Yoga: Benefits, Instructions for beginners, And Myths

Yoga is a very ancient practice for finding integrity in practice and in life. Yoga consists of meditation, asanas, and breathing techniques. Therefore, it develops a person comprehensively – through the body, mind, and emotions. Although yoga is originally a spiritual practice, in big cities, spirituality takes up a small part of it.

Benefits of Yoga

A frantic pace of life, multitasking, an excess of information – all this contributes to self-destruction, stress, tension, blocks, and clamps in the body. We do not move much, sleep poorly, eat on the go, do not know how to relax. Yoga is a tool for self-recovery at all levels, for self-regulation and self-discipline. Yoga helps:

• Improve concentration, develop stress resistance, and skills to slow the pace of life
• Restore the emotional background and calm the nerves.
• Renew the body and regulate hormonal levels
• Helps to withdraw from alcohol and substance addiction; also speeds up the recovery process.
• Improves sleep quality
• Strengthen physical health (strength, flexibility, and balance).

Today there are many schools, teachers, and yoga directions around the world. Some adhere to traditional teachings, while others combine new and ancient techniques. So everyone can find something different in yoga.

Yoga is suitable for everyone – regardless of age, gender, religion, and fitness. At the same time, yoga is not a sport or fitness in the usual sense. There is no need to set goals and there is no competition. This is a personal practice, even if it happens in a group.

Yoga for beginners: Instructions

Practice should fit into your life. To do this, you need to decide on a few things.

Be Clear Why You Want To Practice Yoga

Yoga is a deep practice. Your experience will depend on your expectations. In order not to be disappointed, you must immediately understand what you want and what tasks you are solving now.

For example, you want to add movement to your life, cheer up, tighten your body, and fit into last year’s jeans.So first decide what you want to do, there could be many reasons:

• To relax
• To recover
• Correct your posture
• Learn meditation techniques
• Replenish energy supply
• Preparing your body for pregnancy
• Know yourself
• Develop new and more stable qualities in yourself
• Lose a couple of pounds or remove clamps in the body
• Find strength and energy to change something in yourself.

Mindfulness before starting classes will help you achieve the desired result.

Location – Choose A Place

Choose a studio close to work, home, or wherever you frequent. Practice should fit into your rhythm of life, not change it. Rate the studio for distance, how to get there, modes of transport, aesthetics, comfort, and atmosphere.

Prices – Choose A Category

You should not go to promotions and start where it will be too expensive for you to continue classes. A one-time promotion to get acquainted with the practice is the maximum. Regularity is important in classes – you can choose a studio or a club in the desired price range.

Time – Choose A Schedule

Any fitness club or yoga studio has a schedule of classes: according to yoga styles, difficulty levels, experience, or specifics of the teacher, sometimes by price. Rely on what is convenient for you. If you like to study in the morning and your schedule allows it; look for a studio with morning practices. You can practice both in the evening and on weekends. The main thing is to understand when it will be comfortable for you to go to class.

Ignore the general recommendations (“yoga is better to practice in the morning, in the evening the groups are overcrowded, the muscles of the body react better when they have already warmed up more, there are discounts in the daytime”) and listen to yourself.  Do not rush to a workout that does not fit into your schedule. It will only increase the discomfort.

Do Not Panic To Join The Class

Starting new is stressful. Therefore, an important rule of yoga: do not panic, do not strive for the ideal, and do not postpone the first lesson until tomorrow. If you spend time and resources on preparation, you can lose motivation. There is no “right time”, “best shape”, “the most competent teacher” and “optimal training” – these are just excuses and attempts to escape from difficulties.

Yoga Myths

Need To Be Flexible

This is the most common myth among beginners. This is not true. Yoga combines exercises that develop strength, flexibility, and balance. There are many postures in yoga aimed at improving stretching. Osteopaths, orthopedists, and doctors often recommend yoga to increase the mobility of the spine and joints.

You Should Be A Vegetarian

Anyone can practice or start practicing yoga: a healthy lifestyle adherent, vegan, a person who follows a certain diet like ABC diet plan, or even a person who does not follow any diet plan. Those who practice yoga on a regular basis can then adapt their diet or switch to vegetarianism over time.

Practiced It In Sacred And Uninhabited Places

This is not just a myth – it is an illusion. You can practice yoga in any comfortable environment. The practice has long-term goals – health, consistency, and regularity. This is not a one-time trip for a week, where conditions are safe and out of touch with everyday life.

Yoga Is For Girls

Yoga is practiced by everyone – women, men, children, even people with physical disabilities. Everyone can choose activities that solve exactly his or her problem and correspond to his or her physical capabilities.

More Effective In The Morning

There is no truth in this statement. You can practice it anytime; evening, morning, and even at night. Just make a schedule and follow that daily.

Conclusion

Join a nearby yoga class, follow the above-mentioned guidelines, and practice it daily. Do not believe everything you hear about yoga. Stay positive and be healthy!