TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
Yoga is a brilliant form of exercise. Regardless of whether you are doing yoga for the first time, or are a yoga veteran, the joy that comes from yoga is the same. You might even experience more joy than the experienced ones. However, it is quite likely that you will run into a couple of pesky obstacles along the way. For instance, the vocabulary of yoga might be a little challenging to get the hang of. Sanskrit does sound exotic, but the western eyes might glaze over rather quickly. If someone asked you to read “pashchimottanasana,” you might stumble a little. Another problem that you might run into is with the execution of yoga asanas. Don’t worry even if an asana sounds absurd. It is designed for a specific purpose. Will I be sitting like that and will I be comfortable as well? Well, you will be! Maybe not immediately, but you certainly will after a while. All beginners need a little empathy.
The most difficult challenge that you might face as a beginner is to create a yoga practice at home. For that, you have to select a list of techniques and arrange them into a schedule. There are different practices that you will learn, not immediately, but at least eventually you will. Another question that might bother you is “Is it important?” Well, all the yoga poses are essential. Each pose has a specific effect on the part of the human body. In this section, you will learn about specific tips that a beginner can use. Most of these tips are practical, and the rest encourage you to develop a positive mindset. However, one thing that’s common for all these tips is that they call for action. It doesn’t make any sense if you just read these tips and leave it at that. So, go through this chapter carefully and start to practice these tips as well. Let us get started now.
Maintain a journal
A yoga session always constitutes several comments and insights that help to smoothen out the rough edges of life. It can even change the way you perceive yourself and the world around you. However, today’s “aha” moment is often forgotten in the thoughts of tomorrow’s activities. So, make a note of it. Write down your feelings and experiences about the yoga practice in a journal. You merely need to write your observations and insights in your notebook. It might sound a little old school, but it is efficiently quoted. Make a list of all the poses you practice along with the new ones that you learn. List any new terms that you learn as well. If you have any questions while you meditate, make a note of it as well. The idea is to journalize all that you feel while you practice yoga. You never know, a brilliant idea might strike you when you do this.
Be “artsy”
If you find it difficult to remember all that you have to do in a particular pose, you can draw it. Simple stick figures can help you to retain the necessary information about a posture. Let your inner artist come to the forefront. Use arrows to mark the movements in a pose. When you do this once, the position will be etched into your memory. It is also a great way to recollect all that you did in the yoga practice session. If you want, you can download the pictures of the poses from the Internet and create your yoga scrapbook. Well, it is up to you. The idea is to remember the yoga postures so that you don’t have to keep checking what needs to be done while you practice yoga.
Make some space
If you want to practice yoga at home, then you have to make sure that you have a designated spot to do yoga. Create a Zen den for your yoga practice. Select a room with the least amount of distractions and store all your yoga props in it. You can even get an oriental rug or place some images or statues that have a calming effect on the mind. The idea is to create a sacred space where your mind can relax and unwind. You cannot practice yoga with loud music blaring in the background.
Define your practice
The yoga routine that you create solely depends on you. You should define the time that you can allocate towards the practice of yoga. Not just that, you should also decide the technique you want to focus and the balance that you want to strike between meditation, breathing exercises and the practice of asanas. If you aren’t sure how to go about it, then consider a couple of details. Do you understand the order of the methods you use and your practice? Are there any particular aspects of an asana that you need to focus on? Do you need to learn more about any asanas you use? If a specific pose seems too complicated for you, can you simplify it? Is it possible to break down the aspects of an asana? What are the steps that you are good at? What are the different methods of relaxation and meditation that you learned? If you have any doubts about any of these questions, please refer to the relevant chapters in this book! All the information that you need to practice yoga is mentioned within the pages of this book.
A good sticky mat
It might seem like a trivial detail - however, you can never underestimate the importance of sound footing. If you have never used a yoga mat, you can perhaps borrow one and see for yourself. Or you can go to any of the sporting goods stores and try out a couple of yoga mats. Your mat should provide you a good grip when you perform any poses that require you to stretch your legs or your torso. Once you try a mat, you will understand whether it is a good fit for you or not.
Balance is important
Yoga isn’t just about the practice of different postures. You need to include positions and relaxation techniques into your yoga routine. It is essential to strike a good balance between these two aspects of yoga. You cannot neglect one to concentrate on the other. Some might want to focus on the meditational aspects of yoga while others might like the physical health benefits it offers. However, you need to understand that the idea of yoga is to enhance your physical and mental health. You need to create that equilibrium in your yoga practice sessions.
Build a small library
Yoga videos can simplify your life. They teach you how to perform a pose. Not just that, stock up on a couple of yoga CDs as well as books. There is no such thing as too much knowledge. You can even play audio recordings to guide yourself through different poses.
Learn a little Sanskrit
If you like to learn new languages, then you can learn a couple of Sanskrit words. It is an elegant language and has a lot of technical names. All the yoga poses and techniques have Sanskrit names. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different yoga jargon. It is quite an orderly language. Once you are comfortable with the basic pronunciations, you no longer have to mumble the words. Most of the syllables in Sanskrit tend to begin with a consonant and then end with a vowel. The letters in Sanskrit have fixed pronunciations, unlike English. So, once you know how to pronounce the letters in Sanskrit, you can quickly master different words. If you can correctly pronounce the words used in a Sanskrit mantra, the effect it has will be better.
Breathing breaks
You can efficiently manage your stress through breathing exercises. You can use breath awareness to diffuse a moment of anxiety, panic, or even fear. However, you should think about extending these breathing breaks and use them somewhat regularly. When you use these breaks frequently, also if it is only for a couple of minutes at a time, you will notice a positive change in your mindset. You will get better at managing your stress. During your work hours, take a break for a couple of minutes. Whenever you take a break, close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Count the number of breaths you take. It will help you to overcome any stress that’s building up in your body. Not just that, it relaxes your respiratory muscles as well. Make sure that you include simple breathing exercises into your daily routine.
Let the posture do its work
You might feel like you should do something while you perform a pose or an exercise. Yes, you do have to put the necessary effort to master a pose. However, at times all you need to do is sit back and let the exercise do its work. While you perform a breathing exercise, you have to concentrate on your breath essentially. There is nothing else that you have to do. So, instead of thinking that you aren’t doing anything, just enjoy the exercise you perform. No effort is as bad as too much effort, and neither is desirable. So, the next time you perform the corpse pose, merely let the posture do its work for you.
Sleep is critical
The idea of waking up early to perform yoga, then have a good breakfast, and a quick stroll around the block does sound good, doesn’t it? However, it will just stay an idea if you burn yourself out. If your body doesn’t get sufficient rest, it cannot perform all that you want it to. You cannot wake up early if you keep going to bed late at night. Make sure that you get at least 7 hours of undisturbed sleep every night. It is okay to stay until daybreak once in a while. However, you shouldn’t become habitually nocturnal. Without the necessary rest, you cannot feel better. After all, your body isn’t a tireless machine.
Shush the critics
All those voices in your head that say you haven’t accomplished anything or the ones that say that yoga isn’t helpful should be ignored. Ignore all the cynics that rest within your mind. You cannot expect to derive the benefits of yoga overnight. Practice yoga consistently for at least three weeks before you jump to any conclusions about whether it does you any good or not. Learn to appreciate this process; only then can you reap the benefits it offers.