top 10 tips a yoga practitioner should know to get the … · 2018-02-05 · top 10 tips a yoga...

28
1 | (C) Copyright www.Yoga-Addict.com Top 10 Tips A Yoga Practitioner Should Know To Get The Most From Your Yoga Practice

Upload: lemien

Post on 08-Jun-2018

213 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

1 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Top 10 Tips A Yoga Practitioner Should Know

To Get The Most From Your Yoga Practice

2 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

DISCLAIMER AND/LEGAL NOTICE

The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the

creation of this report, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or

represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly

changing nature of the Internet.

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this

publication, the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or

contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. Any perceived slights of

specific persons, peoples, or organizations are unintentional.

In practical advice books, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of

results made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their

individual circumstances to act accordingly.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever,

electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any

informational storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated and

signed permission from the authors.

This report is for informational and educational purposes only and the author

does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities resulting from the use of

this information. While every attempt has been made to verify the information

provided here, the author and his affiliates cannot assume any responsibility for

errors, inaccuracies or omissions. Any perceived slights to any specific

people(s) or organization(s) are purely unintentional.

3 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

TABLE OF CONTENT

The Advantages of Yoga 4

Benefits of Yoga 5

Important Mindset and Expectations For Beginners 10

Advice For Beginners 13

Different Types of Yoga 17

Yoga Poses For Beginners 19

Avoiding 3 Common Beginner Mistakes 22

What Beginner's Should Know About Yoga Class At Gym and Yoga Center 25

Yoga Exercise At Home 26

Conclusion: Don't Procrastinate, Start Yoga Today 28

4 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

The Advantages Of Yoga

The importance of yoga in today’s world has a lot of definitions floating

around; however, if we go back to the roots of the word, we find that the term

'Yoga' has its origins in Sanskrit. It means to unite - Yoga helps the body to

unite with the other vital metaphysical aspects of the mind and spirit. It is also

often defined as a lifestyle which aims to have a healthy mind within a healthy

body.

Most simply defined, yoga is a set of poses or 'asanas' , coupled with breathing

techniques, which help impart strength and flexibility to the body while helping

to balance the mind and its' thinking. Unlike other physical forms of exercises,

like the aerobics, by practicing yoga, one can not only achieve physical health,

but also mental and spiritual well-being.

The aim of yoga is to promote overall well-being of the body. And though, it is

found beneficial for a variety of conditions, it is not considered a therapy for

specific illness. Unlike other forms of exercises, yoga has a more holistic

approach to teach the people the right way to lead their lives disease free and

stress free.

In today's world, all

of us suffer from

stress and a perpetual

anxiety to perform

well, leading to a

plethora of diseases

that we expose

ourselves to. Yoga

aims to calm and

compose our minds

and help us focus

clearly on what really

matters - good health

and the happiness that accompanies it!

Due to its holistic approach, as mentioned earlier, yoga does not draw any

demarcating line between the realm of mind and realm of body. Yoga does not

make any distinction because, in the world of yoga, mind and body are the two

integral parts of a whole, which cannot be separated.

5 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Benefits of Yoga

Mental health

· Let us first begin with the benefits of Yoga on mental health. After all, good

mental health is of paramount importance for being healthy physically as well.

As advised above, breathing technique forms an integral part of Yoga. Do I hear

you asking 'how?'It really is very basic - by breathing deep and right, something

that you would be doing when you practice Yoga, you are inhaling more oxygen

and allowing the cells of your body to have access to that oxygen for a longer

period of time.

· A common practice in yoga is to

breathe only from one nostril at a

time, while holding the other one

closed with the tip of your finger.

Medical research has shown that this

boosts increased activity of the

opposite side of the brain, leading to

better cognitive performance and

tasks associated with the other side of

the brain. Regular yoga practice helps

children with attention deficit disorder

and people suffering from anxiety,

depression and mood swings. It also

helps keep the mind calm and reduce

stress and thereby increase the general

well-being of the person.

Strength

· Ever wondered, why so many of us, after a hard day's work, come and plonk

ourselves, on our home sofas, with very little energy to even fetch a glass of

water for ourselves. This is caused by lack of inner strength. Certain asanas of

the yoga help generate inner strength. Inner strength is essential in doing day to

day activities and in preventing you from injuries. This is especially useful, as

6 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

we grow old and need more energy

and strength to do the same

activity.

Flexibility

· The popular notion that you need

to be flexible in order to do yoga

is incorrect; it is really the other

way round - you should do yoga

so that you can be more flexible. If

you have a flexible body, you find

it easy to do tasks. A lot of poses

in Yoga concentrate on stretching

and improving your flexibility.

· With yoga, not only the muscles of the body, but also the softer tissues of your

body are worked out, resulting in less build-up of the lactic acid, which is

responsible for stiffness in various parts of the body. Yoga increases a range of

motions of the less used inner muscles and helps in lubrication of joints. The

result is a more flexible body, able to perform tasks easily!

Cardiovascular

· Yoga has a lot of positive effects on the cardiovascular system of our body. A

healthy cardiovascular system is responsible for preventing heart attacks,

strokes and hypertension. Heart disease is a problem which has roots in an

improper lifestyle, faulty diet and negative thinking. Our thoughts, emotions

and feelings affect our body and negative emotions/thoughts send a series of

complex and unhealthy chemical processes throughout the body, giving alarms

that something is amiss. Yoga tends to control these by bringing in fresh life-

giving oxygen. The anti-oxidant properties of Yoga help in preventing the

negative emotions and promote a general well-being in the body.

7 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Joint pain and arthritis

· The general tendency of people suffering from joint pain, inflammation and

stiffness is to avoid exercise. Yoga helps prevent advancement of this malady

by toning the muscles and loosening the joints. When a person suffering from

joint pain practices yoga, the gentle stretching and strengthening movements of

the various Yogic poses, improves the blood flow to the muscles and tissues

supporting the joints, thereby making it more comfortable to move.

Respiratory problems

· Practice of certain asanas of

Yoga has helped check chronic

cases of Asthma and other

respiratory problems. When

the nasal passages get

inflamed, they start producing

mucous in excess making it

difficult to breathe and often

have common symptoms like

coughing, wheezing etc.

Respiratory problems could

also be caused by multiple

factors like allergy, exercise,

weather change etc. By

practicing yoga, the lungs

capacities increase and so does

stamina and stress on air

passages is reduced.

Back pain

· Yoga has helped innumerable cases of back ache. Back ache is caused due to

stress and tension in the muscles supporting the spinal cord. Back ache may be

caused due to improper postures mild injuries, which have been left untreated

etc. Yoga has seemed to help cases of back pain by enhancing flexibility and

strengthening the muscle groups supporting the spine, helping the body to

maintain an upright posture. It eases the back pain by increase in blood

8 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

circulation and getting healing nutrients to the injured muscles. Apart from

healing injured muscles, it also prevents further injuries by strengthening the

muscles.

Memory Improvement

"Memory is the measure

of ability to reproduce

the knowledge that is

known", says

Yogacharya Vishwas.

"Memory is holding on

to that which has been

known."- The Hindu

Texts.

· Yoga helps in retaining information better and for a longer period of time due

to its focus on concentration and meditation. By breathing right, concentrating

and meditating, more blood flows to the brain , making it supple and ready to

accept more information and reproduce that information when required.

Obesity

· Obesity is when a person

weighs more than his normal/

stipulated weight. This may

be caused due to faulty eating

habits, stress related eating,

imbalances in the digestive

and endocrine system or even

something as basic as less

physical exercise. Yoga helps

obesity by inhaling more

oxygen, which helps in

breaking down fat cells and increasing your metabolism. Also, it helps remove

sluggishness from the digestive and endocrine systems, making them work

better.

9 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Anti-Ageing

· Regular practice of yoga has anti ageing effects. Yoga revitalizes the mind and

makes the approach towards life positive and stress free. Apart from this, a

person practicing yoga regularly is more flexible, fit and mentally agile. Overall

happiness and positive attitude towards life reflects on the face , leaving it

glowing and reverses the ageing effect internally.

The importance of yoga in today’s world has a whole lot of other everyday

benefits such as sound and deep sleep, high energy levels etc. However, the key

to deriving these benefits is to be consistent with Yogic practices and do it

under the supervision of a well-trained yoga teacher.

10 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Important Mindset and Expectations For Beginners

Yoga has been in practice since a long time, and followers of yoga positions and

continuous practitioner benefit by it through their mind, muscles and even the

internal body systems. With time, its popularity has only shot up. But before

one initializes it, one must have a fair idea of its impact to squeeze the most out

of the yoga experience. So let’s start with some tips before you begin with your

mental and spiritual body set-up.

• Continuous practice

Yoga practice should be continuous, not only in the class under an expert

teacher, but also at home, which will make the body and the mind feel at peace.

For a newbie, regular practice will make the benefits more pronounced which

will result in further involvement in yoga. In yoga, the number of times you

practice your position is more important than the duration of each session that

you enter into. A very minor part of your daily schedule, if devoted to yoga, can

do you a world of good.

11 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

One important thing to remember while doing yoga is to get the positions right.

Most of the TV shows and self-help books will suggest practicing yoga more

often but what they skip to remind us is the right poses that one must strike

while doing this exercise. Extending oneself more in each session will help, and

one must not only practice the poses one is comfortable with, but also try to

practice those with one he is struggling.

This will ensure that the practice session is more fertile and gives one the self-

belief to do even better, and will make him realize that he’s doing well.

• Peaking your potential

Getting rid you one’s ego is one of the most important aspects for the novice.

To give it the best shot to maximize the utility derived from the yoga exercise,

one must not try to just make an impression on the teacher or the fellow

learners. Self-study is the nucleus of yoga therapy. Instead of being an exact

replica of the teacher or a good student, one must try to improvise and then

maximize his own potential and benefits derived from the class.

12 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

• Who am I?

One of the fundamental features of yoga is to remember oneself, remember who

he is. Instead of going deep into his yoga poses, one must realize how deep he

has actually evolved with the therapy, himself. Learning about one’s inner

attention is important in yoga. While practicing, with the aid of the guider, one

must strive to use that attention and get most of his poses. It’s only secondary if

the physical position is not altogether perfect.

13 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Advice For Beginners

Yoga has been around for centuries, but it has become popular over the world

only during the past five years. It offers tremendous health benefits if only yoga

is done regularly. For a beginner, yoga holds the door open to many

possibilities, as yoga can cure a lot of health problems, help one reduce weight,

and also tone one’s body.

Yoga: Types

There are many types of yoga to choose from. Since you are a beginner, you

should go through all the various types of yoga and choose one which suits your

personality, condition of health and fitness level.

Understand what each kind of yoga offers and select the sort which you know

you will be able to perform without straining your muscles.

Yoga: Instruction

Since you are a

beginner, you

should definitely

consult a yoga

instructor. An

experienced yoga

teacher should

supervise you while

you do yoga. He or

she will also help

you select the type

of yoga which is

suited to your

body’s fitness and

health. It is vital that

you are able to maintain the correct body alignment. A yoga instructor will help

you made adjustments so that you don’t hurt yourself, and also offer changes to

the posture if you have any physical limitations. A teacher will also be able to

help you get the most out of every yoga pose so that your health problems are

14 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

all targeted and solved in the shortest time.

Yoga classes are offered in many gyms and studios. Since is many of these

places the first yoga class is free, you can try different places and see which one

suits you the best.

Yoga: Attitude

Your attitude is

important during

yoga lessons. You

have to remember

that yoga is

absolutely non-

competitive.

You only have to

concentrate on your

body and its

responses to yoga.

You might want to challenge your body and make it more flexible, but always

listen to your body’s complaints. If

you feel the slightest pain, then come out of the yoga posture or ease up a bit.

As a beginner, you do not have to do each yoga pose perfectly. It is normal for

your body to protest a bit. Always listen to it.

Yoga: Breathing

It is very important that you breathe properly during your yoga poses. Breathe

in and out through your nose during yoga, and breathe deeply. Proper breathing

will help you to feel more relaxed and also to do the yoga poses better. In case

you feel a tense spot on your body, try and channel your breath to that area in

order to relax it. Whenever you feel that you are not being able to breathe

properly, immediately come out of the posture.

Get yourself a yoga beginner’s kit which contains a sticky mat, a strap, and a

couple of yoga blocks and maybe a yoga video. Yoga is best done on an empty

15 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

stomach, but do drink a lot of water before and after yoga practice to prevent

dehydration.

Yet it’s wise to note that, before going into yoga practice, you should ask

yourself some important questions. These questions don’t have a right or wrong

answer. They are merely meant to stimulate your own thoughts and give you

the mindset that you need in order to succeed as a student of yoga for the long

term.

Here are the basic questions that you should ask before starting any yoga

program:

* What are my reasons for starting a yoga program? Are they realistic?

* If my yoga program involves some degree of physical strain, such as certain

postures in hatha yoga, have I received medical clearance from a qualified and

certified health professional to ensure that I don’t injure myself?

16 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

* Are my goals for pursuing a yoga program (or programs) clear and positive?

Do I know what I want to achieve?

* Am I prepared to commit the time necessary to really get the most of out of

my yoga experience?

* Are there people around me who might negatively try and talk me out (or

mock me out) of pursuing this path of personal development? Should I either

avoid such people, or ask them to respect what I’m choosing to do?

Please note that these are just basic questions; and this isn’t an exhaustive list.

The point here is really that you should be clear and confident about your choice

of experiencing yoga.

17 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Different Types Of Yoga

There are a lot of places offering yoga classes taught by trained and experienced

instructors, and there is also a great number of types of yoga available. There re

types such as Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Bikram Yoga,

Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga, etc. So, if you don’t take a well-informed person’s

opinion, you can easily get confused as to which type will suit you.

Ashtanga Yoga: In

Sanskrit, ‘ashtanga’ means

‘eight limbs’. This yoga is

quite energetic and intense,

and involves a set of asanas

(poses) which is coordinated

with breath. Ashtanga yoga

can be quite exhausting as it

requires you to shift quickly

from one asana to the next.

You have to be quite

flexible to do this type of

yoga, and it helps you to

increase your body’s

flexibility, strength and

stamina a lot since it is so

demanding physically.

Hatha Yoga: ‘Ha’ means

‘sun’ and ‘tha’ means

‘moon’ in Sanskrit, which is

an Indian ancient classical

language. In contrast to

Ashtanga yoga, the Hatha yoga

is slow-paced and mild, and it is best for a beginner to yoga to start off with this

yoga. Since it does not involve any difficult asanas, a beginner will be

comfortable with this type of yoga. Like all other types of yoga, the Hatha yoga

aspires to bring together the body, mind and spirit.

Iyengar Yoga: This yoga is founded on the teaching of B. S. Iyengar and

focuses on the proper alignment and form of the body. While Ashtanga yoga

18 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

involves moving fast from one asana to the next in the sequence, Iyengar yoga

concentrates on holding one pose for a longer time before moving on to the

next. For this type of yoga, you will need blocks and straps to help align the

body into various poses.

Power Yoga: This type of yoga is based on the Western interpretation of the

Ashtanga Yoga. It does not always stick to the correct sequence of asanas as

prescribed by the Ashtanga yoga, but it does involve moving through various

poses without stopping and starting again.

Bikram Yoga: The Bikram

yoga is also known as the

‘Hot Yoga’. This is because

it is practiced in a room

which is heated to 105

degrees and has a humidity

of 40%. Usually, the Bikram

Yoga involves a sequence of

26 different asanas, and the

heated atmosphere helps to

loosen muscles. The hot

room temperature makes

people perspire a lot, and this

helps to wash toxins out of

the body.

Vinyasa Yoga: ‘Vinyasa’ means a breath-coordinated movement and this is yet

another rapid kind of yoga. It begins with salutations to the sun and continues to

strong stretching. Each asana is balanced with a counter-asana.

There is no rule about you sticking to one kind of yoga. You can start with an

easy one and proceed on to more difficult ones.

19 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Yoga Poses For Beginners

A good yoga session should last about 30 minutes and it is best to use an

exercise mat or blanket to sit on. Yoga poses for beginners fall into several

categories and these will be explained below.

Standing Postures: These poses in the upright position help to relieve the

tension and the aches and pains in your body on the outside. While internally

they help keep the kidney’s functioning correctly. Your circulation and

breathing could improve along with your pelvis and lower back area. With

regular practicing standing poses will help improve the strength of your knees,

shoulders, hips and neck.

Seated Postures: These consist of poses which are performed while sitting

down. They are calming poses which have been proven to help relieve stress.

You will find that your nerves become relaxed and soothed and you will feel

less tired. Many people find that they sleep much better after performing these

types of poses.

20 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Reclining Postures: Poses in this class fall into two categories, the prone and

the supine pose. The prone poses are the ones done on the floor with you facing

downwards. Prone poses help to rejuvenate and energize your body. You are

usually lying on your stomach or holding yourself on your hands and knees. The

supine poses are those done while lying on your back. These are more restful

poses and are normally done at the end of the yoga session.

Forward Bends: These movements help to strengthen your lower back and your

hamstrings. They also help with improving your circulation and your digestion.

Back Bends: These movements help to encourage deep breathing and are great

for anyone suffering from depression. Your body and mind will feel more

energized after performing these movements.

Side Bends: These movements help to stimulate some of your organs including

the stomach, liver and your kidneys.

Twists: These poses can be done in either a sitting or standing position. The

sitting twists are very intense and increase the mobility of your spine. These

poses are also great for relieving headaches, stiff neck and shoulders and

backache.

Inverted

Postures: An

inverted posture

reverses gravity

and brings fresh

blood to your

heart and head.

These poses are

great for anyone

needing to

improve their

circulation and

refresh your

tired legs.

21 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Balancing Postures: These poses will help develop strength and agility along

with improved muscle control and coordination.

Yoga is considered a full body workout because it moves your body in all

directions in a very gentle way. Each muscle group becomes stretched and

toned. You will find that you develop more flexibility and enjoy greater

mobility in your everyday life. Yoga is particularly helpful for anyone suffering

from circulatory and breathing problems.

22 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Avoiding 3 Common Beginner Mistakes

Uncertainties are normal whenever you start on something new and these

uncertainties could lead to negative first impressions, thus resulting to backing

out and not wanting to try the same activity again. The same goes with yoga.

Yoga exercises can provide you with lots of benefits, both physical and spiritual

and missing out on its important elements can result to negative results.

Avoiding yoga beginner's mistakes is of utmost importance and 3 of these

common mistakes include the following:

1. Not knowing what

you want from the

practice

You may not be aware

of the fact that there are

various styles and forms

of yoga and these have

their own different

attractions. Before

enrolling in a yoga class,

it is necessary to

determine first what

attracted you to yoga and

from there; you can start

investigating the

different styles that will

cater to your attraction.

You can set goals and

these goals can be mental, physical or spiritual. Once you have set your goal,

you can now discuss this with your yoga instructor before you begin with the

classes. Your instructor will be able to discuss with you your goals and give you

advice on how you can easily achieve it. However, make sure that you have a

set timeframe for these goals to make it more measureable.

23 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

2. Jumping in Feet First

Once they have decided to attend a yoga class, some people tend to head on and

jump to a 12 month class. Take note that these classes normally require an

upfront payment and it progresses from one level and so on as the week

progresses. Although learning yoga is fantastic, you should not opt for a 12

month class, as you are not yet sure if the class you opted for is ideal for you.

The best thing that you can do is to join beginner yoga classes first. Once you

have attended these classes, you can easily determine the type of yoga that you

want for yourself and your goal.

As these classes were designed to give students a broader understanding on the

different types of yoga, the levels of students also vary and the instructors are

normally strict. However, this is beneficial for you because as mentioned, it can

help you determine the type of yoga that will be most suitable for you without

involving any huge financial outlay. You will not be required to attend every

class as well, so you will not fall behind when you miss a class, unlike in longer

courses of yoga.

24 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

3. Choosing the Wrong Instructor

Yoga instructors should have been an apprentice of a skilled guru for several

years before being able to teach simple yoga techniques. However, there are

yoga instructors who just went through a 3-day course and this will definitely

make a huge difference. Proper yoga techniques can be achieved depending on

the level of abilities and skills of the instructor that is why it is necessary to find

the right instructor for your yoga class. Although unqualified yoga instructors

are not necessarily terrible, qualified instructors are still your best option.

Avoiding yoga beginner's mistakes can help you succeed in learning yoga

techniques and in achieving your goals. If you can avoid the common mistakes

mentioned above, it would be a lot easier for you to learn this practice and be

able to reap its benefits without wasting your time and effort.

25 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

What Beginner's Should Know About Yoga Class At Gym and

Yoga Center

Commonly, a yoga class at a gymnasium will be more centered on the strictly

physical advantages of yoga, while one at a yoga center might dig more into the

spiritual side.

A few individuals discover that the physical practice of yoga gets to be a

gateway into a spiritual exploration, while other people simply enjoy a

wonderful low-impact workout that makes them feel awesome.

Whatever your disposition, you'll be able to discover a yoga class that

accommodates your style.

Yoga has a lot of advantages,

it betters the flexibility of the

body, one’s strength grows

and it is a great way of dealing

with tension. Stretching out

your body in new ways will

assist it to become more

flexible, bestowing greater

range of motility to muscles

and joints. Yoga poses call for

you to support the weight of

your own body in novel ways

bettering both your physical

strength and muscle tone.

Physical activity is great for

relieving tension, and this is

especially true of yoga. Because

of the concentration demanded, your daily hassles, both large and small, appear

to melt away during the time you're doing yoga.

Yoga is separated into 8 sections known as the 8 "limbs" of yoga. Every limb

relates to a facet of accomplishing a healthy and fulfilling life, and each builds

on the one before it. You might be surprised to hear that only one of the limbs

affects the performance of yoga postures.

26 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Yoga Exercise At Home

How To Get Started With Your Yoga Workout

If you have decided to start participating in yoga as a way to get fit, then you

have chosen an ideal exercise. Not only is yoga great for your body, but it can

be a wonderful stress and relaxation method. Yoga has been shown to be

extremely helpful for many health issues including Asthma and back pain.

Your Yoga Room

To get started with yoga at home you

want to set yourself up a yoga area or

yoga room. This will be a quiet place

that you can exercise in without being

disturbed. The basic equipment you will

need to get started with includes:

• Yoga mat

• Yoga DVD or Book

• Towel

• Bottle of Water

As you become more advanced you

might wish to start using yoga blocks

and straps in your routine.

The Basics of Your Yoga Workout

When you first start practicing yoga you should concentrate on learning the

basics first. This includes how to hold each pose and very importantly how to

breathe correctly. At first these are the only two things that you should be

focusing on.

When you have the basic yoga poses down then you can start adding additional

movements. At this time you can start including some form of yoga meditation

if you wish. Many people like to include this at the end of their yoga session.

Meditating helps you to relax and rejuvenates your body before heading back to

your daily schedule.

27 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Setting Up Your Yoga Schedule

When you first start your yoga workout you should only spend a few minutes on

each pose. If you can’t manage very much at first, don’t worry, your body will

adapt quickly.

During your first week try to practice yoga for 15 minutes each session and aim

for two to three sessions each week.

As you become more

accomplished then increase

this time to 30 minutes each

time. A good routine to

follow is one that includes

lots of stretching. Then you

want to get into poses and

hold each one for as long as

you can. The seconds will

turn into minutes if you

keep persevering!

In time you can then add a

session where you do

standing and seated poses separately. You can practice yoga every day if you

wish. If you go this route then use three days a week to do a shorter yoga

workout. Then aim for a longer and more intense workout on the other four

days.

Because you are practicing yoga at home, you don’t have to worry about

missing classes or taking a shorter class. Do what your body feels comfortable

with as much as possible. Don’t feel bad about taking a day off, rest up and

relax by taking a hot bubble bath. Then resume your schedule again.

Once you have your home yoga area set up, use it to your advantage. Why not

see if you can get your spouse or boyfriend to workout with you? Yoga for men

is on the rise and they might just discover how much they can enjoy doing a

yoga workout with you!

28 | ( C ) C o p y r i g h t w w w . Y o g a - A d d i c t . c o m

Conclusion: Don't Procrastinate, Start Yoga Today

As we have learnt throughout this guide, Yoga is more than just stretching; it is

a spiritual experience as well as a physical one mastering exercises and postures

as well as your breathing. Yoga is considered by some to be an alternative for

medicine. It has a lot of benefits not only to the physical but also to the mental

state of a person. So to conclude this beginners guide we will recap what we

have just covered

How Does One Get Started With Yoga?

Although it is perfectly fine to practice yoga at home with instructional videos,

it is still recommended for beginners to take basic lessons. Learning the proper

way of breathing and the proper way of doing basic poses will be helpful to

maximize the health benefits. Everyone should have all the necessary items

which include yoga mats, straps and proper attire. Knowing the basic order will

also help beginners prepare for the sessions. Warm-up poses are done during the

first few minutes followed by the poses in their respective order - standing,

sitting, twists, supine and prone. Finishing poses are done at the last part of the

session which aims to cool down the body.

Yoga is great for

everyone. Don't

procrastinate and start

yoga today to reap the

benefits.