How should a beginner start yoga?
The beauty of yoga is that you don’t have to be a yogi or yogini to reap the benefits. Whether you are young or old, overweight or fit, yoga has the power to calm the mind and strengthen the body. Yoga is for everyone.
Especially for the beginner, it is important to try a class or two that is taught by a seasoned instructor, in private yoga sessions or a group setting, to be sure you are doing the yoga exercises safely. If you have any specific medical concerns, check with a doctor before beginning to see what types of yoga might be best for you. In a yoga class, as you learn to do yoga poses, you will be instructed to notice your breath and the way your body moves during the exercises. This gives you the opportunity to scan your entire body, noting how you feel as you move through the poses.
This is how yoga turns physical exercises into tools to help students become more mindful and even learn to meditate.
Can I do Yoga everyday as a beginner?
The most important thing to remember when beginning a yoga practice (or any new health habit) is that the key to success is doing it routinely.
Ten or 15 minutes a day of yoga may be more valuable than going to one class a week. Hopefully, as you begin to see the benefits of your daily practice, however short, chances are you will be convinced to do more.
More than a physical workout, yoga is a full mind and body exercise.
Different Types of Yoga Poses
Child’s Pose
You can use this calming pose to rest and refocus before continuing to your next pose. It gently stretches your lower back, hips, thighs, knees and ankles and relaxes your spine, shoulders and neck.
Avoid this pose if you have knee injuries or ankle problems, high blood pressure or are pregnant.
Downward-Facing Dog
Downward-facing dog strengthens the arms, shoulders and back while stretching the hamstrings, calves and arches of your feet. It can also help relieve back pain.
It is not recommended if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or other wrist problems, high blood pressure or are in the late stages of pregnancy.
Focus on distributing the weight evenly through your palms and lifting your hips up and back, away from your shoulders.
Plank Pose
Plank Pose helps build strength in the core, shoulders, arms and legs.
Avoid it if you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or if you have low back pain.
Cobra Pose
This back-bending pose can help strengthen the back muscles, increase spinal flexibility and stretches the chest, shoulders and abdomen.
Skip this pose if you have arthritis in your spine or neck, a low-back injury or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Tree Pose
Beyond helping improve your balance and posture, it can also strengthen your core, ankles, calves, thighs and spine.
Avoid this pose if you have low blood pressure or any medical conditions that affect your balance.
Seated Half-Spinal Twist Pose
This twisting pose can increase the flexibility in your back, while stretching the shoulders, hips and chest. It can also help relieve tension in the middle of your back.
Skip it if you have a back injury.
Bridge Pose
This is a back-bending pose that stretches the muscles of the chest, back and neck. It also builds strength in the back and hamstring muscles. Avoid this pose if you have a neck injury.
Corpse Pose
Like life, yoga classes typically end with this pose. It allows a moment of relaxation. Some people find it difficult to stay still in this pose. However, the more you try this pose, the easier it is to sink into a relaxing, meditative state.
Feel the weight of your body sinking into your mat one part at a time.
Importance of Yoga for Women
The benefits of a regular yoga practice are wide-ranging. In general, a complete yoga workout can help keep your back and joints healthy, improve your overall posture, stretch and strengthen muscles and improve your balance. Yoga also has a restorative side that is deeply relaxing and rejuvenating.
Yoga’s focus on the breath can also calm you and help you learn to be more mindful of your body, says Dr. Timothy McCall, the author of “Yoga as Medicine,” and that can help you to move with greater ease.
Yoga can help:
- Reduce back pain
- Strengthen bones
- Improve balance
- Stave off mental decline
- Reduce stress
- Relieve depression
