Archive for the ‘Yoga for Beginners’ Category

By Ntathu Allen

Congratulations!!! You have rang your local Yoga Studio and signed up for your first ever Yoga lesson. After the initial “yeah, feel-good-vibes”, you sit down and wonder what to expect.

As a Yoga Teacher, I receive many enquiries from potential students, anxious about what to expect when they join a class.

Here, in no particular order are the seven most popular questions I am asked by new yogis prior to starting their first yoga lesson.

Seven Most Popular Questions Asked By New Yogis

1. What Do I Wear ?

When you practice yoga it is essential you wear loose comfortable clothing. Clothes that enable you to move your body freely without restrictions and in which you feel at ease in, for example, yoga pants and a cotton tee-shirt. Some schools of yoga prefer students to wear tee-shirts which cover your shoulders and preserve your modesty.

Other schools, for example Iygenar prefer students to wear shorts, so that the teacher can accurately see your body and make appropriate adjustments.

Some ladies prefer to wear leotards and leggings when they practice yoga. Again, it is a personal choice.

2. Can I Eat Before My Class?

Generally speaking, it is best to practice yoga on an empty stomach. If it is a heavy meal, try to eat at least 60 – 90 minutes before your class.

3. I Am Over 40 Years Old, Am I Too Old To Start Yoga?

Absolutely not! Regardless of age yoga can be started at any age. In fact, in my experience, mature students approach yoga with a quiet determination to use their practice to let go of past hurts and regain their flexibility and strength. If you have not practiced any form of exercise for a while, then yoga, with its emphasis on gentle stretching and relaxation techniques, offers you a gentle introduction into living a more active lifestyle.

4. I Am Pregnant And Have Heard That Yoga Is Good Preparation For Childbirth. Is This True?

Yes, yoga exercises and relaxation techniques are perfect preparation and exercise for pregnant women. Breathing practices and relaxation techniques help your body adapt to the physical and emotional changes your body undergoes. Whilst meditation exercises encourage you to turn your mind inwards and connect with your inner strength – all necessary preparation for labour.

If you are pregnant and this is your first experience of yoga, it is advisable to attend a Pre-Natal/Yoga For Pregnancy Class where the teacher will be able to adapt yoga poses to your particular stage of pregnancy.

5. I Am Really Stiff And Suffer From Back Pain – Can Yoga Help Me Relieve My Back Pain?

If you suffer from back pain, it is essential that you seek advise from your Doctor before starting any form of exercise. Yoga postures, such as the cobra, half spinal twist can help to strengthen weak back muscles and improve the flexibility of your spine. With regular practice, yoga will help to ease back pain.

6. How Long Does A Yoga Session Last?

Classes usually last 60 – 90 minutes. Generally, your yoga class will consist of an initial relaxation, a few rounds of the Sun Salutation, breathing exercises, yoga postures and a final relaxation. Some classes include a period of guided meditation as part of the lesson.

7. I Am Stiff And Not Used To Sitting Cross- Legged On the Floor – How Will I Cope?

Generally speaking, most people are not used to sitting cross-legged. If you have problems with your knees, stiff hips, lower back pain you will find it easier to sit on a cushion with your legs stretched out in front of you. Alternatively, you can always practice yoga seated on a chair. If you are nervous about sitting on the floor, have a quiet word with your Yoga teacher before the class and she can advise you on different easy seated postures.

There you have it. Seven popular concerns new yogis have when they start yoga. Let me know if your concern isn’t covered and I will be happy to offer you support to ensure you enjoy your first yoga class.

Ntathu Allen, Hatha Yoga Teacher works with women who want a richer, more fulfilling life for themselves and their families. She inspires and supports you to take time-out from your busy schedule to care for and nurture your mind, body and soul. To find out more go to: http://www.yogainspires.co.uk and sign up for your FREE weekly copy of Ntathu’s Yoga Guide To Better Health, Inner Peace And monthly Yoga Inspires newsletter

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Email: ntathu@yogainspires.co.uk

http://www.yogainspires.co.uk

By Michelle Marie Chant

All you need is a comfortable space to place your yoga mat…preferably just over an inch thick to protect the median nerve in the wrist joint.

Sit down in a crossed leg position with the sit bones rooting to the floor…As you push down through your sit bones, lift up, through the entire torso….Visualize the top of the head reaching toward the ceiling. Draw your shoulder blades into your back. Broaden your collar bones, spreading the chest muscles without pushing your front ribs forward. Pull your belly up and in toward the spine… With each inhalation expand through your front ribs as if you had a balloon in the belly. With each exhalation contract your belly, working the abdominal muscles to keep your lower back lifting out of the hips as you sit. Hold this for 5 to 10 minutes or until you feel like you are struggling to stay lifted. Avoid any compression through the low back and use a blanket or pillow to sit up on if the exercise alone is challenging for you. You would also benefit from the aid of a prop if your knees are not able to drop toward the floor, which is an indication of extremely tight hips and/ or hamstrings. Lifting yourself up onto a prop will help you to feel much more at ease in the pose.

The beauty of yoga is that we do what we can, when we can. It is your time with you…Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. We all have good days and bad days and part of yoga is heightening the internal awareness so that we embrace exactly where we are today.

Staying seated in this position, drop the head toward the floor gently and roll the neck side to side… Do this for a few breathes or until your feel like your ready for the next pose..Let each breathe initiate each movement and not the reverse. Stay connected with the breathe. If you lose the breathe, stop, and reconnect.

Next inhale the arms up over your head, interlace them with the palm of the hands toward the ceiling. Hold this for 5-15 breaths. Release the fingers and reach the torso forward, folding out front until you feel a stretch in the hips and lower back. Hold for 5-15 breaths. Reach to the left, hold for 5 breaths, and reach to the right, hold for 5 breaths. Bring the arms back to the center, begin to flatten the back and bring the arms back in toward the shins until your back to a seated, upright position.

Come to the hands and knees on your mat. Bring the wrists directly under the shoulders, and the knees directly below the hips. Begin to round the back, seperating the shoulder blades, and then reverse the motion, drawing the shoulder blades down the back, lifting the tail bone and then top of the head simultaneously. Do this for 2 minutes or until the muscles that house the spine begin to feel warm and more elastic.

With the spine neutral and back to the hands and the knees, curl the toes, lift the hips and move into downward facing dog. Allow the knees to be slightly bent and shift the weight back into the legs. Move the shoulder blades down the back, and squeeze the arms into the ears. Continue to lengthen the spine and gentle start to work the top of the thighs, dropping the heels toward the floor, without forcing… Hold for 5- 10 breaths and come down to the floor, resting into “child’s pose”… (knees to the floor, hips drop back into the heels, arms rest along your sides). Continue this until you feel like you need rest and try again…

You are on your way to a yoga practice! Each day you will feel like you can hold each pose a little bit longer. Stay present with the breath. The breathe is the single most important component to the practice.

There are several books and videos to help ease you into your practice.

Michelle Marie Chant is an Exercise physiologist B.S., that has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 10 yrs. She has been in the fitness industry for two decades and feels yoga has been extremely instrumental in encompassing the intensity of her favorite workouts yet focusing equally on creating balance in the body and peace in the mind. And… as we get older, we learn to appreciate this concept! Feel free to contact Michelle at michellemariedesigns@verizon.net  with any questions.

By Mary Cruickshank

Some days a yoga practice is more focused, balanced, and centered. You stand stronger and remain more grounded throughout the sequences. Other days can be less steady and more wobbly, constantly struggling to find your balance with each yoga position. The tree pose happens to be one of those positions that can give a clear indication if you are going to have a strong practice or a wobbly one. It can appear as one of the simplest yoga positions but can be extremely challenging. Fortunately there are techniques and strategies to help stabilize your body through this position.

When starting to do the tree pose find a vertical line about six feet away from you that you can fix your eyes on. Balance yourself firmly on one leg. Bend the knee of the other leg and place the foot on the inside of the opposite thigh. Bring your hands together in front of your chest to assist with your beginning balance. Once you feel steady on your one leg, then lift the two hands to above your head and straighten your arms as if trying to touch the ceiling all while focusing your eyes on your vertical line. Stand firmly without wobbling or swaying for as long as possible, breath deeply and slowly. Release your arms back to your side and bring the foot back to the floor. Repeat with the other leg.

Subtle strategies that will increase your steadfastness during the tree pose:

Use a stripe on the wall, a doorway molding, a pole, any straight vertical line as your focal point instead of a spot. When moving the hands from in front of the body to above the head your line of vision can shift ever so slightly so with a linear focus your eyes can adjust without having to shift your balance.

Adjust the lifted foot between your high inner thigh and the inside knee. You can increase your steadiness by making a slight adjustment to the placement of your foot. Moving it just a little can stop the wobbles.

Breathe in deeply while raising the two hands towards the ceiling. Elongate the spine and lift your head away from your shoulders focusing on your vertical line.

If attempting the tree pose and find that you just can’t seem to find your balance, then simply straighten your bent knee so you again have two feet on the floor. Always opt for caution and safety. You can then either try again or not. Sometimes the second time can prove to be a very balanced tree pose.

Practicing the tree pose consistently will restore balance and equilibrium to the body by coordinating the mind with the body. It also increases hip flexibility and makes the pelvis more limber. One of the biggest benefits is the gain in personal confidence each time you successfully achieve the balance and stability of this empowering yoga position. There can be shakiness for beginners until your ankle stabilizer muscles become stronger and you find balance in your body. Fortunately with practice and perseverance the steadiness will happen more and more.

Whenever I practice the tree pose I concentrate on only one of the muscles or body areas involved in this position. By putting my attention on either the ankle stabilizer muscles, lower back, hips, pelvis, core, neck, or shoulders, the rest of the body relaxes and eases into the position with more lightness and flexibility and therefore more success.

Practice yoga to improve balance, get more energy, relieve tension and increase strength. If you are serious about improving your health and appearance then the next move is up to you.

Mary Cruickshank has been practicing yoga for over ten years. Visit http://www.MyReadingChair.com/Learn_Yoga_Review.html to learn the three biggest myths about getting into shape.

http://www.MyReadingChair.com is for people that want to learn how to feel healthier and become wealthier. Visit anytime.

By Konstantin Tsiryulnikov

The increasing popularity of Yoga, especially during and after the holiday season is attracting a lot of beginners to come to the class. The vast majority of popular Yoga schools offer very little advice to absolute beginners, mostly trying to emerge them into the practice, often overlooking essential points. This short guide is designed to give the beginners a few tips on how to get the most out of their practice, advance quickly and receive maximum enjoyment.

1. Do not eat 1 hr before class

When your stomach is busy digesting food a lot of energy is consumed, making it harder to concentrate on your poses, decreasing your flexibility (because your stomach is full of food), and affecting your breathing pattern. Simply put, practicing on a full stomach is extra work the your body and it will decrease your performance.

2. Do not eat 1 hr after class

Many people get very hungry after class and proceed to the table immediately. This is not a good idea. During Yoga practice a lot of toxins that have been accumulated by your muscle tissue are released into the bloodstream (same thing happens after a good massage) making you feel a bit dizzy and sometimes even hungover – this is your body trying to digest the released impurities, cleansing your system. This process usually takes about an hour, and adding food to your stomach will force your body to switch to food digestion, leaving the toxins to be absorbed back into the tissue. Eating right after class significantly decreases the purifying benefits of your practice.

3. Wear loose clothing

Tight fitness gear, usually perfect for active workouts is not suitable for Yoga. Your muscles should be free, and your movements should be as unconstricted as possible. Try to stay natural. Naked Yoga works best:)

4. Pay attention to your mat

It is important to have a good Yoga mat, especially for beginners. Make sure your mat is not too thin, does not slip (especially when wet) and does not bunch up during practice. Having a skid-free and properly cushioned experience is recommended if you want to maximize your enjoyment.

5. Focus on breathing

While your insructor will definitely tell you this, it is important to note how essential this part is. Proper breathing pattern is a key to everything in Yoga, make sure you follow the rhythm of inhalations and exhalations set by your teacher, this rhythm will soon become natural.

6. Do not try to follow or imitate anybody

Practice at your own pace. People around you may do crazy stuff, and there is absolutely no need to follow them. Yoga is not about attaining certain poses, but about balance and the practice itself.

7. “No pain-no gain” does NOT apply to Yoga

There is no need to push yourself. A perfect pose is the one you can do comfortably. Yoga is not about physical achievement, you must progress at your own natural speed.

8. Dedicate your practice to someone

To practice a little Karma Yoga, try to imagine that you are practicing for someone else’s benefit, picture this person and dedicate the fruits of your labor to them. This simple technique will calm your mind and put all your worries on stand by.

9. Do not skip the meditation

Sometimes you are in a rush, and leave the class before meditation starts. You think that you’ve achieved all the benefits of the physical part and will meditate later. This is a common mistake that should be avoided. Meditation is the most important part of the practice, essentially everything is leading to it. During meditation you are able to utilize the calming effect of the asanas to go deep inside yourself – this is what yoga is about.

10. Do not worry about progress

If you practice regularly, you will succeed. Yoga was designed to work on anyone who dedicates time to it. It does not matter who you are, what your physical abilities are like and where you stand in life – if you practice, you will feel the benefits. I hope this makes it a little easier for beginners to get started and begin enjoying Yoga right away. Once you truly feel the effects, you will never want to go back, guaranteed!

Konstantin Tsiryulnikov is an experienced Yoga enthusiast and practitioner, and an editor of The http://YogaMatReview.org  a ratings and reviews site about Yoga products.

By Nicole Stirbis

Downward Facing Dog is a pose that looks very easy but is quite challenging, both to ones strength and ones flexibility. It is a pose you are likely to encounter in most beginning yoga classes and benefit greatly from over time.

Downward Facing Dog is technically categorized as a forward bend, which in general quiet the nervous system and support the immune system. It has many benefits, including developing arm, core and wrist strength, stretching the shoulders, back, neck, buttocks, hamstrings and calves, and keeping the feet and toes flexible . Regular Downward Dog practice lays the foundations of strength and flexibility in the arms and shoulders for inversions like Handstand and Forearm stand, and once you are used to it FEELS SUPER!

There are some contraindications to doing Downward Dog. If you have a wrist, shoulder elbow or neck injury it is better to modify it or skip the pose if you don’t know how to modify. During a head cold, sinus or ear infection, eye problem or after recent dental work it’s advisable to avoid the full pose because it puts your head upside down and increases swelling and inflammation and may decrease healing time.

Coming into the Pose.

With all Yoga Poses, there are many many ways to practice. This is a safe and simple way to start.

1) Come to your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders, and your fingers spread. Use a yoga mat, or put a folded towel or blanket under you knees if they hurt on the floor.

2) Tuck your toes under, knees hip width apart, and stretch your hips as far back towards your heels as they go. If the knees hurt to bend deeply, then just go as far as is comfortable.

3) Once you’ve stretched your hips back , slide your hands forward without moving the hips forward, so that from your hips to your fingers you make a straight line. Spread your fingers wide, point your middle fingers straight ahead OR slightly out to the sides, and press both palms completely into the floor. Keep the inside edge of your hand anchored to the floor/mat.

4) Maintain the straight line from wrists to hips and lift your hips up. At this point the strength of the legs wants to take over to lift and if that happens all the weight comes forward into the hands and wrists and the upper back rounds,. To avoid this, keep the knees slightly bent as you LIFT the hips straight UP and BACK, then slowly stretch the heels towards the floor.

5) Congratulations, you are in Downward Facing Dog! Breathe evenly and deeply. When you feel ready, come down and rest with your hips on your heels and your arms forward or by your sides.

Some Modifications for Downward Facing Dog

A) If you have a wrist injury, you can still get many of the benefits of the Downward Dog by using a table or ledge rather than the floor. Place your hands on the ledge or table, palms flat and shoulder width apart and spread the fingers wide. Step your feet back and draw your hips away from the hands. You will be in an L shape with the hips in a 90 degree angle.

B) If you don’t feel strong in your arms you can use a wall to help . Spread your hands and fingers in the air and look at the space between the thumbs and index finger. It should look somewhat like an L. Then, keeping the fingers spread,come to the hands and knees on the floor facing a wall. Take the hands down to the floor where it meets the wall. Press the inside of your thumbs and index fingers into the wall so they spread apart . Brace your hands at the wall while keeping the palms flat on the floor. stretch your hips back to the heels and then lift the hips UP and BACK in to Downward Facing Dog.

Happy Yoga-ing!

I will be offering free yoga sequences for various situations-injuries, insomnia, headache for example, with illustrations for free to all subscribers

By Brett Pullen

The use of a block is essential to anyone practicing yoga. The purpose of the block is to allow more comfort during practice and at the same time improving the bodies natural alignment. Some people think that yoga blocks are only used by novices. This is not true because often times the more experienced the person practicing the more poses and meditation techniques using a yoga block. There are some very advanced poses that require yoga blocks to act as an arm extension.

Were going to go through several ways to use your yoga block. They can help for stability and sometimes as an arm extension for one footed poses. The half moon pose is a basic yoga pose where using yoga blocks is helpful. Although ardha chandrasana pose is not dependent on a block, it is great to use at first when trying to improve your endurance confidence. If your trying to improve your core strength while at the same time increasing your overall flexibility than yoga is for you.

Having a block is great for meditation. Some peoples hips are so inflexible that while trying to sit criss cross apple sauce their thighs don’t come close to laying flat on the floor and their knees point up to their head. Try using a block to allow your hips to open up comfortably while trying to lengthen the spine. Sitting a few inches higher makes it much more comfortable. Try out the easy pose, hero pose, and spread leg forward fold on your yoga block. Yoga blocks are generally used for someone to sit in a position for a longer period of time. Mediation helps clear your mind so this is why so many people love their yoga blocks.

A yoga block is the first yoga accessory you should buy. Whatever your skill level having a block will help out flexibility. Sun salutation is the first pose that yoga teachers use a yoga block to show their students the right position. It is important to flex inward and upward lifting the yoga block just slightly while tightening your core and trying to lengthen your back.

http://yogablocks.org/

    By Kathi Duquette

Some basic yoga positions for beginners can give you benefits that you might not think about. You might think you don’t need the basics once you feel you are at an intermediate level, or you might think the basics won’t help you because you are not flexible enough to “do yoga.” All levels of practitioners can benefit from basic yoga positions.

If you are new to yoga or interested in starting a yoga practice, the basics are your starting point. You can always modify a more difficult pose by practicing a basic pose. You can even modify a basic pose. The object is to find the benefit that each pose has for you – inside your own body.

If you are an intermediate yogi, practicing the basics can re-root you to your poses. Sometimes we move through the poses like we’ve been there before and it is easy. Try re-connecting with the basic poses. Be mindful of the four corners of your feet pressing into the ground – making your feet the root of your pose. Stand a little straighter and be aware of how small changes affect how you feel in the pose.

Basic poses can seem like they have no benefit at all, such as mountain pose. It looks like you are simply standing. By actively pushing your feet into the ground and consciously lifting your spine, you are straightening your posture, and strengthening your ankles. By opening your shoulders you are relieving stress in your shoulders and neck and opening your chest to promote full utilization of the lungs. When focusing on your breath you are increasing your cardio respiratory function and endurance. Add in tightening your quadriceps in an upward motion and tucking the tailbone under slightly and you add the benefits of strengthening the upper leg muscles and abdominals. This is all accomplished by simply standing up straight and breathing with awareness.

Other basic poses can have just as many benefits, some physical, some stress relieving, some just feel good. Basic positions for beginners include child pose, forward bend, warrior 1, 2 and 3, triangle pose, cat/cow pose, downward dog, spinal twist and cobra.

You usually want to practice an inversion such as a forward bend which gives your brain a fresh dose of oxygenated blood. A side stretch, a twist, and a back bend will keep your spine lubricated and supple. By moving the spine in different directions with awareness you are improving flexibility and decreasing risk of injury. Back bends stretch the front side of your body, forward bends stretch the back. Twists give your organs a gentle massage.

Overall moving through the poses and breathing with awareness while tuning in to how your body feels builds your mind-body connection. This connection can help you with many things from stress relief to pain relief.

Basic yoga positions can be practiced as often as you like; daily is best to keep the benefits coming. You can practice for 15 minutes or up to an hour (or even more). Fifteen minutes of yoga daily can provide you with a feeling of general well-being. You will be relieving stress while promoting healthy breathing and gentle flexibility.

Practice some basic yoga positions. Pay attention to your body, your breath … yourself.

By Kathi Duquette

Certified Yoga Instructor

Certified Personal Trainer

http://www.basic-yoga-information.com