8 Tips For Getting Started With Yoga

1. Keep The Commitment

Being Committed to Regular Practice Will Help you Get Better Results

It takes a lot of discipline to stick to yoga practice. A good way to be consistent is to choose a designated place and time for your practice – preferably a quiet area where there is solitude and peace. Once you commence your daily practice of yoga, give yourself some time to get used to it. Don't be too harsh on yourself. It may take more than a month for you to get used to a regular practice. Remember, it’s important that you feel good and enjoy your yoga session.

2. Focus On Your Breath

Focusing on Your Breath will Help Ensure Unity of Body and Mind

Remember to synchronize your body's movements with the breath at all times. There are four ways that your body can bend: forwards, backwards, side bends, and twists. Make it a point to move gracefully between poses and pay attention to your breath. Align your breath with the movement so that your body functions as a single whole. Inhale when the yoga asana opens up your body and exhale when you fold. For example, if you are doing a regular forward bend toe-touch asana, you must inhale as you lift your arms upwards, and exhale as you bend forward.

3. Function Tops Form

Concentrating on Your Own Limitations Will Help You Improve Your Practice

You may have seen hundreds of pictures and videos of yoga practice that is perfect in every detail and form. Truth is, there’s no such thing as a perfect yoga pose. The most important thing to remember is function and not form. Never try to force yourself into an “ideal” posture that you have seen others in your class performing or one you might have seen in pictures and in videos. Your form will gradually improve over time.

4. Dynamic and Static

Both Movement and Stationary Poses Are Advisable

Moving postures are called dynamic postures; the ones where you are holding a pose are static. Yoga routine should involve both dynamic and static postures. Usually you will move in and out of yoga postures before you hold them. Dynamic movements increase blood circulation and prepare your muscles and joints for the holding phase, also allowing for a deeper stretch. For many yoga asanas, it is common to create dynamic movement at least three times before doing a static pose.

5. Focus on The Spine

Remember to Remain Focused on Your Posture and Your Spine

Ever heard the saying – you are as old as your spine? Well, that is 100 % true. You can see the truth behind this maxim when you observe people who have aged beyond their years due to the inflexibility of their spine. The World Health Organization reports studies that estimate about 70% of adult population worldwide suffering from severe or mild backache. It is crucial to ensure that your spine is the focus of your yoga practice. The longer you are on this planet, the more the gravity affects your body, and your spine is often the first to suffer. Yogic postures create a way to decompress the spine and enhance the postural alignment. This, in turn, reduces stress on the musculoskeletal, digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems.

6. Slow and Steady

Take it Easy and Relax at All Times

Yoga should never be done in haste – no matter how little time you have on any particular day. When you hurry through your sequence of asanas, you are going against the very core of the idea of yoga, which is to slow down! Most parts of our lives are governed, ruled, and indeed rewarded by the idea of speed. Yoga takes that rule and flips it around. The slower and the more mindful your practice of Yoga is, the bigger the benefits. Do not try to rush through postures. Also remember that resting poses are as crucial as the active ones, and warming up is also as important as cooling down.

7. Yoga is Not Competition

Do Not Push Yourself Beyond Your Limits

Yoga is not meant to be a competition - even with yourself! Yoga is meant to help you move with the flow and rhythm of your body, and not hold your body to ransom. Even if you are an advanced practitioner of yoga, there may be times when you’re recovering from an illness or injury, or you may be just plain tired. In those times, there is absolutely no harm if you simply go back to practicing like a newcomer. Your body may also be affected by many factors such as hormones, hydration, moods, stress, levels of activity, and emotions. Ancient Indian yoga tradition always stresses the fact that where your mind goes, your circulation goes.

8. Use Correct Sequencing

Always Practice Your Poses in Sequential Order

There is logic in the way that postures are sequenced in Yoga. The art of sequencing involves placing the postures in a specific order to maximize the benefits. A proper yoga therapy program takes into account your final goal and the most effective and safest way to reach it. If you are new to yoga or pressed on time to practice yoga, it is best to stick to a sequence in a group class, or as advised by personal yoga teacher.

Whether you are planning to start doing Yoga or whether you are already practicing, it helps to keep the above points in mind. If you make an effort to integrate them into your yoga practice, you will find yourself progressing steadily towards the ultimate goal - being at one with yourself.

Can You Patent Yoga?

Indian government has made a list of over 1500 asanas and made over 250 videos to classify them as “traditional knowledge” of India, according to India Times. The initiative is a response to multiple attempts of foreign corporations to capitalize on yoga by getting patents and trademarks on yoga asanas and techniques.

According to Archana Sharma, head of the agency running the project, it will take five to six months to complete the work. The database will include texts, photos, and videos of “yoga techniques.”

Yoga is a $27 Billion industry and a big business, associated with a premium lifestyle, designer yogawear, luxury retreats and expensive juice cleanses. In the past decade, several patents have been issued for yoga techniques. Some have been copyrighted. For example, there’s been an attempt to get patents for neem and turmeric, plants widely used in Ayurveda. “Yoga piracy” is a term used to describe claiming copyrights on yoga-related knowledge and techniques, normally considered to be within the public domain. Fitness centers and individual practitioners already tried to get copyrights on yoga poses and pranayama breathing sequences.

TKDL, an acronym for the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, is a special government agency in India that is taking on a bold mission of “de-commercializing” the ancient practice. Hopefully, they will succeed, or your next stop-drop-and-yoga or “beyond the mat” Instagram challenge may well be beyond your legal control.

The Dos & Don'ts of Yoga Class

Sitting still: If at any point in class you need a break, it’s perfectly ok to take a seat and chill out for as long as you want. There are students who will go to a yoga class and relax in Child’s Pose the entire time. Ain’t nothing wrong with that!

Loud breathing, gasping, sighing, etc: Yoga focuses heavily on uniting breath with movement. If the guided breathing has you making noises louder than usual, don’t sweat it. There’s no such thing as the “annoying mouth-breather” in yoga class.

Closing your eyes: Your instructor is not a movie star, and will not mind in the slightest if would rather listen than watch.

Crying: Yoga can be a deeply emotional experience, and crying is really quite good for you! If you become overwhelmed by your thoughts, your life, your practice and the waterworks start flowing, there’s no need to be embarrassed.

Falling: There is no shame in challenging yourself to new asanas and not succeeding the first time. You will never grow and progress without a few falls, so get up and try again.

Farting (in moderation): A yoga class can be highly relaxing, sometimes to your own surprise. Your body and muscles are moving in novel ways, and it’s perfectly normal for your gastrointestinal tract to get a little bubbly. If you let a little wind slip, there’s no need to turn red and slink out of the room. We’ve all done it. Seriously.

Taking your shirt off: The yoga studio is a judgment-free zone and nobody is going to give you the side-eye if you would like to practice shirtless. Whatever makes you comfortable!

Dozing off: Every class should end with at least five or ten minutes of Savasana (Corpse Pose.) The purpose of lying still is to let your practice “settle” into your body. But after an hour of yoga, accidentally dozing off is a very real possibility. If that happens to you, no worries. It happens all the time.

Yoga Class (Please) Don'ts:

Bringing your phone in: Yoga is a time of introspection and self-exploration, and electronics are very anti-zen. Leave your phone in the locker room, or if you must have it by your side, keep it on silent. Checking notifications, texting, and answering calls are all big no-no’s.

Chatting with your neighbor: Making friends before and after a session is part of the group class experience, but chatting during class is not ok. We guarantee your neighbor did not come to yoga class to chat, and neither should you. May we suggest a coffee shop instead?

Not putting away your mat: If you borrow a mat from the studio or gym, make sure to wipe it down and put it away afterwards. Your yoga instructor is not responsible for picking up after you.

Arriving late or leaving early: Making a ruckus while entering or leaving the studio while class is still in session is disruptive to both your instructor and your fellow practitioners. Not only that, but instructors plan classes very specifically, so arriving significantly late and jumping in a flow cold is not good for your body. While it can be frustrating, if your choice is between walking in 15 minutes late or not attending class at all, you should skip class and practice on your own for the day.

Leering: This should really go without saying, but regardless of your gender or sexual orientation, do not stare, leer, creep, or drool on your fellow yogis during class. They will not appreciate it, and you will probably get banned from the studio.

Taking photos or videos: While you may be super proud of all the beautiful work you have been doing in class, it’s important to be mindful of your fellow students who may feel uncomfortable being recorded. In general, it’s best to wait until the end of class to snap a few photos or videos.

Still feeling nervous about attending an in-studio yoga class? Try one of the following videos in this beginner yoga playlist to help you build confidence at home:

Easy plow pose

Lie on your back. Bend your legs. Keep your legs together, your feet on the floor. Lift your feet and pelvis from the mat (you can help with your hands) and lower your knees on your forehead. You can press your palms against your back or clasp your hands and lower them on the mat behind your back. Return slowly rolling your backbone back on the mat.

Right triangle pose

Put your feet at the length of your leg. Stretch your arms to your sides. Rotate your right foot 90 degrees, left foot about 15 degrees to the right. Start stretching to the right. Put your right hand on the right leg or floor as you reach your edge with a straight back. Try not to arch your torso. Keep your legs straight. Raise your left hand. Try to look up at your palm.

Cat pose

Stand on all fours. Put your hands and knees at your hips' width. Round your back and hang your head down.

Hare pose

Hare pose

Lower your head as you sit on your heels. Stretch your arms forward on the floor. Relax.