If including yoga in your daily life is on your mind, you must know that it is a great way of becoming physically and mentally fit. We know that yoga provides multiple benefits, however, if you are suffering from the ‘Where to start’ syndrome, fret not. There are many like you. Starting anything afresh is not easy. Adjusting the daily routine to accommodate the new activity with persistent consistency is not always easy. Here’s how you can start your yoga journey.
Start from the beginning
Yoga is such a huge ocean of different elements, that deciding where to start can become an overwhelming task. Where and how to start is a dilemma that most beginners face. Is it better to begin with meditation or pranayama or do asanas straightaway – these are some questions that every beginner has in mind. The easiest and most effective way is to start with the basics. Opt for simple asanas and continue doing them till you become comfortable with them or develop enough strength and stamina in your body that practicing those asanas starts coming to your naturally. Once this is accomplished, you can move on to practicing the more complex ones.
If you have been following other forms of exercise or fitness regimens and you already possess a certain degree of strength and flexibility, you can begin with Hatha yoga. Once you get acquainted with the basics of it, you can follow it up with doing vinyasa or flow yoga. It is recommended to wait a little bit more before you practice Ashtanga, Bikram or Hot yoga as they require more physical endurance. The slow and steady approach is the best suited for yoga practicing.
How to practice yoga regularly
To begin with, start with a short session of yoga, and slowly build on the duration and complexity of asanas. Some might be able to move up the complexity ladder faster than others. There is no benchmark for it. Go as your body tells you and you will never go wrong with it.
How often to do yoga
Again, beginning slowly is the ideal way to approach this. Practice 3 or 4 times a week in short durations. This will help your body to slowly settle into the new routine and accept the physical changes that might occur due to the asanas. You will feel your flexibility, physical strength and bodily motions getting better. More frequent and shorter durations are ideal for beginners as they allow you to ease into the routine. Remember, don’t overdo it. Sessions of 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times a week should be a great start. This way you will be able to feel the changes more noticeably. You can opt to go even slower if that’s how you feel comfortable.
Following up with a solid start
Overcoming the initial resistance is the most difficult part of starting any new task. The same is true for yoga as well. Anything, when done consistently, provides its benefits. One way of ensuring that you don’t leave it mid-way is to get better at doing asanas.
This is a cyclic process. The more you will practice, the better you will get at it and the more benefits you will be able to reap. These benefits will keep encouraging you to continue. Here’s how you can ensure it:
Create a proper routine. Whether you attend a yoga class or do it at home, fix a time and stick to it. Slowly and steadily increase the number of days you do it and the duration of practice. This will help you keep getting better at it, till a point where you will be able to do even the most complex yoga asanas with absolute ease.
Attend workshops on yoga. A lot of these workshops are about motivating yourself and striking a balance between your daily life and yoga. With enhanced knowledge and increased motivation, you can create a longer association with yoga.
Such workshops or attending yoga classes will also help you meet like-minded people and mingle with people from the yoga community. Such interactions also help in increasing your practice.
Create a journal of your yoga journey. Put together a list of things that have improved and the amount of time it has taken you to reach that space. This will act as motivation.
Make necessary changes in your lifestyle that are in sync with yoga. Remember, yoga is not just a form of exercise, it is a way of living and you must adhere to its basic principles to ensure that maximize its benefits in your life.
Find yoga classes
Your home is full of distractions. So, you might not find an ideal time or spot to do yoga everyday. Additionally, you might even lose your motivation if you are in the comfort of your home. This is where joining a yoga class can be a good way of ensuring that you reach a point where yoga becomes an essential part of your life.
To start with, look for a professional yoga teaching center that teaches authentically. Here, you can discover what type of yoga suits your needs the most and then continue to work on those techniques for beneficial results.
Including yoga in your daily routine can be a life-altering experience. It not only provides several benefits but also makes you a better person and helps you live a more fulfilling life. Developing personal practice is one of the most common ways of including yoga in your life. However, if you wish to take things a step further, you can think of becoming a yoga trainer. It not only provides a great career option but also helps you become a master practitioner yourself.
