When you decide of getting into Yoga, you must commit and dedicate time for the practice. It isn’t all about bending you head, arching your back or doing a yoga cute pose. Mainly the focus is the breathing process, finding your breath and the synchronicity of your breathe along with each steps or yoga poses (asana). Yoga asanas is a wonderful way to be with yourself. Its a process of uniting with yourself – using your breath, body and your mind. The reason why I encourage most people to start it at home because I want them to spend their own time without having someone seeing their rear when doing downward dog or when bending down, or maybe just having to cut off expenses for a yoga instructor in the gym and most of the time, saving yourself from traffic when travelling to the gym or studio. Of course, there are also when getting a yoga instructor like personal instructions, prior to commencing the yoga practice and even direct inputs of how you do your poses. However, nothing feels better that listening to your breath while practicing yoga in the comfort of your home. Some might think, they cannot do this on their own, well think about it. Most people are being independent that I have discovered yogis success by just starting their yoga from the comfort of their home.
Now the question is,”Is yoga good for me?”. The answer is YES!
Look at the other benefits you can get from Yoga:
- Increased flexibility.
- Increased muscle strength and tone.
- Improved respiration, energy and vitality.
- Maintaining a balanced metabolism.
- Weight reduction.
- Cardio and circulatory health.
- Improved athletic performance.
- Protection from injury.
Take a look at this great illustration Why Yoga is Good For You:
I have to admit that when I first started my yoga, I was finding it weird and raging emotions as I go along the process and trying too hard to perfect my poses. I was mimicking my instructor, but I have been always in a hurry going to the next step and that was my mistake. Eventually, after days of practiced I have learned from my trigger happy actions and learn how to control my emotion and calm my mind.
Yoga does not require you to be flexible. I was never a gymnast neither a cheerleader. I started being persistent and ends up failing my foundational poses. My yoga time always starts in the late afternoon. Why? Because after a stressful day from work I can just simply roll my mat and perform yoga as my decompression. Stress, anxiety, tension goes away! Sometimes, yoga allows you to embrace your imperfections. Yoga can brought up all you memories and sometimes fears that as you move along, all you think about is letting all go. Yoga has a beauty of finding your inner peace and during the resting process you will feel like a child with all loving memories.
Cyndi Lee, a yoga instructor, shared few tips of when is the best time to practice yoga. On her recent Q&A interview, on a yoga practice, it is important that you know yourself and how to change from moment to moment. Let your energy inform you and practice according to season and time. There are poses that are energizing and calming. Sun Salutation is the common preparatory during yoga practices since it create heat and flowing movement connected to breath. Standing poses build strength and stamina. Balancing poses cultivate concentration. Twists detoxify the body and relieves tension and Inversions, has power to elicit a range of emotions, fear and anxiety. Personally, Inversions are very challenging to me. I did not grow up endeavoring such playtime like inversions. But when you are determined and paying up attention to your body movement and listening to your body is as exciting that creates butterflies in your empty space. Remember to always end the practice with corpse pose for restoration.
Remember that there will be poses that you will love and hate. Always find a sweet and quiet space that cooperates for your concentration. Sometimes, I practice my yoga on my room office or on my bedroom.
My friend Arlene advised me to start my yoga with the basics. Remember that is important find a perfect spot away from disturbance or just simply clear a space for your yoga time. I acquired some of these online videos of Yoga Beginner Foundational Poses. My first instructor was Esther Ekhart and she is incredible yoga instructor despite her age.
“Foundational Poses” Yoga Beginners Part 1 , Esther’s new beginner series is for all of you who are starting to practice yoga. In part one of this beginner series, Esther Ekhart explains a few of the most used yoga poses in a flowing yoga class. The second video is Learning How to Flow. It teaches you to flow with them on the rhythm of your breath. Part 3 is Yoga Beginners Part 3 ‘Standing Poses‘. Yoga Beginners Part 4, is a 10 min Energizing Practice, suitable for beginners. Some of the standing poses you learned in part 3 are repeated, but you learn to get into them differently. Lastly, “Yoga Beginners Part 5 of 5 , Relaxation” is the final episode of this beginner series. Relaxation , or savasana, is a very important part of our yoga practice.
After mastering Foundational Poses, Follow the Ekhart Beginners Yoga:
(Click to open to new window)
Notice how these Foundational Poses are the opener of your physical and mental preparation for Yoga. My usual preparation for Yoga is the Sun Salutation. Sun salutations are a time-efficient way of practicing yoga because they thread together poses that involve different parts of the body. Sun salutes are also commonly practiced as a warm-up, followed by standing poses such as Warrior I, II and II — and ending with forward bends, twists and restorative poses.
Here is another yoga instructor, Adrienne, who always helps me with my daily yoga practice:
Take a look at my first downward dog pose. This was taken 5 months ago. If you are a beginner, you simply can’t get everything in perfect. Remember that yoga requires time, discipline and dedication. If you look at my back from the photo below, it is slightly arch, misaligned from my rear. After several practices, I am happy with the improvement. ☻
One of my favorite poses is downward facing dog. Check out how this pose benefits you:
- Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression.
- Energizes the body.
- Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands.
- Strengthens the arms and legs.
- Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause.
- Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported.
- Helps prevent osteoporosis.
(yoga with my dog)
(There is always a room for improvement. Notice how my body adapt and getting flexible)
There are several benefits that you can get from yoga. I may need to reserve a different article for that. But focus on changing your mindset and instead of saying Yoga is Not for Me, you may want to think about it again why this tradition is still being practice. For some reason that you might not be physically fit or having a medical condition, I advised you seek a yoga instructor or a doctor just to be safe.
Although yoga emcompasses timeless ancient history and philosphy, or it may not inclined to my personal faith and beliefs, I am grateful and rewarded of how this tradition has been beneficial to me and it gained my respect. Since yoga poses are unique, observe how it uniquely transformed your body the more time and practice you get. Yoga is For everyone who wants change, collectiveness and to those who likes to experience risk for benefits. Again, remember to be patient and the reward will just simply unfold as you move along . -♥keyef
Featured photo by: www.iyengaryogamanchester.co.uk
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