Yoga Guide For Complete Beginners
For beginners who are just started to learn yoga, what really matters are perseverance and patience. It is the person’s attitude towards learning a new thing and the determination to see it through the end. Everything else will just come easy.
For yoga, there is no need to get anything new to practice yoga. Just some loose fitting clothes, a yoga mat, and a practice place that is quiet is enough to start with. It is also important to have a balanced diet (sattwik) which can helps in yoga practice.
Yoga is best practice on an empty stomach or about one or two hours after a full meal. It is important to empty your bowel, clean your nostril and throat and drink a glass of warm water 15 minutes before your start. However, to avoid getting hungry during practice, it is possible to consume something light such as fruit, or energy bar one hour before yoga.
Yoga is an exercise that does not require sports equipment. It can be practiced virtually anywhere by people of all ages. It is advisable to practice in a quiet, clean and well ventilated place. A mat, blanket, or towel could be used to provide support or give comfort when doing lying or sitting position. Loose or stretch clothing are important to give freedom to body and not restrict its movement. Choose from shorts, sweat clothes or leotard.
Similar to regular exercise, start with easy poses to familiarize your body for much difficult exercises later. Do not strain yourself. If there is any pain or fatigue, give yourself a break. Try relaxing in between difficult exercises to give your body a rest. Yoga sessions can be done first thing in the morning to rejuvenate the mind and body. It is best done daily. Even as little as 15 minutes of practice and 15 minutes of breathing can contribute benefits.
Yoga session can be break down to warm up exercises, standing poses, sitting poses, twists, supine and prone poses, inverted and balance poses, backbends and finishing poses. More information can be obtained online or by joining a yoga studio. However it is important to keep in mind that the most important thing is the desire to expand self awareness and the attitude of persevering.
Yoga for Weight Loss
Yoga has been touted to be a relaxation technique which is able to tone the mind, body and spirit into working harmoniously. Many yoga teachers and fitness experts claim that yoga can lead to successful and lasting weight loss.
Any weight loss program is comprised of a healthy diet and regular exercise. However, you have to stick to your program. This is difficult for most people as their often hectic schedules make it hard to find enough exercise time. This is where yoga can be extremely fruitful.
Yoga is a very fast form of deep relaxation. Just the most basic poses and breathing exercises will help you deal with stress and clear your mind. This will affect your state of mind not only toward yourself but your whole life.
The more relaxed you become the better able you will be to to control eating between meals. Deep breathing exercises will help to improve your inner strength as well as your concentration. This will help you stick to your diet and exercise program.
Yoga tones your body and fortifies all of your muscles. It helps to stimulate the glands that secrete hormones which in turn increases your metabolism. As you attain higher levels of yoga, you get faster at it and find that it becomes easier to work off your excess fat.
If you are extremely overweight, yoga is a very good way of getting back into shape. It not only prepares your mind but also your body for weight loss. If you start your yoga sessions as well as the other required steps to your weight loss program, you will soon experience a lighter you and will begin to lead a much better lifestyle.
What Kind of Yoga is Best?
There are different forms of yoga. This type of exercise can leave you toned and supple or you may even be spiritually enlightened according to some teachers. Yoga is the latest thing. It has reshaped some of the greatest stars all the way from Madonna to Sting.
Some forms of yoga are more physical and some are highly spiritual. Yoga is extremely good for fatigue, depression, arthritis, aging, stress-related illness, migraine, PMS, back pain and mobility problems.
You must first decide why you wish to start yoga and then go about choosing the appropriate form for you. The principles of yoga are quite simple – relax, tune out everything and stretch and you will feel better.
If you are looking to get fit these types of yoga are for you:
” Hatha yoga ”
This type of yoga is based on controlled stretching. An emphasis is placed on developing a flexible spine. This type of yoga is excellent for all levels of fitness.
” Vini yoga ”
This type of yoga is gentle and safe and is very good for older people. It is taught by a teacher called a Desikachar and is usually taught on an individual basis.
If you really want to get physical then you should choose these types of yoga:
” Lyenger yoga ”
This type of yoga focuses on correct postures. It often makes use of ropes and blocks to maintain these postures.
” Sivananda yoga ”
This type of yoga is suitable for every age and covers a wide range of poses which range from simple to
complex.
” Ashtanga yoga ”
This type of yoga is known as power yoga. It is very demanding and is only suitable for those people who are very fit.
For those of you who want to get spiritual, then you would want to choose from these types of yoga:
” Raja yoga ”
This is often referred to as royal yoga. It is concerned with the mind.
” Dru yoga ”
This is group yoga which concentrates very heavily on breath work.
” Jnana yoga ”
This concentrates on the philosophical aspects of yoga and is very spiritual and meditative.