Where to start practicing yoga? Start with theory
In order to choose the right practice for yourself, it is important to know what yoga is. There are many styles and directions of yoga that can be practiced without a religious or philosophical context. Initially, from the moment of its foundation until today, there are only 4 branches in yoga:
• Hatha Yoga • Karma Yoga • Jnana (Raja) Yoga • Bhakti Yoga. All styles and practices, both ancient and new, belong to one of these large families. The final result and your emotional state depend on the choice of practice. If you do not delve into philosophy and religious moments, then:
• Hatha – helps to achieve the set goals (whether it is emotional health, purification of consciousness, or better physical shape) through meditation (concentration), breathing exercises (pranayamas), static postures (asanas), as well as various positions of the body and hands (mudras).
• karma yoga is a practice that is not aimed at any result, you simply perform any actions without desire aimlessly, so to speak, disinterestedly. The practice is especially suitable for those who do not intend to meditate.
• jnana yoga – the result that you have outlined with your teacher is achieved through meditation and special meditative exercises for the mind.
• bhakti-yoga – Enlightenment (complete devotion to the highest goal of yoga) is achieved by total mental and emotional absorption of this one goal. Having understood this roughly delineated structure, the beginner can choose the practice to their liking. This is the first and main step to starting yoga practice because it is not just physical exercise for a certain period of time for weight loss. Yoga has been practiced for years and decades. If you yourself do not understand which type of yoga suits you, consult a certified teacher. Perhaps you should try a few practices to determine the one that suits you best.
Understand the contraindications to yoga
The main goal of yoga is to improve physical, emotional and mental health. It is important not to harm, so you will have to review the contraindications. Contraindications include:
• epilepsy • hypertension • cholelithiasis • congenital heart disease • serious injuries of the musculoskeletal system • taking antidepressants, tranquilizers and other psychotropic drugs • alcohol or narcotic intoxication. In addition, if you have any other medical conditions (especially those related to diseases of the cardiovascular system), hernias, displaced discs, sprains, back pain, etc., you should consult your doctor before proceeding. even yoga classes for beginners. Certain types of yoga are not contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation, however, to protect your health and that of your baby, be sure to consult a doctor. It is also important to work with a certified yoga teacher: he will make sure that you train at a pace that is safe for you.
Tune in constant mode
An important ingredient in successful yoga practice is consistency in the practice, or Abhyasa. If you decide to study, then you should not retreat. Continuity and regularity of training is essential to achieve your goals. It is advisable to practice yoga every day. Many stars (Miranda Kerr, Victoria Beckham, Emily DiDonato, Emma Watson) practice yoga every day for at least 15 minutes. This is much more effective than hours of training once a week. Start small and practice for as long as you feel comfortable exercising.
Don’t be discouraged that you are not too flexible
Flexibility is a beginner’s problem in any physical activity, but it doesn’t matter at all. You can go to yoga absolutely “wooden”, the flexibility of the body (and mind) develops in the course of regular training. Do not immediately do racks and yoga elements for the advanced. If at the beginning of mastering yoga you give too much stress to the muscles, you will gain muscle mass. And this is a natural process and a good method to reduce even the minimal flexibility that was before class. Therefore, start with basic asanas, and you can add strength elements and stances as you develop endurance and flexibility.
Choose the right shape and yoga mat
It may seem silly, but it is very important, as it will largely determine your feelings from yoga. Cotton with a small number of synthetics is ideal for practice. Feels like the material is completely natural but at the same time elastic and wear-resistant, which is important in clothing for classes. The main thing is that the shape is like a second skin, but not too tight – sportswear should not rub, irritate or pinch your body. You can choose whatever style you want, but you should be as comfortable as possible in your yoga outfit. A yoga mat can be synthetic or natural (such as jute). It feels more comfortable to practice on synthetic ones, as they are more pleasant to the touch. However, you should rinse your synthetic mat with warm water and neutral soap to wash off the factory grease. When using the rug, it is important to wash it regularly with the same gentle, fragrance-free soap. This must be done by hand, carefully so as not to spoil the rug.