Learn The Basics of Yoga, How it Can Help You, and How to Start Here

Self Improvement

From the ancient lands of India, there came this meditative, healthy practice of yoga. A form of exercise and body optimization technique which encompasses both spiritual and physical growth, yoga has grown in popularity and has now penetrated all the countries of the world due to its allure.

When it comes to self-improvement where man seeks to heighten the body, muscles and senses, yoga is usually among the top methods to go to. In this insightful article, I explain the way this method works and tell you what you need to get started. The simplicity and the complexities of this method are all explained in short and precise detail in her. You will find the best poses to begin within making yourself better. The human body and mind are attuned together and there is no better way to improve the two other than by the practice of yoga. This practice is actually one of the six major schools of Hinduism and the meditative value of the process cannot be ignored. The practice has been associated with proper mental balance and the healing of psychological imbalances.

Some have gone so far as to practice t so hard that they have achieved things you could very well not do under normal circumstances. The mysticism behind yoga has led to theories as to the extent of its effectiveness. You only need to start now. As for health and fitness benefits, yoga gets out all the kinks in the body and leaves the muscles limber and relaxed offering you comfort and satisfaction in all your daily activities like working and walking.

Is Yoga Hard To Do? 

I am going to start with a short answer. No, it is not hard to do. You see, the practice of yoga involves progression and movements in steps starting from poses that you can manage and going on to something a bit more difficult.

Therefore, you need not fear that the yoga practice will be hard because:

• You will be moving from easy steps upwards
• It does not require any equipment
• It is not similar to any of the fitness related programs that you see
• Yoga is aimed at transcendence. The art of going over your stress and problem and hence does not require any straining.
• The moves can be done by children
• It can be customized for any person of any age
• There is even yoga for pregnant women

My point here is that yoga is very simple and the mechanics of it all can be learned in a very short time by anyone and replicated without help, whether you area at home, at work and basically anywhere with enough space. So, dive in and get yourself a yoga picture book and get fit now.

Easiest Yoga Poses to Start With As a Beginner

 All people who wish to delve into the practice of anything new would like to learn in a progressive manner starting with the easy and moving on to the advanced. Yoga is no different and it too has the moves or poses as they are called that you start with.

In this section, I will give you the names and descriptions of the moves that you can expect to meet as a beginner that are simple to do and master. They will help you get your body flexible before you move away from the kiddies table.

1. Mountain Pose

In this pose, you will stand up straight with your legs together. Make sure that you are standing poker straight and that your shoulders are relaxed but not hunched. Make sure that the relaxation level you are in, allows you to have your body weight evenly distributed to your body. Once you are standing like this, take a deep breath and raise your hands up. With the palms facing each other and touching, raise your arms up high and keep them there. Then, stretch as if reaching for something up there.

2. Warrior Pose 

Here, you will be standing straight. But now, your legs should be apart, not like you’re doing the splits. Just 3 feet apart is okay. Now, turn your right foot 90⁰ out and the left foot in slightly. In this position, you will be like someone doing a martial arts move. Put your hands on your hips and remember to relax the shoulders. Stretch your arms out and with palms facing downwards, bend the right knee and turn your body to the right. Stay in that position for one minute and then switch legs.

3. The Downward Dog Pose

Get down on all fours and then lift your butt right up in the air. Move the hands forwards slowly until you feel comfortable. When you spread your fingers, you will be able to maintain this pose longer.

While in this position, keep pushing your pelvis higher and by the time you are in position, you should resemble a V up-side down. In order to be more comfortable, remember to always relax the shoulders and bend the knees slightly.

4. Bridge Pose 

This one is used for stretching the chest and the thighs and also straightens the spine. So, lie down on the floor and bend your knees. Stretch out your arms with the palms facing down. Press your feet onto the floor and lift your hips. Put your hands under the lower back and lift the torso with the chest coming towards the chin. Stay in that position for a minute or so. You should resemble a bridge by now.

5. The Tree Pose

Stand straight with your arms down. Put all your weight on the left leg and raise the foot of your right leg then place it on the inner thigh of your left leg. Then, raise your arms up and with the palms facing each other but not touching, stay in that position for more than half a minute before switching legs.

How to Do Yoga in Only 10 Minutes a Day

When you settle into a daily routine, it may not be that easy to incorporate the yoga routine but if you want to do it, it is easy to set up shop. You will need a few things though. So, here are the steps that you can follow to do that easily.

1. Get Your Gear Ready 

Before you start practicing, get your gear ready and have it with you at home or at the workplace. This way, you cannot have an excuse not to get going. When you have these pieces of clothes that include: a small blanket, good flexible stretching clothes and a yoga block, you will be ready to go.

2. Make Time

When you have a day that is properly scheduled, you will have no problem finding time to do all the things that you need to do. So, plan your day and when you are taking your breaks, you can always lay down a mat and start your yoga.

3. Find a Conducive Environment

Before you start your yoga, you should find a place where there is no one to distract you while in this peaceful state. Conducive environments will help you get more comfortable and you can always get a lot done in a short time. Make sure that you have plenty of room to practice in.

4. Have Regularity 

When people start to do yoga, it is always better to have a regular schedule that you follow rather than just being rigorous. Take a batch of exercises and stick with them before you move to the next batches. Also, don’t think that you can’t do certain poses, it just takes time.

5. Keep On Changing The Poses

This one is a process that you need to do very delicately. What I mean is that, when incorporating the new moves, you need to do so carefully. This means that when you want to move, you start with the simple stuff and progress after mastering the moves.

Advanced Yoga Poses You Should Try

Yoga is complex when you get advancing and sometimes, what you do on the mat may be really ridiculous, dangerous and a bit difficult to pull off. However, these are the names of some of the poses you can try. These poses have illustrations that you can find online. There are videos and other material you can use to do these poses effectively. Here we go:

• Handstand scorpion– Stand on your hands first with the legs stretched upwards. Then, bend them at the knees and then the spine slowly until you can touch the top of your head with the feet.
• Iron Cross Headstand– This is where you are literally standing on your head. On the crown of your head to be precise. Stretch your arms outwards and place the palms on the floor to balance yourself.
• King Pigeon Pose– First, you kneel down on the floor and bend over backwards until the crown of your head is touching the floor. Then, take your hands and bend them too in the same fashion until you can hold your feet. When this is done, you should be looking like a half disk.
• The Scorpion-With-Broken-Tail- for this, you place your hands on the floor and with the elbows touching the floor, lift both legs up into the air. While they are in the air, put your left foot over the thigh of the right foot. Then extend the right foot until its almost touching your head. When you are done, you should like a scorpion with a broken tail.

Best Yoga Poses for Health and Beauty

When it comes to yoga and the connection that it has to health, we find that the poses have a certain value to the well being of an individual. The psychological value, the physical value and the effect that it has on troubled individuals is remarkable. The breathing poses and the physical postures all combine to form a therapeutic effect that is valuable. There really are no best poses of yoga that are aimed specifically at health. But, her are the benefits that you derive from them when they are combined.

1. Yoga can reduce back pains which have been known to cause discomfort to people and the kinks that form in muscles as a result of misuse and laziness.
2. Yoga can reduce stress making you feeling better about yourself and handle problems with a level head
3. It can help beat depression and sleeplessness. This is because the effect of stretching the body improves functions and the body performs as it should.
4. The general health of individuals is heightened and they can be able to handle illnesses better than those who don’t really get any yoga.
5. The cardiovascular functions will have a marked increase in functioning better. This is important because the human heart system is most useful.

As you can deduce, yoga in its entirety can help you achieve this state of relaxation and increase the quality of your life.

How to Find and Fix Tight Muscles with Yoga Poses

When you are practicing yoga, you will be able to feel the various muscles in your body which are rigid and tight. Let’s say that you want to do the Mountain Pose. You will be stretching your back and at the same time, your hands and legs. When you are doing that, you will be able to clearly feel the muscles that are tight in the body. When you detect them, it is good that you find the poses that will be able to help you get the kinks out. You can now get to the next part which involves application of pressure and stretches to the part that you feel is not cooperating fully the way that you may want it to. In this way, the muscles there become used to the stretching and they will not give you any problems when you are doing the exercises. Yoga as a way of finding and fixing tight muscles is very effective because the beginner’s poses are designed to prepare you for the next levels and they are exactly for this function. When they are done repeatedly, you will feel the effects after some time. The body becomes limber and flexible enough. You will feel the new energy and the ease in which you perform your daily functions.

Why is Yoga So Popular

This question is best answered when you consider what people gain from yoga. All things have their level of usefulness and this one is measured by the advantages that we get. So, to explain why yoga is so popular, we will examine what people like it so much.

1. Health Benefits

The health benefits that are derived from the practice of yoga are undeniable and they are many. Human beings value the wellbeing of their own bodies more than a lot of things. That is why when you offer such solutions that are easy to execute and that make them healthier, they jump on that bandwagon and don’t come down.

2. The Physical Benefits 

Keeping fit and staying in shape has always been the rage and when people find out that yoga enhances their fitness, they will obviously start practicing. The body should be flexible and physically fit enough for the individual to be comfortable in it.

3. The Psychological Benefits

In this world where going to see the shrink because we can’t handle our own problems is so common, yoga offers the outlet that is the alternative to all that. It may not be able to solve anything but when it comes to calming the mind down and helping the stress levels disappear, it works like magic.

4. The Spiritual and Mystical Element 

Yoga has been associated with divinity and spiritual aspects of life. When you do the yoga positions and meditate, you are able to go above the problems that bog us down. As you can see, this method encompasses almost all the aspects of human life that we find important. It is the reason why yoga has become so popular.

Is Yoga Healthy or Just a Fad

There is a simple answer to this particular question. The practice of yoga is not just a fad because fads go away after some time but yoga has been around for thousands of years so, there you go. The health benefits are even recognized by medical practitioners and it is even recommended to patients.

In Conclusion- The practice of yoga is very important and can help you in terms of health and getting a better life. Start today and you will see what I am talking about.