A Guide to Yoga for Beginners

Yoga for Beginners is no different than yoga for regular practitioners, except beginners haven’t had as much practice. They may find themselves stiff and tense, but as time moves on, beginners become experts. In the original Sanskrit, yoga means union. It is meant to facilitate the union between your mind body and soul. In the west, the most common practice of yoga is asana, the practice of physical postures or poses. This is only one of eight branches of yoga; there are several other practices utilized in the modern paths of yoga. Most of these are concerned with one’s mental and physical well being.

Nine Modern Paths in Yoga

There are nine common paths in yoga today; each path has its own variations. Each variation is tailored to a person’s lifestyle and personality. The Bhakti path is the path of devotion. Hatha yoga focuses on the health of the body and physical postures. Jnana yoga is for wisdom, karma focuses on service. Kundalini awakens latent spiritual energy. Mantra is focused on sound, raja on the mind, tantra on sexual polarity and yantra on vision. While all these paths have a different focus, they all revolve around physical postures, breathing and meditations. Some paths also include chanting and the use of partners.

Learning Yoga

It is best to learn yoga, at least in the beginning, from an instructor. This instructor will be able to point out any mistakes and help you grow in the practice. Yoga has a tradition of being passed down from one person to another, until the student becomes a master in his or her own right. Once you know the basics, you can more easily utilize videos and books that tell you how to perform yoga.

If you lack motivation, find a friend that is willing to attend classes with you. That way you will have more accountability and there will be two people with lower amounts of stress, instead of only one. Be sure to wear clothing that allows you full range of movement. You don’t need anything on your feet.

Time

Many yoga schools have classes throughout the day. If you find you cannot fit any of these into your schedule, do not panic. While you will not have a present instructor, you can still practice yoga in short spurts throughout the day. Or, if it is possible, take advantage of the classes offered and utilize the lessons throughout the day. Constant stretching will help your body stay relaxed, and proper breathing will help your body perform well. The most important thing is that you remain consistent, don’t stop for a week or a month. Keep going. Don’t compare yourself with others, even if you feel they are learning more quickly than you are. You are doing this for yourself, not them. Know how much you have improved, how much better you feel. That is all that matters.