I remember I was in your skin a few years ago. I did not know where to start either, no one does. Forget the images you’ve seen of yogis standing on their heads or doing back bends. The essence of yoga is doing what feels good for you. Moving your body and relaxing your mind is the ultimate goal.
What is yoga?
#Yoga has been developed thousands of years ago in ancient India. The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit. It's also a form of exercise that focuses on building strength and increasing flexibility through a series of yoga poses done on a mat and breathing. As the deeper the breath, the more oxygen that goes into the muscles and the deeper they can go into the poses. However, you’ll find that every type of yoga has a slightly different definition or interpretation.
Benefits of yoga:
Briefly, research shows yoga that if practicing consistently, yoga can help manage stress, ease depression and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance the quality of sleep. Besides, yoga has been shown to increase #flexibility, improve #balance and #coordination, reduce pain, and increase strength.
Who can do yoga?
Everyone and anyone can do yoga and the practice is not 'one size fits all. It's about finding a type of yoga that makes you feel good. The best way to learn yoga is by doing it.
Remember that yoga isn't just for girls and you do not have to be flexible to start. If you have any health issues, please consult starting yoga with your doctor.
10 Tips how to start:
1. Firstly, be okay with being a beginner. We all have to start somewhere so come out of your comfort zone.
2. Go to a class in a studio that might be close to your home or someone recommend this studio or class to you.
3. Book one to one in person with a yoga teacher. I know it is expensive for some people, but it will give you the best insight of basic postures and alignment and teach you the stillness through meditation without any distraction.
4. If you cannot go to a class, there are plenty online videos where you can learn the traditional poses or
5. Book a session online with a yoga teacher that will guide you and tell you the proper alignment. You can find this teacher on Instagram, in a studio or someone recommended to you.
6. Be open to try different styles, studios, times & teachers. Some people love slower pace classes, some people love to get sweaty or get more flexible and so on.
7. If you don’t enjoy your first class, it’s normal. I didn’t like my first class either because it was too slow for me. I didn’t give up and tried faster yoga flows. Boom and I stuck with it and I have also finished my yoga teacher training in that style. But I am always keen to try something new.
8. You do not have to be flexible to start. I know this is the biggest concern for us all. People get flexible because of their regular practise or they are hypermobile. So you’ll become flexible too. You just need to give it a go.
9. I would suggest wearing sports clothes to feel comfortable in it.
10. Lastly, ignore everyone else and just focus on the instructor, listen to cues and be present.
