Yoga for Beginners - 6 Things You Would Want to Know

Yoga is an ancient practice and now when most of the world is aware of the term Yoga, many of us want to start practising it at home. Beginners may want to know how to Yoga, when to Yoga, or where to Yoga. first of all, I want to make it clear that anyone can practice Yoga irrespective of their race, religion, age, profession, gender, conditions, state, problems, and history. Here are some frequently asked questions for Yoga for beginners:

Can I do Yoga at Home?

Apart from a quiet space and a yoga mat, you don’t require anything else to start doing yoga at home. Space, where you Yoga shall be your sacred space at the home.

A tip for beginners, don’t push yourself too hard in the beginning. You will start with the first two Yama and Niyama then only you can go to Asana.

Which Yogasana shall beginners do?

If your aim behind Yoga is to unite yourself with the universe, you would want to get into meditation practice and chanting as a beginner. Practising the eight limbs of yoga is the best practice to Yoga.

If your purpose behind Yoga is just to heal an injury or an illness, you shall go with Iyengar Yoga. Iyengar Yoga focuses on physical alignment and involves a lot of breathing.

How frequently I have to Yoga?

If you don’t have much time to devote in, experts say that for beginners, one hour a week is enough, to begin Yoga. As you keep practising more, you’ll start seeing results. It is suggested that you shall practice Yoga two to three times a week.

However, according to Sage Patanjali, Yogasana shall be a daily ritual. So, I recommend a daily dose of yoga for beginners.

Can I learn Yoga myself? - A big No

There is nothing in this world that you cannot learn on your own. But, Yoga is a systematic process that shall be learned from a Guru or guide. However, you will love to read some books and watch some videos to motivate yourself for Yoga. Here are some free guides for you:

What is Yoga and How to Yoga?

Yoga vs Gym: Why Yoga is a better choice

Do I have to be young and flexible to do Yoga?

When people relate Yoga with only Asanas, this misconception takes place. Yoga is for everyone, it only requires practice. As you get physically older and your body gets less flexible, you start limiting yourself to less Yogasanas. Still, the rest of the Yoga practices remains intact.

You can find many Yogis perfectly performing complex Asanas such as Sarvangasana, Shirshasana, and more. Yoga takes practice, the more you devote, the better you unite.

Can a Pregnant Women Practice Yoga?

When you know what is yoga, you’ll find that it isn’t just about twisting and turning your body. If practised correctly, it becomes incredibly advantageous, especially for pregnant women. During pregnancy, yoga helps in breathing and relaxing. It also helps in meeting the physical demands of pregnancy, i.e. labour pain, birth, and motherhood.

Note: Those who are new to yoga and practising it for the first time during their pregnancy must consult their doctor before beginning. During the first trimester, utmost care should be taken as the chances of a miscarriage are high. It is suggested to seek guidance or do not attempt

The best time to practice yoga during pregnancy is the second trimester, which is after 15 weeks of the pregnancy. The IVF pregnancy cases are advised to wait until 20 weeks before beginning the yoga classes.

However, breathing exercises and relaxation can be practised at any time.

Getting Started With Yoga - the types yoga for beginners

Yoga is the way for a healthy human being. Depending on the purpose, there are various forms of yoga one can practice. When you’re new to Yoga, you might not know the potential of it. Here are the different styles of Yoga that you can try to find which one suits your needs:

Viniyoga - “Vini” in loosely translated Sanskrit means “adaption,” and that’s exactly what this practice is, adapting yoga to ownself. As usual, it focuses on medication, pranayama, Vedic chanting, and yoga philosophy. And similar to Ashtanga and Vinyasa, it encompasses lots of warming up and repetition of postures, but in a much simple and slow manner. 

Viniyoga is personalized to every individual it adapts their emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental potential. You may call it a more intense private yoga session.

Iyengar Yoga - This style of yoga makes use of props to fix body-related issues. It is distinguished from other styles of yoga in three ways - First, the postures are precisely practised; Second, Sequence of Yogasanas (Yoga Poses) is crucial for this style; Third, it uses props to help flex your body in the perfect manner. The Iyengar yoga needs to be practised and learned from Yoga institutes or Gurus.

Hatha Yoga - Hatha Yoga is very famous globally. It includes Yogasanas and breathing techniques that improve physical fitness and clam the body, mind, and spirit to lead the way for meditation. It includes many asanas and pranayamas that can be practised daily. 

Vinyasa Yoga - It is a dynamic type of yoga that includes synchronized Yogasanas with a focus on the breath. It is somewhat similar to Hatha Yoga, but a little faster.

Jivanmukti Yoga - It includes a set of sequences incorporating compassion, meditation chanting, and deep listening. It is for the people who want to include spirituality and ancient yoga teachings into their yoga practice while learning Sanskrit, achieving body awareness, and improving relationships.