How to do Yoga

As defined by Wikipedia, Yoga is is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice or discipline which originated in India. Yoga is composed of different techniques and practices that help individuals to achieve a state of enlightenment. There are different paths of yoga and you just have to choose which one is the most ideal for you. Yoga is popular not only in India where it originated, but also across the globe. It’s popularity is very widespread that just recently, they proclaimed a National Yoga Day.

The amazing thing about yoga is that, anyone can do it. A young one, an adult, an elderly, anyone who is capable of moving a muscle. That is probably the reason why it is very popular. Why are people gushing over Yoga? What are the benefits of doing yoga? Is it really good for every individual’s overall being? Definitely!

Physical Benefits of Yoga

• Builds Muscle Strength
• Increases flexibility
• Helps improve posture
• Better blood flow
• Boosts immunity
• Helps keep the heart healthy
• Improves your balance
• More stable breathings
• Protects the spine
• Regulates adrenal glands
• Maintains balanced metabolism

Other Benefits:

• Better, deeper sleeps
• Builds inner strength
• Boosts mood through the increase of serotonin in the body
• Helps you become more focused
• Helps the person make stress more manageable
• Mental clarity and calmness
• Relaxes the mind

It is not a wonder why yoga is for everyone no matter what age or gender and no matter if you are an active gym person, an athlete, a busy businessman, a young child, even if you are a sedentary person who most people call a “couch potato”. With the different yoga paths available, there is always one for you.

Here is a simple step by step guide on how you can do some yoga wherever you feel you are comfortable doing:

Prepare your yoga must-haves

While yes it is true that yoga is very simple and not at all demanding, doing it will require you to invest of some stuff. Not rubber shoes, of course! Have a yoga mat. There are different types of yoga mats available but you would definitely want a mat where you do not easily slip so that it will not distract you from doing yoga properly. If you cannot find any yoga mats in nearby stores, you can be creative and improvise. You can use a carpet, or a towel or a fleece blanket. Just do not use the lack of proper things to use as an excuse for you to procrastinate. You need not have to invest into gym gears. Just find some clothes that are comfortable for you, clothes that will not limit your movements.

Look for a good spot where you can do yoga

The most ideal is probably in the comforts of your home. You can use your living room. Move the furnitures so you can have a good space. If you prefer the outdoor and you have a good frontyard or backyard, you can also pick that spot. Just make sure that the spot you are going to pick is what you feel is comfortable for you and that the spot is quiet, calming, and peaceful. If you can concentrate more if you have a soft, soothing background music and scented candles, you may opt to have them to accentuate the calmness of your environment.

Schedule your yoga practice

You need to dedicate some free time to do yoga and identify which time of the day and which day of the week you will be using. This one is truly important so that you can create a regular yoga habit. Practicing yoga, like the usual typical exercise, is more effective if you do it regularly, not only when you feel like doing so. Therefore, plan this wisely.

Although most routines require 60-90 minutes of undisturbed time, it is okay if you only do yoga for 10 minutes. Even with those few number of minutes, after some time, you will feel the difference.

Choose the yoga routine that is ideal for you

Before delving into the whole yoga routine, you need to determine first which routine is ideal for you. Get to know your body first, assess yourself and your capabilities then, choose which routine is appropriate. If you chose enrolling into yoga classes instead, it would not be a problem because, more likely, the instructors know what they are doing and they know what can work and cannot work for you. But since you want to practice at home, what you can do is watch yoga classes online or buy yoga DVDs. Before you click that button of the yoga session you can follow online or before you purchase that yoga DVD, do some research or might as well just look for “Yoga for Beginners” videos. Then as you go along, and as you get comfortable, that is when you can go do much more difficult routines.

Do not be discouraged

There might be different postures or positions that would seem difficult for you but that should not be a reason for you to give up. Try to do those positions even if you cannot do it the first, the second or the third try but, you will notice that you improve as you go along and then eventually, you would be able to do that difficult position. It just takes time and your body just needs some adjustments along the way. Which brings to this point: once you are comfortable with easy routines, go a level higher, a level which is still comfortable for your body.

Enjoy!

Enjoy practicing yoga as part of your routine and you will see much more how beneficial yoga is for your body. Like what they always say, when you enjoy what you are doing, it will feel so natural that you would not look at it as something that you have to do, but as something that you love to do.

Friendly Tips/Reminders:

• Chant a mantra to get a proper mindset. This is very important during the start of every routine.
• Chanting and meditation during yoga practice may lead to better concentration and much clearer focus. You may add this to your routine if you think this works for you.
• Never skip warm up. Sun salutation is an effective warm up that you can do for your muscles and also your mind to be prepared.
• Always practice Savasana after yoga practice. Your body needs rest after a practice, regardless of the duration.

So ready that yoga mat, ready that yoga video and then…..start!

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