Private Yoga Lessons: Yoga for Beginners. Yoga Poses for Beginners That Will Make Your Dog Go "What The..." (2 page)

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A religion or cult.
People need constant guidance, and this is clearly depicted in history. When doing yoga, this is clearly your own personal choice. However, as a yogi, you need to understand that the practice can’t be found in a single guide book or bible. The teachings of each yogi master are developed according to their respective experience, their body’s motion range and qualities, body limits and spiritual growth. Blindly following someone’s teaching means also preparing yourself for certain setbacks that you may encounter along the way. This is because your teachers, no matter how experienced, are still mere humans.   

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Merely about poses.
When practicing yoga, the poses are considered meditation in movement. Moving while meditating, you are freeing your breath to experience a clear mind as you execute each pose. Still, yoga poses don’t need to be in a specific form. It is more like finding which position is most comfortable for you so you can stay still for meditation. However, despite everything, if you have a mind that is filled with negativity, you are not practicing yoga, but merely executing the poses.  

Y
oga by way of meditation has remarkable effects on people. It is very effective in the synchronization of the mind and body for attainment of inner peace and harmony.

Stress is considered as the primary factor that influences every aspect of a person’s emotional, physical and endocrinal system. Personal conflicts tend to weight down an individual. As a result, it greatly affects personal and work relationships, daily performance and interaction with society. Yoga can greatly help correct these things. Listed below are its many benefits:

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Increased lubrication of tendons, joints and ligaments.
Yoga positions have been well-studied, aimed to develop various ligaments and tendons.

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Increased flexibility.
Different yoga postures and poses influence different joints of the body. This includes parts that don’t get tapped with standard exercises.

According to studies, a person who starts doing yoga, who once doesn’t get involved in exercise routines, experience a remarkable flexibility with constant practice. Even certain body parts that normally don’t get purposely worked upon become flexible as well.

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Massages every organ in the body.
Among all exercises that ever existed, yoga is by far the only practice known to thoroughly work all internal organs of the body, including the ones that barely get stimulated under normal circumstances.

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Total body detoxification.
Yoga doesn’t only massage every organ in the body; it effectively helps supply blood to the entire system. In the process, this practice provides total body detoxification.

With detoxification, harmful toxins are eliminated from the body. With regular practice, you will definitely notice a dramatic change, like increased zest, energy, delayed ageing and many more.

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Very effective for mental relaxation.
Yoga practice trains a person how to relax effectively. This includes learning how to calm the mind, self-acceptance and encourage positive thoughts. The more you practice yoga, the more efficient and in-control you will be in handling stressful situations.

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Enhances physical appearance. 
Many people who practice yoga develop a strong, toned and flexible body. Since it efficiently enhances the metabolism, you experience increased vitality and energy. Yoga is also known to relieve pain.

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Increased spiritual awareness.
When you start practicing yoga, you will eventually develop an increased sense of awareness. This is because yoga merges the spirit, mind and body. As a result, you become more sensitive to your feelings and your body, people surrounding you and many more. In the process, this helps you eliminate the negativities in your life resulting in an incredible feeling of calmness.

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oga comes in many types. As a beginner, you may wonder which style would be most suitable for you. There is no definite answer for this because every opinion differs. If you are not physically active in the past, start with the slower and gentler types of yoga. Obviously, you have to go through the basics first. Endurance and flexibility are developed over time with constant yoga practice.

Remember, for the initial stage of yoga for beginners, it’s advisable to choose the one that perfectly matches your health condition, fitness level, physical endurance and spiritual objective. Listed below are different types of yoga recommended for beginners. Use them as your guide to determine which one will be most appropriate for you level.

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Iyengar Yoga

This is one of the best types of yoga for beginners. The primary focus of this type of yoga is on the proper alignment and precise movement of the body. Beginners are advised to use accessories for support, like straps and blocks. This is to avoid injuries and enable you to comfortably execute different poses.

Because of the flexible pose modifications involved with Iyengar yoga, people who constantly experience neck and back pain will benefit greatly from it. With constant practice, this will also remedy bad posture since it primarily focuses on proper body alignment. This type will also expose you to classic yoga poses and postures. Therefore, doing so will already provide you with the basic fundamentals of the other styles. 

Another type of yoga best suited for beginners, Hatha is considered as the all-around yoga style. This is because it primarily focuses on blending relaxation, breathing exercises, meditation and poses. Simply put, the core elements of yoga are combined and thoroughly covered which makes Hatha a great foundation for yoga beginners.

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Bikram Yoga

Also referred to as hot yoga, Bikram Yoga is performed in an extremely warm room. The heat helps in stretching tissues since heat itself is known to effectively loosen muscles, thus making this type of yoga efficient for increased flexibility. Doing yoga exercises in a heated environment also has very soothing effects. According to studies, harmful toxins are released from the body in the process, thus leaving you cleaner and healthier.

One thing to take note of, Bikram Yoga is not advisable for individuals with cardio-vascular diseases. This is because performing exercises in a very warm environment may pose a strain to the body. Some people may also develop adverse effects in such a heated setting. Therefore, it is best to seek the advice of a doctor before starting this type of yoga.

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Ashtanga Yoga

Also known as “power yoga”, the primary focus of Ashtanga Yoga is to develop stamina and strength through strong flowing movements. This is ideal for individuals who have successfully recovered from various back injuries. Athletic individuals are the ones who commonly practice Ashtanga Yoga.

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Mantra Yoga

This is the type of yoga where the student uses potent sounds during meditation. Mental or verbal repetition of sounds like, “hum”, “ram”, “om”, is applied to liberate the mind, body and spirit.

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Vini Yoga

In this yoga style, the individual learns how to effectively link movement and breathing into smooth and flowing exercises. Since the poses of Vini Yoga are easy to adapt, people with neck or back problems can benefit greatly from it.

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Bhakti yoga

Generally recognized as a devotional yoga, the primary focus of Bhakti yoga is the complete surrender of the self to the divine.

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Kundalini Yoga

Among all types of yoga, Kundalini Yoga is considered to be the most exceptional. Its primary focus is on developing breathing techniques mixed with different yoga poses in order for an individual to reach a certain condition of enlightenment. Because of its vaguely spiritual nature, you might be slightly put off as a beginner if you are only doing Kundalini yoga primarily for strength, fitness and flexibility purposes.

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Raja Yoga

Putting primary focus on meditation, the main objective of Raja Yoga is self-liberation. This type is only suitable for individuals with intense concentration capabilities.  

If you want to know more about each type of yoga as well as what other styles are available to you, I recommend reading the other book in this series entitled “
The different types of yoga and their benefits
”.

W
hen you see pictures of people doing yoga positions, you can’t help but get amazed with how easy they look when executing the poses. Just like everything else, you have to start somewhere. In order to avoid frustration when starting out, it helps to check out different yoga tips that you can use as a guide. Different yoga variations require the right approach for proper execution.

In most cases, it’s not unusual to become enthusiastic when starting out with yoga. In the beginning, you are keen to put extra effort to learn the program. However, bear in mind that yoga will involve investing lot of effort and patience on your part. It is an intense program which requires constant practice to perfect. Listed below are important advices for beginners that you must put into consideration before starting out with yoga.

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There are so many types of yoga for you to choose from. Each one focuses on different aspects, like fitness, stretching, meditation or strength. Know what you want and choose the type that suits your needs best.

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Get a yoga book or video intended for beginners (like the one you’re reading right now). This way, you will have a clear overview on the right approach when you are just starting. You will also get various tips for beginners and a visual demonstration on how the poses should be executed.