Yoga 101: Are you thinking about starting yoga? Here are some beginner tips and information on the different styles to help you choose what’s best for you.
Hi Friends!
In lieu of a typical Fitness Friday post from me, I thought we’d do something a little different today. I’m a huge advocate of stepping outside of your comfort zone in all areas of life- work, home, fitness, etc. So, I invited one of my good friends, Christine, to teach us a little bit about an area of fitness that is totally outside my comfort zone – yoga.
I’ll be honest…I’ve only tried yoga once or twice and I wasn’t crazy about it…but I do think that could be because I really know nothing about it. Christine is giving us Yoga 101…a great beginners guide for people like me who are looking to start practicing yoga but are feeling a little overwhelmed!
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Hey everyone! I’m so excited to be over here at Lindsay’s place today. Lindsay is one of my favorite bloggers (and people!) and I’m honored that she invited me here to share something I love with you – yoga.
I know. I know. Yoga’s just stretching, right? It’s supposed to relax you and it’s good for cross-training. Yoga’s something you think you should do, but it’s so hard to fit it into your already packed schedule.
While most of us are most familiar with the physical practice of yoga that we see in magazines and on Instagram, there are actually 8 limbs or branches of yoga – mental, physical and spiritual practices and disciplines. The physical practice is just one of those branches.
In Sanskrit, yoga means to join or unite. It’s through the practice of all 8 limbs of yoga that we join the body, mind and breath that ultimately lead to enlightenment. Not enlightenment in the sense of, “I am all knowing,” but more in the sense of knowing your true self.
It can be intimidating to try yoga if you’re not familiar with it. I used to be that super stiff and tight runner in the back of the room who was just trying to stretch a lit tie more. Since then, my yoga practice has cracked open more than just my hamstrings but it’s been a process that has taken time.
If you’re curious about yoga or interested in starting a practice, here are 5 tips I wish someone had told me when I first started.
1. Try different styles of yoga.
There are so many different types of yoga being marketed today – Hatha, vinyasa, power yoga, hot yoga, bikram, restorative – Gah! There isn’t a one-size-fits-all with yoga. It’s very much a personal practice and you need to find something that resonates with you, just like you would with any other type of exercise.
Here’s a breakdown of some popular styles of yoga:
• Hatha: Generally, Hatha yoga classes offer a great introduction to basic yoga postures. You tend to hold postures for a few breaths so you can explore the pose a bit more.
• Iyengar: The Iyengar method emphasizes the precise alignment of the body, using different props like blocks, straps, chairs and even a ropes wall (which I LOVE!), so that you are structurally sound in your practice.
• Vinyasa: Vinyasa-style of yoga is probably one of the most popular styles. It’s a practice in which movement and breath are linked, creating a dynamic flow from posture to posture. There are a number of different Vinyasa-style yoga classes including Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Jivamukti, etc.
• Restorative: Restorative classes are a great way to relax and restore your body. You use props to help support your body in various yoga poses so that you do not have to exert any effort but are able to experience the effects of the practice.
• Bikram: Bikram yoga was created by Bikram Choudhury. You move through a series of 26 poses in a heated room and each Bikram class always follows the same sequence so you know what to expect when you walk into a studio.
2. Start with a workshop
If you have the chance, I would highly suggest starting with a Beginners Workshop. Rather than trying to keep up in an open level class, risk hurting yourself and leaving not having enjoyed the class, workshops give you a chance to really learn. Teachers will break down the poses and the practice and give you a bit more individual attention.
3. Pay attention to alignment.
Yoga can be great for your body but it can also not be so great if you don’t pay attention to your alignment. As with running, lifting, cross fit and any other sport, proper form is critical to healthy joints and muscles.
4. Ask questions.
That’s what the teacher is there for – ask questions about things you don’t understand or are curious about. Ask about alignment. Ask if something feels off during your practice.
5. Practice within your own body.
This might be the hardest in practice. When you’re in a class surrounded by others, it’s hard not to compare yourself or try to keep up with others. But your yoga practice is just that – YOURS. And your practice (and body) is different every time that you show up on the mat.
Check in with yourself throughout your practice and modify if you’re not feeling it that day and take child’s pose when you need to. The practice of yoga is about being in touch with your own body and mind and giving yourself what you need in that moment.
Fundamental Yoga Postures
Here are some great poses for beginners and advanced practitioners alike. These are fundamental poses that will help to lay a solid foundation for your practice. Click the names for more details on each pose.
• Cat-Cow: This is a great way to warm up your spine and begin to move your body.
• Mountain pose: This pose will teach you how to stand well and bring awareness to your posture.
• Tree pose: This pose teaches you balance, which is key as you move on to more advanced balancing poses.
• Wide-Legged Forward Fold: This pose works the lateral aspect of the legs, strengthening and stretching the inner and back of the legs. It also prepares you for poses like Warrior II, Triangle and Extended Side Angle.
• Child’s Pose: This is an amazing resting pose. With the torso on the thighs, you also get the benefits of a deep forward bend, which helps to calm the nervous system.
• Legs up the wall: This pose gives you many of the benefits of an inversion without completely turning yourself upside-down. It’s also a great pose to relieve tired or cramped legs i.e. after a long run.
Do you practice yoga? I have a monthly series on my blog – Ask a Yogini – which answers questions about yoga. Please let me know if there’s anything you’re curious about!
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Christine is a freelance writer, yoga instructor, runner and wannabe surfer. She’s the author of the blog Love, Life, Surf where she shares her love of fitness and stories about her experiences as a mom of two young boys trying to balance, work, family, fitness and healthy living. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.
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Huge thanks to Christine for stopping by today!
Let’s chat:
Are you a yogi? Or are you looking to learn like I am?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
Thank you so much for having me Lindsay!!
I just came over from Christine’s blog! Great introduction to yoga. Many people think yoga is either all about meditation or handstands so nice of you to explain. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for coming over! I know, I think that there is such a skewed image of yoga especially with all the crazy photos on Instagram these days and yoga pant debacles!
I literally love yoga 🙂 It makes me feel so amazing and peaceful afterwards!
Me too! I love that feeling of calm after a yoga class.
Love Christine. Love yoga. Once you find the right style of yoga for you, you will love it too!
Aww, love you too!
I’ve wanted to try yoga at least once in my life. It looks like so much fun. I honestly always put it off though LOL.
It’s hard to fit yoga in sometimes, especially if you have another fitness love like running and devote a lot of time to training. I definitely would encourage you to try it at least once, especially if you’re curious about it. And congrats on your engagement!
This was a great help! Thanks so much Christine (and Lindsay). I am definitely in the beginner stage, but I can honestly say it has helped me a lot, and I do feel better after going. This was really interesting to read a little more about it. Thank you!
Thanks Tina! So glad that you found the post helpful.
i do enjoy yoga but i wasn’t always that way 🙂 it took years and it also took several different types of classes for me to find my zen 🙂 like anything else, persistence is important!
Same for me! It took a while but once I found the type of yoga that I liked, I was hooked for sure!
I just started practicing yoga, and I love how I feel after a class. It’s such a great way to stretch out those tight muscles from training so much
That’s great to hear Jojo!
i wish i knew this before i even started yoga! better late than never. Love it christine. So useful!
Me too! It took me a long time to figure this out! ha!
While I’ve practiced yoga on and off for years, it’s only in the last couple of months that I’ve begun to really appreciate it! It’s definitely been helping me relax and improve my flexibility – two things I definitely need.
That’s great Sam! I probably practiced yoga on and off for about 8 years maybe before I really started appreciating it.
Great tips. And, Lindsay, keep trying! It took me a while to appreciate how much I ^need^ yoga, although I still don’t do it enough.
What a fantastic overview and great tips! I am off and on with yoga- I’ve found a few classes that I really liked but need to start looking around again here since we moved. I probably go once every two months… definitely room for improvement. 🙂
You’ll have to come to one of my classes one day! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this! A great reminder I need to get back to practicing yoga again!
So glad you enjoyed the post!
There was a time when I wasn’t a big fan of yoga either, but after practicing it on and off for years, it has definitely started to grow on me. Now, I’m a big fan!
That’s great to hear Holly!
Wonderful tips! I love my yoga. Agree with all of these, especially paying attention to alignment. So important! I love the way yoga feels in my body, but most of all – how it works in my mind.
The mental aspects of my yoga practice has been the biggest benefit for me too.
I am loving seeing a yoga post !! I took intro to yoga which began in February at a local yoga studio, way out of my comfort zone. By the end of the four weeks I was hooked. I went to register for the next class in the series to find it had low registration and had been postponed. I was like WHAT?! So I had a four week break waiting for the next class, I didn’t feel I had enough knowledge or confidence to take a drop in class. The studio I am using has several but I only had a series of basic poses very modified for me. I am 5’2″ and 230 pounds so yoga is work for me. I found in the four weeks during my forced break. I became compressed… I was like wow only 4 weeks and I feel like my ears and shoulders met. I could not wait to get back to yoga again. The beginner 1 class began this past Tuesday, I left with a smile on my face, a loose relaxed body, wanting more. It helps me sleep better, have less digestion discomfort and let me tell you the muscle I built in those four weeks!! I have definition in my arms I have never had. I cant wait to continue exploring the benefits of yoga. Thanks for sharing … and now I have a new blog to follow too !
Jodi! I love hearing this so much!! I’m so glad that you were able to take an intro series. That really is such a great way to get started and I think much less intimidating than trying to drop in to an open class. Yoga is work for everyone! And it’s definitely more about the daily or frequent practice – not necessarily an hour a day but even 10 minutes is great. You are doing great!
Thanks for the input on the 10 minutes a day, what poses would be good to incorporate into ten minutes a day? I would love to be doing something at home in between the yoga classes.
Hey Jodi – Do you want to email me at christine@lovelifesurf.com? I can answer your questions better that way 🙂
Great post by Christine! I am such a yogi novice, and am truly the most inflexible person on the planet. But I love how I feel during and after, so I keep at it.
I love that you keep at it!
Great post! 🙂 I’ve been practicing yoga for 5 years at a studio called Sunstone Yoga. It’s hot yoga– they heat the room up to 98 degrees and it feels SO good! I can really tell a difference between regular yoga and hot yoga. It helps with sore muscles– I like to go to a class after a heavy weight training session or any other time my muscles are really sore.
That’s great. Hot yoga definitely allows you to get into the poses more deeply.
I really enjoy yoga, especially when my body is achey and not feeling a more intense workout. I actually just bought a Groupon for a hot yoga place and I am super excited to try out that form! It makes me a little nervous though 😉
Don’t be nervous! It’s great that you’re trying out a different style. Have fun!
I love yoga! I’ve been practicing heated vinyasa for over two years now… it seriously has changed me so much. I feel leaner, my running has improved, and I’m much more calm!
That’s so great Cassie!
I recently started yoga (3 weeks ago). I practice at home with a Vinyasa DVD that I do about 2 times a week. I originally started yoga for the emotional benefits, but I have fallen in love with the practice. I will admit that I don’t practice nearly as often as I want to, but I’m looking to fix that by doing a month of yoga challenge.
Thank you so much for the post! I may be practicing yoga, but I don’t actually know that much about it. I’m still in the learning phase.
That’s so great Danielle! It’s taken me a long time to learn more about yoga and I’m still learning so much. The practice is pretty amazing, isn’t it?
I looove yoga! I haven’t went to a class but I watch videos on my computer. I swear that it’s helped my running!
That’s great Leigha! There are some great online yoga classes.
I absolutely love yoga and in the past two years have fallen in love with Anusara yoga. I definitely agree with you in that anyone looking to try out yoga should try various kinds, as well as various teachers. I’ve had good and bad experiences with both classes and teachers, so it’s important to shop around. Thanks for sharing all this great information!
~Bre
Thanks Bre! Trying different styles, studios and teachers is so important! Yoga can be such an amazing experience when you find a teacher who you connect with and it’s such an individual experience.
Oh, I love seeing Christine here! 🙂 I do love yoga and every time I do it I think, ‘I should do that more often.’ I agree that it’s a fantastic complement for running.
It is a great complement to running, right?
I love yoga, but I can do only simple poses. I perceive yoga as a strechting after run… Probably, sometime I will change the opinion 😉
The great thing about yoga is that it isn’t really about the crazy complicated poses. Simple is better 🙂
LOVE Christine!!! I wish I could take yoga from her. I have never done it & she seems like the perfect understanding one! 🙂
I wish that you could take yoga with me too!
looking to do more yoga! we always love doing it, but find it hard to really do it more often!
It can be hard to sneak yoga into your day but it doesn’t have to be long – 10-15 minutes is great! 🙂
Love yoga! Thanks for the post! 🙂 I didn’t realize there were so many differng types of yoga. I’ll have to check it out.
There are so many different types! It’s great though because there really is a yoga for everyone!
What a great post! I have only taken a few yoga classes, and looking back have no idea what they were! I’m pretty sure they just said “beginner’s yoga”. Its interesting to read about the different forms. I know I need to incorporate more yoga into my life. My main focus is strength training but I am not stranger to how much yoga would help me in the gym. My summer goal is to try and take a yoga class a week!
That’s a great summer goal!
I love the idea of yoga. It seems very graceful and zen but I think when I get down to practicing I get frustrated. What branch is your favorite?
I practice vinyasa which for me is like moving meditation. Your breath and movements are linked and you flow from pose to pose. For me, it allows me to get out of my head and just be in my body and breath.
Thanks for the primer on Yoga. It’s something I’ve wanted to try, but haven’t gotten up the bravery to attend a class. I’m always concerned I’ll hold everyone else up :-/ This is definitely helpful.
What a great post! I’ve wanted to try yoga, but I’m definitely intimidated. These tips helped a lot!
I have been trying yoga for the past months now and it really makes a difference to your health in all aspects.
You are so correct when you say look around and find the best for you. I think that goes for the yoga instructor as well as the type of yoga. And if an instructor is not willing to edplain or answer questions in a beginners workshop…not good. We tell folks to shop around for the right trainer…why not the right yogior yogini? I’m more of a pilates guy myself and it took a long time for me to find the right yoga class…maybe because in NYC we’re overwhelmed with yoga choices!
Great post! I am getting my yogi on more and more and there is always something to learn. I’m still in the tight runner hoping for hamstring relief most of the time.
Thanks Christine (and Lindsay) for this awesome post. I’m a total yoga novice and have been saying for years I want to try to to fit it into my routine as I am that tight, stiff runner you described Christine 🙂 I’ve added boot camp in for the last few years in which we do some flexibility exercises but getting into yoga is on my exercise bucket list.
Thank you for this post! I was really into yoga, loved Vinyasa, Hatha, and started exploring Ashtanga. I let life take over, let my work schedule make me believe I didn’t have time to fit in any classes. Now I am healing from a spinal injury, and vow to never let work get in the way again. Yoga is amazing on so many levels, and I look forward to making it a part of my day to day again!! Take Care, Terra