Yoga for Beginners: 7 Tips for Starting Yoga for the First Time
If you want to start practicing yoga, you will find everything a beginner needs to know, right here!
In these hectic times, many of us are looking to find some kind of stress relief. Yoga is one of the disciplines that proved to be quite efficient in this respect. If you are thinking of practicing yoga but feeling unsure about how to begin, you will like this text about yoga for beginners.
Many of you know, of course, but we still feel that it is worth mentioning that yoga is an ancient discipline, originated from India. It’s first traces go as far as 5000 years in the past, and from people, in this part of the world, it represents a kind of philosophical and lifestyle heritage that has been conveyed from generation to generation. Although various yoga styles have been developed over time, in their essence, they have lots of things in common. All yoga styles are generally exercises focused on bringing harmony between the mind and the body.
Because of the fast and stressful life we in Western countries live, we are seeing an increasing number of people who are on the quest of finding this harmony. That is the reason for the growing popularity of yoga in this part of the planet. If you want to improve both your physical and mental health, you might be drawn to the idea of practicing yoga.
But the thing is that when you don’t know anything about yoga, different things can be pretty puzzling. You might be perplexed by seemingly complex yoga terminology, confused about which of the fancy studios to choose, and worried that you are never going to be able to do all those demanding postures (asanas). Experienced yogis and yoginis tell us that we shouldn’t be intimidated by all these things. They say that yoga is for everyone regardless of age, fitness levels, or anything else for that matter. After hearing what they have to say, we prepared this article that contains yoga for beginners tips.
Tips for Yoga for Beginners
Understand Your Reasons
Whenever you are starting something new, and something that consequently is going to change your life, you need to ask yourself why you are doing it. It’s the same with yoga. If, for example, the only reason to start practicing, is that your best friend, your partner is doing it, that might not be enough. The desire to practice yoga needs to come from within yourself. It has to be something that you personally really want because you want to take another approach to life. One of the main tips for yoga for beginners is precisely this – only if you are clear about the reasons you will be able to stick to your everyday yoga routine.
Adjust Expectations
You know, practicing yoga at home is pretty simple because there is a myriad of YouTube videos as well as yoga DVD for beginners. But it doesn’t mean that you will be immediately able to repeat every single posture that you see there. Or not with such ease, anyway. But, there is no need to be frustrated about it. Indeed, instructors show yoga for beginner poses, but not all beginners are equal. Some are more flexible than others, and thus they can do some things more effortlessly. However, it is necessary to keep in mind that regular exercises and perseverance will take you where you want to be.
Understand That Yoga is About Learning
No one has been born knowing everything. Yoga, like everything else, is pretty much about learning. It takes time to master the asanas, and you need to be patient. Whether you are taking yoga for beginners classes or you are practicing yoga for beginners at home, you need to engage in the learning process with a passion for learning and let yourself enjoy every step of the way.
Focus On Breathing
Remember that yoga is not just about postures. It is also about breathing and meditation, and you have to keep this always in mind. What is essential to know is that it is not about breathing exercises per se, but also breathing with awareness. Conscious breathing is quite a potent tool that can help you reduce stress, anxiety, etc. It can also improve the quality of your sleep.
Find the Courage
Of course, the decision to start practicing yoga is a big one. But making a decision and starting to realize it are two different things. A lot of beginners find it challenging to get the motivation to begin, and they are always looking for excuses. Once you have all yoga for beginners equipment and you feel that you passed the moment of lacking motivation things get simpler. Keep in mind that this is just the beginning of your journey, and there will always be some obstacles that might seem too hard to overcome. When these moments arrive, you will have to find the courage to keep on, despite being unable to perfectly do the exercise.
Understand the Essence of Yoga
Many people are curious about yoga for beginners to lose weight, so we are going to say a few words about it. While yoga is indeed very effective in terms of losing weight, and you will, in time, see desired results, losing weight shouldn’t be your primary focus when you are starting to practice yoga. Try to understand that it is more about discovering the qualities within yourself, finding the harmony that we talked about, etc., than about anything else. It is also important to understand that yoga is not merely an exercise like, say, running – it is a way of life.
Choose Your Yoga Style
As we said, there are different styles of yoga. Not every style is for everyone therefore you need to do some research to understand which one works for you. Think about what you are looking for and what kind of yoga for beginners poses seem most appealing and decide accordingly.
Final Word
This is all folks, about yoga for beginners for today. The only thing that we can tell you, in the end, is that it is essential to understand that while it is true that you will progress slowly, the results you will get will be impressive with the effects of yoga. Our advice if you are thinking about practicing yoga – don’t wait for a second longer! Whether you opt to buy a DVD or watch YouTube videos and find the best yoga instructor is totally up to you! We promise you won’t regret it! Are you already practicing yoga? What do you think about starting?
