5 Easy Ways to Get Into Yoga

It’s International Yoga Day and while the world is uploading pictures and videos on the ‘Gram in various Yoga poses, you are still on the fence. Yes, it could be an overwhelming and intimidating thing to do if you are starting for the first time. So, we are here to convince you by stating some great benefits of practicing Yoga and also help you get started.

Benefits of Yoga

Practising Yoga daily has many benefits, be it for the mind, body, or spirit. Here are our top five reasons why Yoga is remarkable. 

1. Yoga builds your strength. Yoga helps to strengthen your muscles by supporting the body weight in many Asanas. It is thus great for building core strength.
2. Yoga increases your flexibility. One of the best benefits of Yoga is improved flexibility. Yoga lets you stretch your muscles in a gentle way, unlike aggressive flexibility exercises that cause ligament injuries.
3. Yoga improves posture. When you are more robust and more flexible, it is a given that your posture also improves. You have better core strength and the proper structural alignment of the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders helps in the right posture.
4. Yoga reduces stress. Yoga is great for uniting the body, mind, and breathing. By focusing and centering one’s breath, Yoga makes you stay in the present and be mindful. This invariably helps in reducing stress and reduce anxiety.
5. Yoga improves breathing. Pranayama or breathing techniques are vital for improving your air intake and thus boosting your lung capacity. Practicing these techniques is beneficial for getting rid of asthma issues.

Now that you know the benefits of Yoga Practice, let’s get you started.

Getting Started with Yoga

1. Start small. Take ten minutes of your daily routine. Start with stretching exercises followed by Pranayama or breathing exercises. Also, opt for practising one or two poses in a day. Ease your body and mind into it.
2. If you are a beginner, practice in front of a mirror to get your poses right. It is always better to know that you are doing the postures right. So, watch how your body moves.
3. It is better to have a Yoga mat to reduce the risk of slipping. It is also great if you can practice Yoga in a quiet and open place, preferably close to nature. Be it your balcony, or an airy room. While the concept of Hot Yoga where you practice Yoga in a room with a sauna-like temperature, as a beginner, it is better to start small.
4. Choose comfortable clothing like stretchy pants or shorts and a close-fit top. Yoga is done barefoot. So, you do not need those expensive Nike or Skechers. Other accessories you can have are some throw pillows and similar-sized hardcover books to use as Yoga blocks. Blocks are placed on the floor to help modify difficult Asanas and reduce pressure on your spine and joints.
5. You can always check out reliable YouTube videos or attend a nearby Yoga class. Learning from a teacher is way different from self-practice. A teacher will help in correcting your postures and you will be way more confident.

Here are some Easy Beginner Yoga Poses You Can Try

We hope that we have convinced you to take up Yoga. As we mentioned before, start small and reap the many benefits of this practice.