YOGA for Living – STEP by STEP Instructions for Beginners

Extend and lengthen your arms upward. Try to angle your hips towards the front and keep both feet facing in the same direction. O ne of the most common and recognisable yoga poses. Start on your hands and knees, with your hands hip-width apart and your knees under your hips. Press into your palms and raise your knees off the ground.

Lift your hips up and back, working to lengthen your spine. Exhale and try to straighten your legs as much as you can, keeping your head tucked under. Lift your shoulders away from the ears and flatten the shoulder blades on your back. P robably one of my favourites. Step your left foot back and angle out to 90 degrees. Your front heel should be in line with the arch of your back foot. Inhale and raise your arms out to the sides, shoulder height. Exhale and reach your left arm to the left, lengthening your torso directly over the left leg as you move your hips to the right.

Rest your left hand on your shin and stretch your right arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops of your shoulders. Turn your torso up towards the ceiling. Turn your head to gaze up at your right hand. Hold, then try the other side. S imple, and perfect for beginners, lie flat on your belly and place your hands under your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your torso.

Draw your stomach up away from the mat and begin to straighten the arms to lift your head and chest forward and up off the floor. Widen the chest and hold before exhaling and lowering yourself back onto the floor. S imilar to Warrior 1, step your left foot towards the back of the mat and angle at 90 degrees. Press down through the pinky toe edge of your back foot to avoid collapsing.

Extend your arms out, raising them parallel to the floor with your palms facing down. Hold your gaze just over the middle finger of your right hand and relax your shoulders down and away from your ears. Remember to bend your right knee, stacking it in front of your right ankle, but behind your toes. S tanding up straight with your arms at your side and your feet together, inhale and lift your arms over your head, with your palms facing each other.

Squeeze your inner thighs together and drop your tailbone towards your heels. T his one will test be sure to test your balance.

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With your feet together, slowly raise your left leg and place the sole of the left foot to either the inner thigh or shin of the right leg. Avoid placing your foot near your opposite knee and try to keep your hips level. Press your foot against the opposite leg and bring your palms together at your chest. B egin in a standing forward fold Uttanasana , with your feet separated hip-distance apart and your knees bent as much as you need.

The Definitive Guide to Yoga

Inhale and lift your torso up halfway to find a flat back, and either place your fingertips on either side of your feet or your palms on your shins. Straighten your arms and lift your torso away from your thighs. Send your gaze slightly forward to lengthen the back of your neck. L ie on your back, bend your knees and set your feet flat on the floor, with your heels close to your torso.

Place your arms alongside your hips, palms down. Pressing your feet and palms into the floor, lift your hips up. Lift your buttocks until the thighs are parallel to the floor.

Use your legs to support you. Y oga is not a competition. O ne of the meditation activities I was set on my yoga retreat was to stare at a lit candle and allow the image of the flame to occupy my mind also known as trataka. Supposedly, this is ok and boredom is part of meditation. Strive for mental stillness. Just like any other form of exercise, make sure you leave two hours before eating. If you need to commiserate, just search yogafarts on Twitter. Whether you choose to practice Yin or prefer Vinyasa, practicing any style of yoga gives you the opportunity to turn inward and learn more about yourself so that you can be of greater service to the people and the world around you.

It can be helpful to familiarize yourself with some of the main foundational poses that most physical practices use. Check out this list of poses with alignment cues that you can practice in the comfort of your own home.

10 essential yoga poses for beginners

Controlling your breath is an integral part of yoga. The formal name for this practice is pranayama. Ujjayi pranayama is most commonly used in Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga. An ocean sound is created with this breathing technique by contracting the epiglottis, the leaf-shaped flap of cartilage located behind the tongue at the top of the voice box. This sound aims to anchor the mind during your practice.

Nadi Shodhanam refers to alternate nostril breathing to slow down inhalation and the exhalation. This technique balances the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system to cultivate a state of internal tranquility, stability, and peace of mind, while balancing and regulating energy through the left and right side of the body.

This breathing technique aims to calm the brain and your nervous system.

It can be practiced at the start or end of your yoga practice, or on its own. Both mindfulness and meditation are integral parts of the yoga practice. As mentioned earlier, physical yoga practices aim to prepare the body and mind for meditation. The start of any new activity can be met with a combination of excitement and nervousness, and starting yoga practice anew is no different. To help you feel more at ease, this section will cover options of where to begin practicing yoga, what to expect in class, and suggestions for progressing your practice to the next level.

Just as there are a wide variety of yoga styles, there are numerous options where yoga classes are offered. Set a goal to make one to two classes per week for the first few months of your practice. With this consistency, the poses and flow of the class will become more familiar.

Many studios have beginner classes and fundamental workshops. These offerings are wonderful for beginner and advanced students alike. Bring your yoga mat and water. For warmer classes, you might want to bring a towel, too. Most studios are usually well-equipped with yoga props such as blocks, blankets, straps, and bolsters, but you may want to call ahead or check online to be sure. A common reservation for beginners is working with injuries and a lack of familiarity with the poses.

If this is a concern, you can work privately with an instructor before entering group classes.

10 essential yoga poses for beginners

Just a few individual sessions can provide the foundation and confidence you need to modify poses or work around your injury. The typical length of a group class is 60, 75, or 90 minutes. The teacher will guide you through breathing and moving your body into the poses.

Some teachers may even demonstrate the poses, although larger classes tend to rely on verbal cues. Yoga classes end with several minutes of lying down on your back with your eyes closed in a pose called Savasana. Savasana is an opportunity to feel the physical effects of the practice integrate into your body. Namaste is a word of gratitude and a gesture of thanking the teacher and students for coming to practice.

Always feel free to talk with your teacher after class if you have specific questions about certain poses and how you can make them more accessible for your body. Repetition and consistency are the keys to moving forward. The positive effects will highlight the value of the practice and serve as motivation to keep returning to your mat. You can follow her journey at rachelland. By now, things that may have seemed impossible in your first class might now be within your grasp.

One of the qualities that separates a serious yogi from a beginner is consistent and dedicated practice. Two of the core concepts of yoga philosophy reinforce this:. To progress in your practice, cultivate more body awareness. Instead of copying your teacher, develop a rich internal sense of how and where your body is positioned in space.

Study the details, from meditation method and pranayama breath work to mudra hand gestures and mantra sacred sounds. With continued focus, more and more time will pass between periods of distraction. Your practice will start to generate a feeling of clarity and calm. As you continue to practice, see if you can find a difference between yoga days and non-yoga days. Focus on the positive, such as feeling calmer or a boost in energy and mood. Each positive experience you associate with being on your mat will make it easier to commit to coming back again.

If you feel confident in your practice, it may also be the time to initiate a home yoga practice. The ancient practice of yoga offers countless pathways to real and concrete benefits. You can follow her journey at www. Being an advanced practitioner is less about doing advanced poses — although your body may certainly be ready for those — and more about deepening your commitment to practice on and off the mat. Advanced practitioners usually practice four to six times per week. At this stage, we also recommend expanding the range of your practice to include both active and restorative asana, pranayama, and meditation.

If it appeals to you, mudra and mantra can also be a way to add richness to your practice. The style and duration of practice will vary depending on what you feel you need the most that day. At this stage, your ability to maintain focus on your breathing and internal states throughout practice allows you to quickly tap into the depth of your practice. This means a shorter practice can be just as potent. You can still enjoy practicing regularly with a teacher or with a class.

Some advanced yogis practice at home a majority of the time. Others maintain a more even balance between home practice and public group classes. As you progress, this will become a matter of your personal preference. This can help you uncover a deeper understanding of your mind, habits, and reactions. Some ways to take your yoga off the mat include:. One of the more rewarding signs of being an advanced practitioner is the staying power of the benefits.

In this next section, we interviewed eight experts four internationally renowned yoga teachers and four medical professionals to find out how practicing yoga has:. They also included any advice you might need to know as a new student or someone with any potential medical concerns or injuries. Yoga is a game-changer for me.

Some days it allows me to show up efficiently and with clarity, some days it helps me to be a better person, some days it allows me to just be and not worry about all the chaos around me. Yoga used to be more of a physical practice for me — and some days it still is — but most of all, it helps me show up better in my life. Keep taking classes until you find a teacher who lights you up, who moves you to be a better human off the mat.

It is the ultimate reinventress and open to all of our whims. If it causes physical pain or mental anguish, back off a bit or back away completely. A heated practice to anyone with heat sensitivity or multiple sclerosis can worsen these conditions and put people at risk of injury. If you have anxiety, avoid any pranayama techniques involving breath retention or short breaths that could trigger somatic sensations that feel like anxiety or even a panic attack.

People experiencing acute injury or trauma should switch to a restorative yoga practice. Poses that involve inverting the body or part of the body carry the most potential harm when practicing yoga asana. If you have untreated hypertension, migraine headaches, glaucoma, a detached retina or other eye problems, cardiac problems, vertigo, and are menstruating, you should avoid inversion poses.

Prone positions and twisting poses strongly contract or put pressure on the abdomen or pelvis, which may be harmful during menstruation. I believe that Yin and restorative yoga would be of most benefit for those who are starting out and for those who are physically weaker. For those that are physically fit, I would recommend Hatha or Vinyasa. For someone who is new to yoga, Ashtanga or Bikram may cause unintended, harmful side effects.

In the medical world, yoga is primarily thought of as a safe, healthy form of physical fitness. The mental and emotional resilience that yoga practice builds is usually overlooked. The immense spiritual benefit of yoga is rarely considered in the medical world, which primarily has a secular focus. Kuhn, a Yoga Medicine instructor who splits her time between Washington, D. Willingness to take that first step is really the first tool. What you wear is really important. You may already own something, or you may need to buy new clothes. For example, people with sensitive knees or backs may want a thicker mat.

Props and other gear: Most yoga studios will supply all of the other props you may need, like yoga blocks, straps, and blankets. Some may even provide bolsters, sandbags, and eye pillows. Owning a mat, a set of blocks, and a strap can help support and ease you into your practice, but you can use the carpet as your mat, household items as blocks, and towels as straps, too.

The guidance and feedback a teacher provides on the spot is invaluable. Many yoga studios offer session and class packages. The initial investment is a lot more than paying per class, but often these packages give you a discount on the per-session or per-class investment. Packages are a good idea if you want to try a new studio, or if you want to commit to attending class regularly.

Some studio memberships can provide extra perks, as well as reduce your per-class investment. They often offer budget-friendly options. Some gyms may also allow you to attend classes for no additional cost.

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Try an online yoga website with experienced teachers like YogaGlo or Yoga International. These sites are a great option if you feel more comfortable working at home, are limited by time, or want to be able to choose exactly the kind of class you need that day. A private session may be more expensive, but it also has the benefit of providing focused attention and addressing specific needs or injuries. For group classes, you can contact the studio, gym, or teacher to ask which classes they recommend for you.

Follow online videos and use household items as props. Wear comfortable clothing you already own and that you can move easily in.

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Choose wisely by looking at reviews, views, and into the background of the trainer featured in the video. Check out our top picks for yoga videos to get you started. Purchase a yoga mat and attend classes at your gym, community center, or through an online yoga subscription site. If your cash flow allows it, you can purchase a multi-class package or a membership at a yoga studio to maximize the bang for your buck.

Consider making a purchase of two or three pieces of clothing designated for yoga practice.

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Purchase a yoga mat, two blocks, a strap, and a bolster for your home practice. Consider becoming a member at your favorite studio. Invest in a yoga wardrobe that moves with you and brings you joy! Some items may be marketed as important to a yoga practice, when in reality they may not be helpful at all.

You can follow her journey at amandabyoga.