Starting Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

Yoga is a practice that has been around for thousands of years and has become increasingly popular in recent times due to its numerous health benefits. It is a form of exercise that helps to build strength, flexibility, and balance, while also promoting relaxation and stress reduction.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive guide for beginners looking to start their yoga journey. We will cover everything from the basics of yoga, to the different types of yoga practices, to tips on how to get started and what to expect in your first class.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. It is a holistic practice that incorporates physical postures, breathing techniques, meditation, and ethical principles. The aim of yoga is to promote overall health and wellbeing by bringing balance to the body, mind, and spirit.

The Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has numerous health benefits, both physical and mental. Here are just a few of the benefits of practicing yoga:

• Increases flexibility and strength
• Improves balance and coordination
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves sleep
• Boosts immune system function
• Reduces inflammation in the body
• Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels

Different Types of Yoga

There are many different types of yoga practices, each with its own unique set of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation practices. Some of the most popular types of yoga include:

• Hatha Yoga: A gentle and slower-paced yoga practice that focuses on basic postures and breathing techniques.
• Vinyasa Yoga: A more dynamic and flowing style of yoga that incorporates movement with breath.
• Ashtanga Yoga: A rigorous and physically demanding practice that follows a specific sequence of postures.
• Bikram Yoga: A type of yoga practiced in a heated room, typically with 26 postures and two breathing exercises.
• Restorative Yoga: A gentle and relaxing practice that uses props to support the body in postures for an extended period of time.

How to Get Started with Yoga

If you are interested in starting a yoga practice, here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Find a qualified yoga teacher: Look for a teacher who is certified and has experience working with beginners.
2. Start with a beginner-friendly class: Look for a class that is specifically designed for beginners, such as a Hatha or gentle yoga class.
3. Invest in a good yoga mat: A good quality yoga mat can help to provide support and stability during your practice.
4. Wear comfortable clothing: Choose clothing that is comfortable and allows you to move freely.
5. Set realistic goals: Don't expect to be able to do advanced postures right away. Set realistic goals and be patient with yourself.

What to Expect in Your First Yoga Class

If you are new to yoga, it can be helpful to know what to expect in your first class. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Arrive early: Arrive at least 10-15 minutes early to give yourself time to sign in and set up your mat.
2. Listen to your body: Take breaks and modify postures as needed. Don't push yourself too hard.
3. Focus on your breath: Pay attention to your breath and try to synchronize it with your movements.
4. Relax: Take savasana (final relaxation pose) at the end of class and allow yourself to fully relax and let go of any tension.

8 Things That Happen When You Start Yoga

So you decide to join a local yoga class. You think maybe it will help you become more flexible or perhaps help you to manage stress and feel more relaxed in daily life. Yoga will do these things. But guess what? It will also do a LOT more!

Many people start yoga for a specific reason or with a focused goal in mind. However, yoga is a multifaceted practice. It is a practice that has a holistic approach and support physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. This means that the benefits of yoga are diverse and long lasting. Even if you have been practising yoga for a decade, the benefits, realisations and positive effects continue to expand and diversify.

So, what are 8 things that happen when you start doing yoga that you may not be aware of?! Let’s explore them.

Become part of a community

While you may have an idea that joining a yoga studio or starting classes for the first time is going to be scary and intimidating- think again! You’ll likely find that people from all walks of life enjoy yoga and not only that, people who do yoga tend to be incredibly kind and friendly people. Yoga studios are a great place to meet new like-minded people and you’’ discover a whole new community that you can spend quality time with both on and off the mat.

You’ll become more patient

Sitting in peak hour traffic and realise you’re not seething or cursing?! Well, yoga teaches us to be more accepting of things just as they are. On the mat, we learn to accept how our body is in a pose on that day, there’s no point trying to push it or wish it was another way, that misses the point and benefits of yoga. Off the mat, you start to see that getting worked up about things out of your control is pointless, meaning you can relax and feel ok about allowing things to unfold in their own time.

You’ll start seeing the cup half full

Just as yoga teaches us to accept things as they are, it also inspires us to look on the bright side. Yoga reminds us that life is a journey and that magic exists in each moment when you take time to notice. In slowing down and practising greater awareness, it’s easy to become more conscious of all that you have in your life. Yoga naturally lowers stress and boosts mood, so just like you wont get hot and bothered in peak hour traffic, you’ll also likely stop dwelling on the small stuff and instead look around at what is working, rather than what’s not.

You’ll have more sustained energy

While it may feel hard at first to drag yourself off the couch and to the yoga studio, you’ll quickly find yourself eager to get there as you feel the chances on your own energy levels. Yoga both relaxes you and also energises you. Essentially, it helps you to find greater balance. For some, that may mean stepping off the mouse wheel and slowing down a little which in turn preserves your energy levels. Or, it may inspire a ‘get up and go’ in you and the practice of yoga will inspire new energy within you.

You’ll start to notice the little things

There’s such a thing as a ‘yoga high’ that you tend to feel after yoga. You may notice yourself coming out of class and pausing to quite literally smell the roses, or you may take the detour on the drive home to watch the sunset. Yoga teaches us that the small things in life that we often disregard can bring great joy. On the mat, just as we come to be grateful for our bodies just as they are, so too do we become more grateful for all the things we have in life.

You’ll make healthier choices

Yoga has a magical way of helping you to make healthier choices in all areas of your life. As you become aware of how everything is connected and you become more intune to how you feel on mat when you practice, you become more aware of how other choices affect your life. Maybe this means letting go or cutting down on sugar, opting for tea in the afternoon over coffee, making time for that post work walk or getting to bed earlier in the evening. Yoga helps us to listen to our body which is the very best way we can take care of it.

You’ll become more compassionate with strangers

Even if you only do yoga for the physical benefits, its hard not to start to hear and embody the more philosophical aspects of the practice. Yoga teaches us ahimsa- or ‘do no harm.’ It reminds us that we are all on this journey side by side and its easy to show compassion and kindness to others. At first, that may look like shuffling your mat over an inch or two to let another person into the studio. Then, off the mat, maybe it means letting someone in front of you in line, offering a co-worked a ride to work, or doing some grocery shopping for a neighbour. Maybe its as simple as smiling to someone you walk past or saying an honest greeting to your barista. Yoga reminds us that the world is a better place when we can be kind to one another.

Feeling inspired?!

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