101 Yoga: basics for Beginner

Most people believe that health the physical fitness is the only aspect to consider. However, spiritual, mental and emotional wellbeing is equally important to a balanced life.

Then the next question that would come to our mind is whether there is an easy and quick way to achieve overall wellbeing? The answer is yoga.

Yoga is a rich collection of techniques and practices that enhance physical and mental wellbeing.

Although the term yoga gives a spiritual understanding and feels like it is more for spiritually conscious people, it is not so.

Yoga is for EVERYONE, and this article gives a good guide for beginners.

This yoga for beginners guide provides a good insight to newbies.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is body and mind training. It was started in ancient India as a spiritual practice.

Then it was promoted as a way of improving physical and spiritual wellbeing. In the Western world, yoga consists of various physical exercises, breathing techniques and relaxation activities.

The term yoga is derived from the Sanskrit ‘Yuj”, meaning “to join”. So, the yoga practice intended to unite individual consciousness with the universe, indicating a harmony between body, mind, and nature.

Yoga has eight limbs that serve as guidelines for a meaningful and purposeful life.

Source: NCBI

Benefits of Yoga

Since yoga is a mind and body practice, it offers various physical and mental health benefits.

1. Improve happiness and general wellbeing
2. Improve your physical and mental health
3. Improve your sleep and boost the immunity
4. Improve muscle and joint flexibility
5. Improve core strength
6. Reduce stress and depression
7. Relieve muscular and joint pains
8. Improve mode, stamina, mobility and balance
9. Helps to maintain a healthy weight and improve the tone of the body
10. Prevent and control chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and some autoimmune diseases.

What should beginners do?

The decision to start a journey is a beautiful idea, but you need a systematic plan.

And you will start with the beginner stage and go for some gentle poses until your body adapts to the movements. The body muscles demand time to increase their strength and flexibility for more challenging sequences.

1. Need to study different yoga types, such as Hatha and vinyasa. Then need to find a qualified yoga instructor or a class.
2. Suppose you have poor health or a recent injury. In that case, you need to contact your doctor before commencing yoga because it is difficult and dangerous to do some types of yoga poses and breathing exercises.
3. If you are obese or inflexible, you should begin with gentle exercises until you have built up the strength and flexibility for more advanced techniques.
4. You can start with regular hatha yoga if you are fit and flexible. Hatha yoga is a common term used to describe many of the most common physical forms of yoga taught in the Western world today.
5. Once you are familiar with the basic postures, you can move into vinyasa yoga, which is advanced.
6. When you perform yoga, you may feel some strength in the muscle, but you should never feel pain, especially in the joints. If there is sharp or intense pain in the muscle or joints, it is a signal that you need to stop going forward.
7. Here are some basic yoga poses that everyone can practice:
   • Child’s pose
   • Extended triangle pose
   • Crescent lunge
   • Plank pose
   • Four-limbed staff pose
   • Mountain pose
   • Tree pose
   • Downward-facing dog pose
   • Cobra pose
   • Seated half spinal twist
8. However, you should not try Ashtanga, Bikram, and Dhanurasana poses unless you have built enough physical strength and flexibility.

How often should I do yoga?

This depends upon your experience level because experts have more flexibility, balance, strength, and range of motion. Newbies can practise yoga 2 to 3 times a week for 20 to 45 minutes. Once you feel your body has been adapted to this pace, increase the number of sessions and time for practice.

The more time you dedicate to yoga classes, the more benefits you will receive.

The Bottom Line

Yoga is a complete mind and body practice that works on matching both energies. Yoga might appear difficult, but you can receive significant benefits with complete guidance as a beginner. Hatha and Vinsaya are the best yoga pose for beginners. You can start with 2 to 3 training sessions per week and slowly increase the number.