YOGA IS A diverse and broad-ranging practice, defined differently by each individual, covering everything from yogic philosophy, its ancient history and scriptures, meditation and attainment of enlightenment, through to it simply being a way to keep fit: ‘postural yoga’, particularly by people in the West.
Despite the images you see on Facebook or Instagram of well-attired, attractive and very flexible young things in gymnastic style yoga poses, Yoga is intended to be for EVERYONE; regardless of size, age, level of fitness, health issues or available resources. What is more, if you are looking to gain flexibility and strength, become more aware of your body, and possibly be a bit more mindful, then it is never too late to try yoga.
Here are some pointers to help you get started (or re-started) with your yoga practice.
Just Do It!
Just have a go – experiment and explore! There are so many on-line classes and teachers that it is really hard to know where to start. Ask your friends or colleagues for recommendations, or just stick the proverbial ‘pin in the map’ and sign up for a taster session or free trial – most good yoga websites offer this. One-to-one sessions are an excellent way to get an expert headstart.
It’s not an ego-trip
Do not be intimidated by your teacher or others in the class being able to bend themselves into the shape of a pretzel – trying to achieve the perfect, most ridiculously difficult pose is not what yoga is about. Whatever class you choose, your personal mantra should be: “Do what you can, leave what you can’t”, and be comfortable with that – no one is judging you, except yourself!
Why should I?
Yoga is not just a form of exercise, as the benefits you can gain are both physical AND mental. There is no doubt that you will feel physically stronger and more flexible if you do yoga regularly, but you can benefit in quite a subtle way mentally, without having to self-hypnotise yourself into a trance state! Just being quiet, in tune with your body and breath, will help to reduce stress and allow you to feel calm and more relaxed.
The Practicalities
You will need a yoga mat – a surface that won’t allow your hands or feet to slip away from you and cushions your bones from a hard floor.
Wear loose and warm clothes and be inventive: if you can’t stretch far enough or the ground is too hard, feel free to use cushions, books and belts as props, so that you can remain supported and comfortable for the duration of the workout. A good yoga teacher can guide you with this and ensure you do not strain muscles or joints.
Don’t practice yoga straight after a meal. In fact, you should avoid any form of exercise (except walking) for a couple of hours. That way all the energy your body requires to digest your food properly will not be diverted to the cardio-vascular and respiratory systems and cause internal stress, limit the range of your movements or cause abdominal discomfort.
It’s so Simple!
Just enjoy the freedom of feeling the solid floor underneath you, relish the way you can stretch up towards the sky. Allow yourself to focus on the simple things: the sounds around you, watch the trees move outside your window, feel the freshness of the air as you inhale and the warmth of it as you exhale. You will feel more positive, receptive to sensations and ideas, and have that liberating feeling of simply being YOU.
Mindful movement
Expect to start slowly, focussing on your breathing and basic posture, and build up to stronger and more difficult asanas. You should take advantage of the relaxation period (or savasana) and any guided meditation at the end of the class – it will make the whole session a complete mind/body experience. Many yogis would go so far as to say it is the most important part.
Think about the time of day and match the pace of your session to it – reserve a more energetic or dynamic class to earlier in the day, or to revive you during that mid-afternoon slump time. After work, or later in the evening, choose to slow everything down, breathe and move more slowly. Just as you should not try to emulate a cover-girl style extreme poses, you should never just ‘go through the motions’ – if the body does not feel willing to go into strong postures, then take your body to somewhere that intuitively feels natural – you are allowed to just be kind to yourself!
We all get bored of our exercise routines and mixing it up with a new form can help the body to recover and reset itself. Yoga will help you to understand any imbalances in your body and remain aware of them when you go back to your usual routine, so that you can intuitively modify what you do. So just have a go, be open-minded and see where yoga takes you.
#MADEINFITNESS
