My Intent is to start a yoga practice
What Does It Mean to Practice Yoga?
If you’ve never done yoga before you may think it’s a series of crazy pretzel poses, or even a religion. It’s neither of these things. In fact, the physical practice of yoga (asana) is just one of eight “limbs” of yoga, which include basically all parts of your life – how you breathe, what you eat, how you are in your relationships, your thoughts, and your work. But most people start with the physical practice of yoga, often because they want to get in shape and become stronger and more flexible. Yoga is great for these things and for calming your mind and body; it’s often described as a form of moving meditation. But keep in mind that yoga is in fact a practice; some days your body will go into every pose with ease, other days you’ll feel stiff and uncomfortable. As you move through each pose in a class or during your home practice, try to tune in to your breath to notice how you’re feeling and to consider ways in which it would feel good to move your body.How Can I Achieve My Intent?An exclusive round-up of the best thinking from leading experts“There are many approaches to yoga. Keep searching until you find one that resonates with you, that makes you feel like a better version of yourself! Ultimately, the purpose of yoga is to remember ourselves as Divine, so look for that essential nature. Start where you are! Remember that it’s a practice; it takes time. Build a strong foundation and always keep a beginner’s mind. You will be guided to breathe. Your teacher will be your outer guide. Allow your breath to be your inner guide. You have gifts and challenges. Your gifts will keep you coming back and your challenges will help you grow. So keep it light, don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun! Yoga is the ultimate journey toward self-understanding and creating fulfillment in our lives.”– Mary Bruce, senior student of Rod Stryker, Anusara Yoga-certified teacher, and former director of the yoga teacher training program at Southwest Institute for Healing Arts in Tempe, Arizona“When starting a yoga practice, it’s best to try several classes and teachers before youchoose one that’s right for you. New students are often not aware that there are differentstyles of yoga and even within the same style teachers differ widely in their demeanor and approach. By sampling a few classes you’ll gain the experience required to feel confident that the instructor and style are a good match with your needs.” — Shobhan Richard Faulds, author of Kripalu Yoga: A Guide to Yoga On and Off the Mat“The single most effective thing that any person can do that would lead to an abundant, peaceful, sustainable world is the change to a vegan diet.” — David Life, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga School and co-author of The Art of Yoga“As you practice yoga, do not try to dominate your body and mind. Instead, be really quiet and listen. Listen to your bones and muscles, to the beating of your heart and the flow of your breath, and to whatever usually gets ignored in the loudness of life. You will stay healthier and injury-free this way, and you may find yourself incredibly fascinating as well!” –Eva Barash, a yoga instructor in Brooklyn, New York, and creator of the “Living Room Yoga” DVD series“There is a right yoga for everybody, a perfect fit. But yoga must be adapted to the individual, not the individual to the yoga. So find an approach to yoga that takes you into account: your age, your body type, your health issues, your lifestyle. You don’t need a perfect body or even to be healthy to do yoga. If you can breathe you can do yoga and it will restore optimal health and intimacy with the nurturing force that is Reality.” — Mark Whitwell, author of Yoga of Heart: The Healing Power of Intimate Connection and the “The Pure Love Project” CD“The motivation to do anything will be easier to sustain if doing that thing feels good to you. Dedicate your yoga practice to helping your body feel better by getting to know more about proper alignment and you will experience a big shift in the regularity of your practice. Who isn’t drawn back time after time to something that makes them feel better? — Desiree Rumbaugh, creator of the “Yoga to the Rescue: Feel Good from Head to Toe” DVD series“I remember my first days of wanting to cultivate a yoga practice and how daunting everything seemed at the time. Where? How? What style? What teacher? How long? So many burgeoning questions and yet I knew that I needed to start somewhere. I learned a basic form of the Sun Salutation and committed myself to practicing three rounds of this every morning before I explored the rest of my day. This radically changed my life and I started to feel more in sync with my own rhythms. This inner attunement began to filter through into every other part of my life, and within a few months my life started to have a whole new meaning. The place to begin yoga is inside your mind and heart. What intention do you hold for yourself at the beginning of each day? Even five minutes of clear and mindful breathing with a few yoga poses will give you a positive shift in your day. Remember: A positive intention, five deep centering breaths, and three Sun Salutations to awaken your body can change your life in the highest of ways!” — Sianna Sherman, an Anusara Yoga-certified yoga teacherWhere Do I Start?The Top Ten Tips for First-Time Yogis
Being a beginner at anything can be exhilarating and terrifying, intimidating as well as inspiring. First-time experiences spawn new hobbies, loves, and habits; however, they also send us scurrying back to the safety of routine if we’re too unsettled or confounded by the new task at hand. Yoga classes confound people all the time. Lack of preparation, unrealistic expectations, and the occasional wave of nausea because no one told you to forgo the nachos can all throw your foray into yogic bliss waaaay off course. Here are 10 tips for newbie yogis:1. Know before you go. Is the class heated? How long is it? Can you rent a mat on-site, or do you need to bring your own? You don’t need to play 20 questions with the studio manager over the phone before your first visit, but you do need to have a vague idea of what you’re getting into. Studios and styles of yoga vary greatly. Some rules of the road are only learned through experience but lots of information is available up-front.2. Hydrate. Most unpleasant first-time yoga experiences and plenty subsequent unpleasant yoga experiences result from lack of preparation, particularly as it relates to nutrition. If you’re venturing into a heated class, this point is especially important: drink lots of water. Similarly, watch what you eat. Yoga aids digestion; however, it can’t do so if it has to compete with a latte, a burrito, two Red Bulls, and an afternoon vending machine raid.
3. Skip the mayhem; arrive early. A common foible among beginners is to arrive just on time or, even, a little late. This isn’t a restaurant opening party, people. Get there early so that you can acquaint yourself with your surroundings and, perhaps, the teacher. The goal here is to beat the rush, so that the studio’s staff can spend enough time helping you get situated before being overrun by throngs of yogi veterans.
4. Back row is best. As previously stated, this is not a restaurant opening party, nor is it a Kayne West concert. The front row is no place for first-timers. The back row is much better, as you’ll get the gist of what to do by those around you (please note: this should not be confused with looking around the room and staring at others, see #8).
5. Dress the part. Skip the gossamer tank tops, booty shorts, and baggy mesh jerseys. Yoga poses demand a lot from your body and attire. You’ll be up, down, upside-down, and backwards. Make sure your clothes can comply.
6. Guys, this is important . . . Doff your hats. Sox cap, Yankees lid, Kevin Federline-inspired fedora, doesn’t matter what it is: Take it off. It’s impractical and, frankly, embarrassing for all involved.
7. Shhhh. Some things are sacred. You don’t gab in church or chatter during your buddy’s back-swing. Similarly, don’t talk in yoga class. Yoga is the experience of reconnecting to yourself. If you want to catch up with a pal, it’s better for everyone if the two of you did so at Starbuck’s.
8. Keep your eyes on the prize. Glimpsing around the room, initially, is somewhat necessary because you don’t know the lingo yet. Looking around for interesting outfits, dating prospects, or distraction from your practice is counter-productive.
9. Experience gratitude. You can practice yoga for the rest of your life, so there’s no need to conquer it all on the first try. Instead of fretting if you fumble with poses, be grateful that you have a healthy body that allows you to try new things, express yourself, and unwind.
10. Rest. Deep, meaningful rest is one of the greatest gifts that yoga practice gives us. Relish this from the start.
–From Rebecca Pacheco, founder of The World According to Om Gal blogBest Sites & Organizations
Bikram’s Yoga College of India (Hot Yoga)Yoga Alliance (to find a YA-registered instructor or school)Yogafinder.com (to find classes near you)
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I have never been able to make yoga a part of my life, but perhaps this 101 will give me the boost I need. We'll see!
I like doing yoga or I shoulf say I love it so much!! I often spend sometime a day doing it…
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