BEGINNERS GUIDE TO YOGA - Riya Vyas

 Yoga is becoming popular in all parts of the world. For the restless mind, it offers solace. For the sick, it is a boon. For young people, it is the trend of the day to keep them fit, both physically and mentally while some practice Yoga for developing memory, intelligence, and creativity.
 

WHAT IS YOGA?

What does the word Yoga mean? The term YOGA has its verbal root as "Yuj" in Sanskrit. Yuj means 'to join', 'to yoke' or 'to concentrate'.
So what are the entities the practice of Yoga joins? In the traditional sense, Yoga yokes the mind or consciousness. When the mind is calm, harmonious, and concentrated, you gain the right understanding of yourself and others. In the more literal sense, Yoga is a discipline or practice, which includes the adoption of specific bodily postures, breath control, and simple meditation and is widely practiced for health and relaxation.
 

IS YOGA FOR YOU?

Yoga is for everyone. Whether you are a child, teenager, middle-aged or elderly person, yoga is equally effective and efficient for you. I started practicing yoga after my school with my aunt and there has been no looking back since then. I fell in love with it from the very first day.
 
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice. There are multiple styles of yoga, from powerful Ashtanga/Hatha vinyasa classes to soft and mellow flows like yin yoga; from precision and alignment-based Iyengar style yoga to deep relaxing restorative yoga. Depending on where you are in your life and what you desire from your practice, you are very likely to find something that suits your needs.
 
For those looking for some relaxation, calmness, and mental peace, the practice of pranayama, meditation, and yoga nidra is recommended (make sure to build an asana practice before going into a meditative routine).
 

 
Best Yoga for beginners

There are multiple styles of yoga, and what might suit one person might not be the best for the other. However, I would recommend starting with either Hatha yoga or Iyengar yoga so that you develop a basic understanding of asanas, correct alignment, and the flow in which they need to be practiced.
 

Things you need to start your practice

Yoga is a practice that doesn't need much equipment. You can practice anytime anywhere. However, if you want to go deeper into your practice and gradually move towards the advanced postures then I would recommend a good sturdy mat (anti-slip and provides enough cushioning for the joints), a set of yoga blocks and a yoga belt.
 

Benefits of Yoga

There are various benefits of regular yoga practice, some of them are:

1. Strengthens and tones the joints, muscles and tissues. Improves mobility, flexibility and range of motion.
2. Provides deep relaxation at the muscular level.
3. Slowing down the breath and maintaining the balance at pranic level.
4. Increasing creativity and willpower at the mental level.
5. Sharpening the intellect and calming down the mind.
6. Enhancing the awareness, happiness and balance in life.
7. Maintaining harmony and balance within all the organs and systems of the body with least abnormalities.
8. Erases the weakness of the mind, builds willpower and improves mental health.
9. Helps in releasing stress and sleeping better.

How to practice yoga at home?

In these uncertain times it's difficult to go to the studios to practice yoga physically with your teacher, however that should not stop you from your practice.
Following a live online or recorded class with a teacher can provide structure and motivation to your home practice. With the rise of 4G and wifi in phones and laptops, you can practice with any teacher in the comfort of your home.
Always remember it's very easy to find negatives in every situation, but the moment you start finding positives, that is when you actually change your perspective towards life.

If you are unsure of investing money and want to test the waters before making a commitment, reach out to any of the Proyog ambassadors, including me and you can do a drop-in trail class with us. Once you find the teacher that right for you, make a commitment to practice daily and you will see your practice grow and transform in time.
Happy practicing!

RIYA IS A CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHER AND A PROYOG AMBASSADOR. CONNECT WITH HER FOR ONLINE YOGA CLASSES HERE AND FOLLOW HER ON INSTAGRAM.