Yoga is a collection of ancient beliefs dating back thousands of years which is also believed in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism traditions as a spiritual goal that must be pursued through self-discipline. In Western countries, yoga is generally known as a physical exercise in the form of asanas or certain poses rather than as a way to achieve spiritual awareness. There are various ways to apply and understand the philosophy of yoga, including through strengthening exercises, relaxation, increasing energy, stretching the body, and controlling the mind. Anyone can practice yoga, from practicing asanas to meditating and doing various breathing techniques.
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Part 1 of 3: Preparing Yourself Before Starting to Practice Yoga
Step 1. Determine your goals for practicing yoga
Before you start practicing yoga, try to figure out why you want to practice. Yoga can be used for physical exercise, reducing and managing stress, a way to heal illness or injury, and as a path to spiritual enlightenment that brings you true happiness and peace.
- Determine what aspects of the benefits you want to gain, whether it is strength, flexibility, stamina, or overcoming anxiety and depression. In addition, you can also improve your overall well-being by practicing yoga.
- Write down the goals of your practice. Review these goals frequently and add new ones to keep yourself challenged. For example, your goal could be “practice more often” or “I want to master lolasana.”
Step 2. Recognize that there is no “good” or “right” yoga term
There are many styles and ways of practicing yoga and there will always be a yoga practitioner who is more experienced than you. One thing you need to know, yoga is not a competition and different from sports in general. Yoga is a personal practice that involves calming the mind, relaxing and developing physical abilities that will enrich your life and improve your body condition.
- Anyone can practice and enjoy the benefits of yoga. You can improve your physical and mental health by incorporating yoga into your daily routine, even if you can only practice 10 minutes a day.
- It can take some time to find a particular style and place to practice yoga that you like. Similarly, finding a yoga teacher that best suits your desires and goals, may have to go through repeated trials.
- Keep an open mind and be nonjudgmental. Instead of thinking, "My body isn't flexible enough, I definitely can't practice yoga," realize that "Yoga will help improve my flexibility."
- Remember that there is no competition in yoga. Everyone has different abilities and the purpose of yoga is for you to focus on yourself, not what other people are doing.
Step 3. Prepare equipment that can help you practice
At least you need to prepare a yoga mat. As a tool, you should also prepare yoga ropes and blocks, large blankets, and bolsters. These aids will enhance and deepen your practice and provide a sense of comfort as you practice.
You can buy these mats and equipment at a sports supply store, yoga studio, or online yoga equipment seller
Step 4. Wear clothes that are quite loose and comfortable
Wear clothes that are comfortable and breathable so that you can perform various movements and stretching poses better. Plus, you won't feel tormented by clothes that are too tight or uncomfortable.
- No need to wear special clothes for yoga. Wear clothes that are not too tight so that you feel comfortable while practicing. Women can wear leggings, sleeveless T-shirts, and sports bras. Men can wear shorts for exercise and a t-shirt.
- When you want to try more challenging poses, choose pants and shirts that are a bit tight to keep your outfit neat.
- If you want to practice Bikram yoga which is done indoors with a heater or Jivamukti yoga with more intense poses, you should wear clothes that are comfortable and easy to absorb sweat.
Step 5. Find a comfortable place to practice
If you want to try practicing yoga at home before joining a class, find a quiet and comfortable place. You need a room that is large enough to be able to move freely and not be seen from the outside.
- Place the mat at a distance of 10-20 cm from the wall or other objects so you don't bump it.
- Find a quiet, quiet place to practice so that no one can distract you. In addition, you should find a comfortable place to practice. A humid place or a room that is too cold is not the right choice.
Step 6. Warm up Surya Namaskara
You have to prepare yourself properly by warming up because there will be a lot of movement in the yoga practice. Prepare your muscles and mind by doing a few rounds of Surya Namaskara.
There are three series of Surya Namaskaras. As a warm-up, do 2-3 rounds of Surya Namaskara A, B, and C. A variety of movements in this warm-up will activate and prepare your muscles so that your body is more secure and flexible during practice
Step 7. Learn some asanas in yoga
There are so many yoga poses or asanas that you can practice starting from challenging poses that require a lot of energy to easy ones that make you feel relaxed. Start with a pose that you like, is comfortable to do, and is in accordance with your goals for practicing yoga.
- There are four groups of yoga poses: standing poses, inversion poses, back arching poses, and forward bending poses. Try one or two poses from each group to balance your workout.
- The standing poses are mountain pose (tadasana), tree pose (vrksasana), and a series of warrior poses (virabhadrasana I, II, and III).
- The inversion pose is the pose of standing with hands (mukha vrksasana) and standing while resting on the head (salamba sirsasana).
- Back arching poses include grasshopper pose (salabhasana), cobra pose (bhujangasana), and bridge pose (setu bandha sarvangasana).
- As an intermediate move, you can do twists to neutralize and lengthen your spine to alternate between arching your back and bending your body forward, if you prefer. Some of the poses performed by twisting the body include twisting the body while crossing the legs (bharadvajasana) or fish pose (ardha matsyendrasana).
- The forward bending of the body is the pose of bringing the body closer to the feet (paschimottanasana) and the star pose (tarasana).
- End your practice by resting in corpse pose (savasana) which will give you the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of your recent yoga practice session.
- Hold in each asana for 3-5 breaths.
- Perform the asana by repeating the same pose on the other side so that both sides of your body get a balanced exercise.
- You can find video tutorials for beginners specific to yoga on the wikiHow website or elsewhere on the internet.
Step 8. Focus on your breath
Breathing in yoga or pranayama is one of the important techniques that must be mastered in practicing yoga. Focusing on the breath will allow you to do the asanas better, get to know your own body better, and feel more relaxed.
- Breathing exercises (pranayama) will facilitate the flow of oxygen in your body. This breathing exercise is done by taking a deep breath and exhaling regularly through the nose. For example, inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 2, then exhale for a count of four. Adjust this count to your abilities.
- To get the best results from this breathing exercise, sit with your back straight, pull your shoulders back slightly, and keep your posture from slouching. Breathe in by inhaling and exhaling gently while focusing on your stomach. Pull your stomach in so that your lungs and ribs expand.
- You can also practice the ujayyi breathing technique which will help you perform better yoga poses. Ujayyi breathing is done by inhaling and exhaling through the nose while making a smooth sound like the sound of the sea.
Step 9. Make time to practice yoga as often as possible
Whether you choose to practice asanas, breathing, or poses to achieve your goal of practicing yoga, you can do anything at any time. The more you practice, even if you only have 10-15 minutes, the more lessons and benefits you will get from yoga.
Play some music, light a candle, or find a place where you can relax and forget about your problems
Part 2 of 3: Choosing a Yoga Class
Step 1. Decide what you want out of your yoga class
Yoga has developed so much that there are so many styles and ways of practicing it, each focusing on a different thing. Try taking yoga classes with different styles and instructors until you find the one you like the most.
- Try asking yourself what you want to achieve through yoga. Ask a variety of questions and consider some ways of practicing that can answer.
- Do I want an exercise that can strengthen, shape, and nourish my body? You can try taking a Vinyasa, Ashtanga, or Jivamukti class.
- Do I want an exercise that can flex stiff muscles? Try taking a Bikram, Iyengar, Kundalini, or Hatha class.
- Do I want to relax my body? Try taking a restorative yoga class, Yin, Sivananda or Jivamukti.
- Do I want to improve my thinking skills? Yoga practice in general will improve thinking skills, but try to join Kundalini, restorative, Sivananda, Yin, or Jivamukti yoga which specifically provide these benefits.
- Do I want to practice to feel challenged? Try practicing Ashtanga or Jivamukti yoga.
Step 2. Find the right yoga instructor
While there is no national yoga instructor certification program, each yoga school has its own instructor certification program. Look for instructors who are qualified and certified according to the type of yoga practice you want to participate in. A good yoga instructor should be nice and able to make you feel comfortable.
- An instructor must be willing to understand the needs of his students, even during class.
- An instructor must have a positive attitude, sociable, and energetic.
- An instructor should have a fairly in-depth knowledge of the philosophy, practice, and history of yoga.
- An instructor must be able to provide constructive feedback and guidance when needed or requested.
Step 3. Find a community or studio that you are comfortable with
Each yoga studio will offer different ways of practicing yoga and have different energies. There are also studios that provide food and tend to be more general, while others provide opportunities for members to get to know themselves better.
- Pay attention to the ability level of other members. Would you like to be tutored by other students who are more experienced in your class or would you prefer to study with others at the same level? A good studio will open classes of various levels starting from beginner to advanced classes, even yoga classes for pregnant women and after giving birth.
- Many yoga studios will let you join your first practice for free, so take this opportunity to try a few nearby until you find a studio and instructor you like. There is no need to limit yourself to one studio or instructor because the more yoga classes you take, the more your yoga practice will grow.
Step 4. Practice yoga while working
Some yoga studios offer free classes for those willing to help out at the guest table, sweep the studio, or clean the locker room. Try asking if a yoga studio near your home offers this opportunity. This is a great way to save money and be part of the yoga community in your neighborhood.
Step 5. Try practicing online
While the best way to learn yoga is to take a class that provides feedback and motivation, you can still learn new yoga poses and techniques through information-packed websites. There are lots of yoga-specific websites that upload thousands of videos about various yoga practice techniques along with detailed explanations.
- A quick search on the internet will show you for free a variety of poses of varying skill levels.
- Find out the qualifications of a teacher or trainer who teaches online. You should look for classes with certified instructors.
- If you don't have time to practice at a yoga studio, some sites offer one-to-one classes that teach online webcam yoga with a professional yoga instructor.
Part 3 of 3: Deepening Your Yoga Practice
Step 1. Determine your training intentions
A good yoga practice must have intention. You will feel more satisfied in your practice by taking the time to dedicate your practice to something or someone.
- Gently place your palms together, starting at the ball of your palm and working your way up to your fingers so that you feel like you're praying. Leave a gap between your palms if you want to feel the energy flow.
- If you don't already know what your intentions are, try to have something as simple as "letting go" something that happened.
Step 2. Increase the duration of your workout
If you're comfortable with the exercises you've been doing, try increasing the duration of the exercises by holding each pose longer and changing asanas without interruption. If you can, do new, more challenging poses.
Yoga classes usually last from 60 to 90 minutes, so you can adjust the movements and poses you want to practice according to that length
Step 3. Intensify your practice
Once you're comfortable with a regular workout, try to increase the intensity of your workout. You can do this by holding each pose a little longer and challenging yourself to learn the more difficult poses.
- Try doing certain poses like attacking or half-crouching in a lower position.
- Increase the speed of alternating asanas to increase the intensity of the exercise.
- Combine some of the more difficult asanas from each group of poses. For example, you could try a head-on pose by doing a tripod (sirsasana II) instead of holding your body with your forearms and elbows.
Step 4. Increase your exercise frequency
One of the best ways to deepen your yoga practice is to add more practice days. You can train 5-7 days a week. If you make yoga a part of your daily routine, the positive effects of yoga will benefit your physical and mental health.
Step 5. Start by meditating
Many people like to start their practice by chanting a mantra or meditating. This method can eliminate distracting thoughts, focus more on breathing and energy, and increase awareness of your mind and body.
- You can start meditating and/or chanting the aum mantra as the most basic sound.
- If you chant a mantra, you will feel the vibration of the mantra in your lower abdomen. If you haven't felt these vibrations, try sitting up straighter.
- You can choose another spell. The Mahamantra, which is also known as the great Hare Krishna mantra can help you achieve peace of life and peace of mind. This Mantra can be repeated as many times as you want by chanting: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
- Let your thoughts come any time. You can learn to focus and let go of whatever you can't control.
- Each time you need to refocus your mind, repeat the words "no" when you inhale and "what" when you exhale.
- Meditation is an important aspect of yoga that must be done consistently. You will have good days and bad days and accept it as part of your life journey.
Step 6. Set new goals
If you started practicing yoga with only one goal, such as wanting to live a healthy life or finding serenity to relieve stress, try setting other goals for your practice. If you've been focusing only on your body or mind, try starting to focus on your body and mind at the same time.
The practice you combine with chanting and meditation will sharpen your focus on the practice
Step 7. Keep practicing
Yoga can provide invaluable benefits and you can reap it by practicing regularly. Remember that yoga is a personal practice, in no way related to whether or not you can do certain poses correctly like people who do them in videos or photos. Yoga is a journey to asanas, enlightenment, or whatever your goal is. Take this journey with an open mind and an open heart.
Warning
- There should never be any pain while practicing yoga. If you experience pain when performing a certain pose, replace it with an easier pose. Don't force yourself to practice. If there is still pain when you do a certain pose, don't go ahead and try another pose.
- Pay close attention when changing poses because it is very easy to get injured if you push yourself too much when changing poses.
