It seems that everywhere you go, at least one person will rave about the benefits of yoga and how much it has changed their life.
Now, more than ever, the yoga craze has struck the world, and we couldn’t be more excited about it!
However, if you’re a complete newbie, yoga for beginners may surely feel intimidating.
Naturally, your curiosity has surely prompted you to do a quick search on the matter. And the result of experienced yogis doing all kinds of complex twists and stretches may have put you off from trying it out completely.
However, yoga flow for beginners looks much different than what you’ve seen, considering the lack of flexibility and focus.
Remember that the rubber-like-skinned yogis were once in the same position where you are now, and they, too, felt the same way.
The only difference is that they actually started doing yoga exercises for beginners, and over time, they’ve reached the point, or rather skill, that makes you feel intimidated.
With that in mind, nothing is stopping you from trying out yoga for beginners – you only need the proper guidance on how to do it.
Luckily, you have us to show you how to do it!
What is Yoga?
Let’s start off with the basics – what is yoga? Given that the restorative practice is almost 5,000 years old, its form has experienced plenty of alterations.
In fact, did you know that yoga was a philosophy that was shared orally rather than as a physical activity?
But as the years progressed, ancient yogis saw the potential of it. More specifically, how it was wasted through oral practice, so they progressively added physical activity and breathwork to it.
Now, modern yoga boasts over 200 types, but that’s not something you should focus on at the moment, as our only focus is yoga for beginners.
Typically, yoga flow for beginners consists of doing asanas, meaning poses, and pranayamas – breathwork.
Sometimes, you may also find that they’re paired with chants and mantras, but that’s not the standard.
Keep in mind that the poses are selected based on your level, meaning that anybody can do them, as they don’t require a special skill or any experience, for that matter.
What Happens When You Practice Yoga?
By doing yoga poses for beginners for a set amount of time, you will experience more flexibility and agility and feel your mind is slowly clearing up.
As previously mentioned, yoga was once a philosophy, so it only “exercised” the mind, but ancient yogis realized that it’s more beneficial if it’s paired with physical activity.
For that reason, as you hold a pose, you can feel tension, and stress.
At the same time, any negative emotion slowly drifts away from your body, leaving you in a state of total relaxation.
Where Should Yoga Be Practiced?
Furthermore, most yoga newbies are wondering about the most appropriate time and place to practice, so let’s also clear that up.
When it comes to the place, in the beginning, you should dedicate a certain space in your home that’s tidy and completely serene, without any distractions in sight.
Due to the lack of focus, you should be in complete silence so you can put all of your attention into your breathing and form.
Additionally, you can also check out if there are any yoga studios near you since you’ll have a more personal approach and guidance.
As you further progress and you’re not doing yoga for beginners, you’ll be pleased to know that you can do yoga anywhere, as long as you have the right amount of space for it.
When Should Yoga Be Practiced?
Now, for the time – simply put, there is no right time to practice yoga, but there are certain periods of the day when it’s most recommended to do it.
For instance, you can do morning yoga for beginners as soon as you wake up. It will help you stretch your body after a good night’s rest and will increase your focus, thus making your daily tasks much easier!
Alternatively, you can practice yoga in the afternoon after 5 p.m., but make sure you don’t do it right after you’ve eaten.
Finally, if you have trouble falling asleep, you can do many poses for yoga beginners at home at night that take care of this specific issue!
Why Does Yoga For Beginners Seem Short?
Speaking of time, many inexperienced yogis are worried that the practices don’t last long, leading them to believe that all the effort is useless.
Well, the reality of that is much different! Let’s say that a certain yoga routine lasts for 20 minutes, and at first glance, it doesn’t look quite long since the standard gym practice takes at least 45 minutes.
What you don’t know is that every routine is optimized for your safety, and they’re anything but useless!
Namely, easy yoga for beginners routines start with a quick warm-up, followed by the actual poses, typically held for a minute or two.
The reason for that is holding them for too long might cause strain, and you can end up hurting yourself.
So, as you can see, the session length is unimportant since you’ll surely reap the benefits that come from it.
Of course, another thing that might worry you when doing yoga for beginners is that you’re not moving too quickly.
However, keep in mind that everybody is different, and not everybody reaches their desired result at the same time.
So if you’re only reaching your calves but not your toes when doing a forward bend, that’s nothing to worry about.
You’ll get there in time! Instead of focusing on the progress of those around you, turn your attention to having the proper form and breathing every single time, as these are the pillars of yoga.
Benefits Of Yoga
Previously we mentioned how many people who have tried yoga keep doing it to this very day, which might make you wonder – why is that?
– Yoga helps with stiffness in your body
We already debunked that yoga is more than just a series of stretches done in a particular sequence, so we’re ruling out this cause but not fully.
Namely, said stretches are designed in a way to alleviate any pain and discomfort from the body.
In addition, because many of us lead busy lifestyles, usually involving sitting behind a desk for hours on end on a weekly basis, it’s only natural that our body gets stiff as a rock.
And while regular exercise may provide some relief in this case, it doesn’t even come close to the benefits you get from exercising yoga.
– Yoga helps with back pain
For instance, let’s say that your job demands that you lift heavy things regularly. So, most of the pain you feel will be centralized in the lower back and spine.
Obviously, you’ll do some research, and almost as a guarantee, you’ll find doing pull-ups as a solution.
For one, you need a special bar, and secondly, if you’ve ever done a pull-up, you already know how difficult it is!
In contrast, doing downward-dog for a few minutes is not only easier and more practical but will also help your spine to adjust.
To clarify, since you’ll be “extending” the spine, the yoga pose will provide it with more flexibility and strength.
As you continue doing these asanas regularly, lifting heavy objects won’t be that much of an issue!
– Yoga helps with stress, anxiety, and anger
On the other hand, the aforementioned busy lifestyles also bring a lot of stress, anxiety, and anger. In the end, this may be the reason why you’re feeling tense all the time.
In addition, these feelings also contribute to the stiffness in your body.
Because yoga is based on proper breathwork, you’ll see how every yoga instructor emphasizes its importance.
Well, there’s a cause for that as well! You already learned how the philosophy changed in the later years once ancient yogis saw that it was more beneficial to do it along with physical movement and “right” breathing.
As you do the poses while paying mind to your breath, you will quickly feel how these negative feelings will minimize or will completely fade away.
With constant practice, you will become more focused, aware, and energetic, and you’ll see how every aspect of your life will face improvement.
Finally, every adversity that might come your way will have a significantly lower impact since you’ll approach them with a calm and centralized mind.
Yoga Props
Finally, when starting your yoga journey, it’s recommended that you get a couple of products that will assist you on your journey.
Naturally, a yoga mat is a must, but you need something that will keep you stable throughout the entire session.
Synthetic mats are quite slippery, which is why you should consider investing in a cork yoga mat!
Slips on it are practically impossible, and since cork has anti-microbial properties, rest assured that it’s completely safe for you.
Additionally, you might want to get a yoga bolster as well, considering you’ll be doing a lot of seated poses in the beginning.
Finally, yoga blocks are a beginner’s best friend. They’ll keep you stable at all times and assist you when doing more complex poses.
As you can see, yoga for beginners is highly manageable, so we recommend you try it out as soon as possible!
Once you feel all the exceptional benefits that come from it, we’re sure that it will become a part of your everyday routine!
Head to our shop to get everything you need for your yoga journey, and read the rest of our blogs!
