9 Yoga Tips for Beginners ...

Yoga can be a great way to relax in the evenings, but you might want to do poses that aren’t going to stimulate your heart. Some poses are better left for a morning session of yoga instead of right before bedtime. You’ll end up getting yourself amped up rather than relaxed and ready for sleep.

Even though yoga isn’t as vigorous of an exercising method as aerobics or require an immense amount of strength like in weight training, it can still cause you to feel pain. You should feel a pulling sensation, but not uncomfortable pain when performing yoga. If you feel any pain or major discomfort at all, then ease up a bit and work up to the more strenuous poses later.

To get the full benefit of yoga, you’ll want to make sure you are performing each pose correctly. There is a specific way of breathing through each pose, as well as the best way to hold your body so you get the most from each move. Join a friend who has had some experience with yoga already and get pointers on your technique. It might also be wise to take a basic yoga class with a professional, in order to make sure you are doing each pose correctly.

It’s best to do yoga on an empty stomach. This allows you to focus on each pose without feeling intense pressure caused by a stomach full of food. You also will feel less tired while doing yoga because your stomach won’t be drawing blood from the rest of your body to help digest food.

Like with most things; the more you do yoga, the better you will become at performing each pose. Eventually the move will be easier and more natural feeling. Once you get the basics down, moving up to harder poses will be more enjoyable and less frustrating.

Some people use a quilt or thick blanket for each yoga session. I personally think buying a really good yoga mat is a much better investment. They are easy to roll up and tote from one place to another, which comes in handy when you are taking a yoga class at the local gym or performing yoga somewhere other than your home. These mats are non-slip so you don’t have to worry about the mat moving around on you while you perform each pose and you’ll be able to hold each pose without sliding on the mat.

I know of at least 12 styles of yoga, but I’m sure there are many more out there. Some types of yoga are very similar to one another while others are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum. There are yoga classes which cater to beginners and tend to incorporate a few different styles into each class. Read up on some of the many styles and see if there is one type that you prefer over the rest.

It’s not impossible to perform most yoga moves in everyday clothing, but it’s much easier to wear loose-fitting clothing when doing yoga. You will be more comfortable doing each pose if your moves aren’t restricted by the clothing you have on.

Diving right into the hardest poses in yoga might be possible for some people to pull off. It’s best to see what you can do by starting slowly with easy poses. If the poses seem too simple, then move on to more difficult ones. It’s always best to start slow and work up than to be turned off about yoga by starting with a style that frustrates you.

I hope you get the chance to enjoy yoga to the fullest. It is an amazing experience and I always feel more vibrant when I start the day with a dozen Sun Salutations! Out of these 9 yoga tips for beginners, do you think I covered everything or is there something you’d like to add?

Top Photo Credit: Fiona Ayerst