2–3 breaths, then repeat on the left.



Related: Raja Yoga System: Modern Physical Yoga System


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