Being yoga beginners, we always looking for information that helps us to improve our yoga practice. We are receiving various questions from beginners asking for tips, how-to information, poses and various query related to yoga for beginners. This is the reason, we come up with this dedicated article covering all possible topics that may answer your question and will help you to improve your yoga practice. Before we start, let us learn about the basics of yoga.
What is Yoga and how it is helpful?
We have already covered this topic in-depth but in brief, yoga is a process of changing the flow of energy and consciousness so that our mind becomes a dynamic center that is capable enough to experience reality. Regular practicing of step-by-step methods of yoga, provide infinite intelligence, power, and joy.
Practicing yoga is helpful to be physically as well as mentally fit and healthy. Yoga rejuvenates you internally and makes you stronger and flexible. Yoga helps to make your body flexible, well-toned and strong. It improves your metabolism and makes you able to fight various disorders. On the whole, it improves your complete fitness and postures.
Here are a few questions with their answers and useful yoga for beginner’s tips for you.
Basic Questions and Tips about Yoga:
1. What are some basic things I need before I start learning Yoga?
If you are going to attend your first yoga class and have no idea about what you need to begin your yoga practice; the first thing you should do is, ask your yoga teacher! as he/she is the best person who can recommend requiring yoga gears by considering your yoga practice as an individual. Some of the basic essentials that you need to do before starting your first yoga class include:
- Basic knowledge about yoga
- Understand well about the yoga clothes
- Learn about basic yoga accessories like yoga mats, yoga blocks, etc.
- Know about some general yoga postures and so on.
- You also need to learn some basic yoga etiquette like, Get there early, take off shoes and socks before entering into the room, introduce yourself to the instructor, breathe well, and so on.
While practicing yoga, the first and most important thing is that you should never continue any yoga exercise that hurts you. It is true when you practice yoga, your body stretches and you may feel some pain as well. This pain is not the warning sign of any injury. In case, if you feel sharpness or pinching and if your body tells to stop, then stop doing yoga. However, in the beginning, you may feel it’s hard to perform but don’t forget you are trying to strengthen your body.
2. From where should I start my first yoga practice?
If you are going to attend your first yoga class, then it would be better to do some basic yoga poses at home, it will make you comfortable when you enter in the yoga class. You can easily find the best collection of yoga for beginners DVDs online to practice basic yoga poses at home. If you are not sure or confuse about any yoga pose, make sure you practice them under the guidance of your yoga instructor. An expert instructor will help you to understand well about the essentials of yoga. With the expert guidance, you will also learn how to breathe, meditation techniques, basic and beginning level yoga poses and many more.
3. Which is the best time to practice Yoga?
Well, there is no sacrosanct time for yoga but many yogis or experts believe that morning time is the best time for yoga practice. Usually, one or two hours before sunrise because in the morning, you get up with the stiff body so opening your body with yoga makes you feel energetic and fresh throughout the day. You can perform yoga any time of the day but you must be empty stomach. If you are performing yoga in a day time, then you need to make sure that you have not eaten anything for the last 3 to 4 hours. You can have a cup of tea or lime juice just before 30 minutes of yoga.
4. How much time should I practice Yoga as a beginner?
For the beginners, it is advised that don’t practice hard, 30 minutes yoga is fine for you. Once you are well-versed or experienced in yoga, you can increase the time of performing basic, intermediate and advanced yoga poses. You can raise the time from 30 minutes to 1 hour based on your yoga instructor’s advice. Once you start a regular yoga practice, you will start enjoying yoga and will forget about the time.
5. Is there any age limit for practicing yoga?
There is no clear-cut upper age limit for practicing yoga, you can start anytime whether you are 30 or 60 years of age. you can start and can continue to practice yoga up to 100 years or more, in-short; you can practice yoga at any age. Children can start yoga from 8 to 10 years of age and can continue lifelong.
6. Which are the best Yoga poses for beginners?
It is always advisable to start learning yoga from basic yoga positions as it will stretch your body muscle, psoas muscle and gradually you should start with intermediate or advance yoga poses. Here are few basic yoga poses best for yoga beginners which are divided into 3 different parts:
a) Seated Yoga Poses:
Image Shows Balasana yoga pose
Yogis suggests some seated yoga poses which are suitable for the beginners because these poses can be easily adapted to any strength level people. These poses align your spine and improve the flexibility of your body. Seated yoga poses generally focus more on flexibility rather than strength. These poses include Siddhasana, One-legged seated spinal twist, Balasana, Svanasana, Malasana, Catuspadapitham and many more.
b) Standing Yoga Poses:
Image shows Uttanasana yoga pose
These poses require greater flexibility, balance, as well as strength and cane, be categorized in most advanced asanas. Regular practice of standing poses makes you more energetic and improve the balance of your body. Standing poses include Dolphin Pose, Utkatasana, Uttanasana, Tadasana, Garudasana and so on.
c) Balancing Poses:
Image shows Adho Mukha Svanasana Yoga pose
These poses help us to be focused because these require to be balanced. In these poses, falling is inevitable and this challenges us to balance our body and mind. Performing these poses, need full concentration and improve our coordination as well as confidence. These poses include Danddayamna Baddha Konasana, Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana, Natarajasana and so on.
7. Can we eat before and after our yoga practice?
During the yoga sessions, it is necessary to be an empty stomach. You must have to maintain a distance of 2 to 3 hours in between the main meal and your yoga session. Our digestive system takes some energy to digest the food and if you do yoga just after the meal, your body cannot digest the food properly as your entire energy goes to the muscles. Eating after yoga is not a serious issue but you should avoid spicy and oily food. You can take some light snacks. Still, we strongly recommend consulting your yoga teacher regarding your diet plan as it may vary from person to person and their health condition.
Over to you!
Are you yoga beginners and have more questions for us? do share them via comments or drop us an email. Our yoga expert will give the best possible solution to your query.
