Taking Up Yoga

When taking up yoga, you must look for a course that suits your aims and needs. If you are looking solely for a relaxation course, perhaps Ashtanga yoga is not the most appropriate for you and you might be advised to consider something like Hatha yoga. Generally, people begin with a course in Hatha Yoga, as it is a more gentle introduction into yoga and provides a basic grounding in asanas, pranayamas and meditation.

In this section, we will give some advice for how to take up yoga and some of the things you should consider when starting and, most importantly of all, where to begin searching for your ideal course.

Below are some useful practical tips for those of you beginning yoga:

Choose a teacher that suits you

It is vital to ensure the teacher that you choose has valid certification and experience. The more experience they have, the better. During the class, it is important to ensure that your instructor respects your physical limits and does not push you more than you can manage at first.

A good yoga teacher will adapt the classes as effectively as possibly to the needs of their students; they will respect the pace of the class as a whole and hopefully select the postures that are most suited to the aims of everybody. However, if after trying a few classes, you are unhappy with any aspect of the class you can talk over your concerns with your instructor.

Develop your own Yoga style

As mentioned above, when beginning, most people decide to go in for a much gentler form of yoga such as, Kripalu Yoga, Viniyoga. Styles such as Bikram, Ashtanga and Power Yoga may be too demanding for someone who has never done yoga, especially if you do not possess a very flexible physique.

Loosen up before starting

It is crucial to loosen the body up before embarking on any yoga session. In fact, due to the demanding nature of the discipline, a warm up of 10 to 15 minutes is usually recommended. When in a yoga class, your instructor should direct a thorough warm up session before beginning any of the asanas.

To begin with, the circulation must be increased and this can be achieved with a gentle jog around the room or the area in which you are practising. Not only does this help increase circulation, but also lubricates the joints and prepares your body for stretching. The idea of a warm up is to take the body from simple to tougher movements. A comprehensive warm up session will prepare the body for the stretches that are to follow, will make you feel more comfortable when performing them and, hopefully, will avoid any injury or harm to the body.

Avoid some poses

Some poses are simply not suitable for beginners and this is something that your instructor should know and respect. Asanas such as Halasana, Sarvangasana, Sirshasana and Padmasana should only be attempted by experts as, if not done correctly and with a high degree of flexibility already, you can place serious strain on your joints and discs, which in the long term can lead to serious injury.

Look after your back well

In yoga, there can be considerable stress placed on the spine. It is highly important that when bending forward from any standing position you try and keep your knees a little bent and pivot from your hips, this avoids putting too much pressure on the lower back for instance.

When arching the spine backwards, focus on opening the front of the body and this can be achieved by stretching from your navel to your sternum. Also take care not to over-arch the lower back as this can put excessive pressure on the lumbar discs and create future injury problems.

Use comfortable clothes

The clothes that you use for yoga are vitally important. They must be comfortable, relatively loose-fitting and allow your body to breathe. It is worthwhile wearing clothes that are slightly form-fitting, as the nature of yoga and the poses means that sometimes your shirt can slip down your upper body. Also, it is best to avoid wearing the super slick lycra-type pants worn by many runners, as these could cause you to slide when performing some asanas. Shorts, sweat clothes, or a track suit are recommended.

What else to wear

Yoga is usually practiced barefoot, therefore no extra cost is necessary in particular footwear. Socks or soft-shoes can be worn though.