Do You Need To Be Flexible To Try Yoga?

What do picture when you think of yoga? While some may have different ideas of what exactly yoga entails, most have a very familiar reaction to the concept of this ancient discipline. At the mere sound of the word, we picture a person (or, to use a better word, virtually a contortionist) wrapped in to some seemingly impossible pose. We see legs behind ears, backs twisted in to almost incomprehensible shapes and poses. It all looks positively terrifying, we consider; even if the human body can bend like that in some situations, following intense training, that doesn’t necessarily mean it should!

These images often feature celebrities, particularly Madonna, who is a big fan of proving just how flexible she is even though she’s in her sixth decade. While impressive (and to some, freaky), these pictures of impossible poses are not really a true reflection of what yoga is, or what it’s trying to achieve. Taken further, one could argue these poses are actually off-putting for people who want to try yoga – but are quite sure their foot does not, and never will, belong behind their ears.

If you have always been curious about yoga, but somewhat scared that your first class will end in pain, fear no more. You do not, under any circumstances, need to be super flexible to try yoga. It is the discipline itself that allows these extreme poses to be possible, and achieving such feats can take years of dedication and practice – and even then it is entirely option. Yoga will increase your flexibility, but you don’t need to have a core flexibility to begin to learn yoga. Stiff and non-bendy people are just as welcome as the Madonnas of this world!

At-Home Yoga Videos: Useful, or A Problem?

If the decade best known as the Noughties brought us anything en masse, it was the celebrity fitness video. Every January – of course, perfectly timed to coincide with the January weight loss boom that occurs when people make New Year’s resolutions – celebrities would release fitness DVDs, showing off their own lesser figures and encouraging us to follow their example. Yoga did not escape this trend; with celebrities like Geri Halliwell going as far as doing their own videos, and other well-known converts like Madonna and Courtney Cox-Arquette instilling the virtues of yoga in to our minds, yoga was “in”.

However, with every new celebrity yoga devotee and every new DVD, yoga experts were regularly consulted by the tabloid press – who were quick to dismiss this new “yoga in a box” way of learning. Yoga is, they argued, too complex to be mastered – or even practiced safely – in the comfort of your own home, with no one but an inane celebrity to guide you.

Is there any truth in that, or were the traditional yoga teachers just rebelling against a perceived threat to their livelihoods? Well, a little from column A, a little from column B. Yoga is always best learnt with a qualified, respectable teacher, in a safe location where you can be assisted should physical difficulties arise.

On the other hand, attending a class is not possible for some people due to a busy home, work or social life. So celebrity DVDs do have their uses, and are usually for beginners’ – so the risk of injury is minimal. So long as you warm up and cool down properly, use them freely for a quick yoga boost if you can’t make a class.

How To Find A Yoga Class Near You

You’ve made the choice: yoga is for you, it’s something you want to try and you want to find somewhere to start your learning. Congratulations, you’re at the start of a much-vaulted and much-celebrated road which may well lead to physical fitness as well as an inner calm.

Now all you need to do is find a local yoga class. Your first port of call should be the local gymnasiums. Although yoga is not only offered at gyms, this is far and away the most popular place for yoga classes to be held. The reasons are simple; existing exercise rooms lend themselves well to yoga, with their clear floors and bright lights, and most people who attend a gym have an interest in physical fitness as it is – so it makes sense for them to be able to get all of their fitness needs met in one familiar building.

In most cases, you will not have to purchased a full gym membership to attend a yoga class at the facility. This is always a good option for general physical health, but by no means essential. You will usually pay for a six-week course up front, though the length of the initial payment period may differ depending on your location. If you do join the gym, the class fee will usually be reduced for gym members, so check that out.

If you don’t like the sound of the gym, check your local Yellow Pages or listings. You may be able to find an independent practitioner to learn from in your own home, so keep that as an option.

What To Wear To A Yoga Class

The vast majority of us put an effort in to our appearance – even when we’re exercising, we’d rather look as good as possible rather than sweaty and miserable. If you are thinking of taking up yoga, the same practice of wanting to be “well turned out” applies. Yet with an unknown discipline, it can sometimes be difficult to select what to wear, as you’re unsure of exactly what you’ll be doing.

One way to deal with this is to go along to the end of one of the yoga classes prior to the one you’ll be attending, and – without being obvious – have a quick look at what everyone is wearing. As every class, every gym and even every city is slightly different in what they wear, this is the best way of discovering ‘common practice’ at your local gym. Alternatively, when you sign up for the class, ask what it is recommended that you wear. Don’t worry about this, as the question has doubtless been asked before, and it will provide the answers you seek.

If, however, that all sounds a little too forthright, you can go for an “anything works” option – something that will fit in everywhere. Many people who practice yoga work in leotards, skin tight lycra ensembles that allow for maximum flexibility – so that’s an option if you’re brave enough for such exposure. If you’d rather be a little more covered, a baggy tee-shirt and stretchy leggings work well. Just ensure you can move freely, without any restrictive fabric, and all will be well.

The Etiquette of a Yoga Class

Going in to a new situation is always a little bit worrying, no matter how confident you are in yourself. There’s always the worry that you won’t be wearing the right things, that you won’t know the rules, that you’ll make a mistake that might not officially be a ‘rule’ but is an unspoken agreement. For some people, this fear of making ‘beginner’ mistakes is enough to totally put them off doing things they want to do.

Exercise classes are always difficult to join, and can make even the most self assured person feel uncomfortable. Yoga classes all the more so, as one is almost lead to believe you will be approaching a zen-like situation in which you are expecting to close your eyes and hum and all other manner of Hollywood-inspired practices. If you have concerns about a yoga class, all you need is a brief etiquette in yoga. It’s really very simple, and will make the classes more enjoyable.

Yoga is primarily taught in silence, with only the Yogi (the person leading the class) regularly speaking. However, if you’re having any questions or queries – and particularly if you’re feeling uncomfortable – then you are perfectly within your rights to ask for guidance. Do so by raising your hand, it may feel childish but it’s polite.

By and large, the class itself and your instructor should be your sole focus. Be polite, and within time you will adapt to the natural rhythm of the class, and fit in just fine.

A Yoga Glossary – To Help You With The Terminology

One thing that the eagle eyed will no doubt have noticed about yoga is the prevalence of non-English words and their importance in the complex lexicon of yoga. It is used to refer to specific poses, to elements of the exercises, breathing techniques and in greetings, and even the word “yoga” itself comes from a Sanskrit term. Here are some helpful tips on the Sanskrit terminology used in yoga.

The word that you will hear repeated time and again separately from any exercise is namaste. Literally translated it means “I bow to you” and is used as a respectful, cheerful greeting. It can also be used to mean “thank you” and is usually accompanied by clasped palms over the heart and a small bow of the head. You may also hear at the start and finish of your classes a simple chant of “om”. This is to signify the union of body, mind and spirit in one, the whole universe in a single sound. It is pronounced more like “a-um”

The word “Yoga” itself similarly refers to a union of soul and spirit through yogic exercises. Different types of yoga referred to by their Sanskrit names include Ashtanga – a physically challenging form of yoga; Ananda – a more gentle, inward form of the practice; Iyengar – a form noted for its attention to detail and the frequent use of external props; Vinyasa is a word which represents the flow of interconnected yogic poses, linked together by breath work in one continuous motion.

Something To Meditate Upon

Whether or not you are religious, and whether or not you are spiritual, there are genuine benefits to meditation, and involving it in your yoga regime can really pay off big-time if you are stressed, depressed or concerned about anything. While meditation is a big part of yoga for those who are spiritual, there is a way of meditating that is entirely separate from any “bigger questions”, as it were. Should you wish to, you can simply choose to meditate on a positive thought. The more you do this, the more positive thinking will become a habit.

Say, for example, that you have been suffering from stress for a while. The one thing you will most want to meditate upon will be calm – you will want a sense of inner calm upon which to meditate. Let this be your focus, and take a seat with your legs crossed somewhere quiet. Close your eyes, relax, and repeat your focus word on the exhalation as you breathe slowly and naturally.

If your mind wanders, do not let it drag you away, just don’t engage the thoughts. Let your mind wander back to you. By doing this you enable your mind to stay concentrated on what you are meditating upon. The optimum duration for a spell of meditation is considered to be between ten and twenty minutes, but if you have nothing pressing to be getting on with, then you can go a few minutes over without worrying about it. After all, this s all about clearing your mind of worry.

The Three-Part Breath – A Relaxation Exercise To Cherish

One yoga exercise that is beneficial in a number of settings – not least for insomniacs and sufferers of stress – is known as the “Three Part Breath”. You will see in a moment how it got its name, but you can probably already guess. As you will see, this exercise works very well when lying in bed.

You begin by lying flat on your back with your eyes closed. Allow your face and then your body to relax. Simply lie there paying attention to your breath, Do not modify it at all, at this point, just let it in and out. If your mind keeps chiming in with unwelcome thoughts, let them go and keep thinking about your breath.

Slowly, inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to fill up with breath until it feels totally full. Once you come to exhale, breathe back out through your nose, ensuring that you empty your belly properly. Repeat this process for a total of five breaths.

The next time you inhale, allow the belly to fill with air and then take in a little bit more. This will cause your ribs to widen. When you exhale, repeat the previous process of breathing out through your nose until your belly is clear. You will repeat this process again for five breaths.

The third and final part of the three-part breath is as follows: You repeat the steps above for breathing in and once you have got to the point where the ribs expand, take in a little more again, allowing it to expand your upper chest. When you breathe out, similarly let it all go. Once you are doing this, repeat it for about ten breaths and then relax. By now, you should feel very chilled and ready to sleep.

Use Yoga To Say Bye-Bye To Stress

Anyone who suffers from stress can easily bear witness to the destruction that it causes. For anyone who has had to live with stress – or live with someone who lives with it – the effects are quite distressing. It rips the enjoyment out of things you had come to rely on. It can lead to you taking your anger and annoyance out on undeserving friends and family, with harsh words or worse. Learning yoga can be an excellent way to beat stress and get your smile back – something that some sufferers can easily end up thinking will never happen.

Yoga helps to beat stress in three major ways; the first is the exercise itself. Exercise in general causes the body to release endorphins – the brain’s own happy chemicals that allow you to feel chilled out. Yoga also works to release muscle tension, which lets the body feel more relaxed – a message it will soon pass on to the brain.

The second beneficial element of yoga for stress relief is the effect of breath control. Breath control, or Pranayama, is a part of the exercise regime of yoga that can be taken separately from the exercises themselves. When you know how to control your breath – yes, it sounds stupid but bear with it – you can find yourself quickly adapting to take deep breaths when you are feeling stressed. This normally leads to the stress lifting very quickly.

Finally, yoga helps you to clear your mind. One major cause of stress is constant thoughts of what you should be doing, what you will have to do tomorrow, and how you are going to deal with situations. Once you learn to clear your mind through meditation, you will be much closer to a stress-free life.

How Yoga Can Help With Your Back Pain

It may seem like an insane suggestion, given the poses that some of the experts manage to find themselves in, but if you suffer from back pain you may find that the answer to your problems lies in yoga. One caveat to this is that you should always speak to your doctor before signing up for classes – yoga can be great for back pain, but there are some injuries and conditions that it may aggravate. Ask your doctor whether you can do basic yoga and to give you some advice on how far you can go.

After you have spoken to your doctor, you should go to a qualified yoga teacher and sign up. It is essential that you do not try to teach yourself – there is a reason that you need to be qualified to teach yoga, and if you ignore the facts it can end up with you aggravating your back pain. A trained teacher will be able to work within your limitations, showing you how you can exercise to first avoid, and then potentially even reduce your pain.

The reason that yoga can be so beneficial for sufferers of back pain is that there is often a discrepancy between the strength of your back muscles and their flexibility. This causes muscle tension, which can be reduced by the correct yoga exercises. Remember, yoga exercises help to improve your core strength and flexibility, achieving the balance that makes everything else so much easier. For long-term sufferers of back pain, yoga has proven to be a lifeline, allowing them to get on with their lives when they had thought they’d be stuck with the pain forever.

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