Astro Maverick

The Art of Healthy Living

yoga for beginners

The Different Types Of Yoga And Their Classifications Explained

by

Yoga can be classified in various different types each having a distinct name derived from their particular features. It has been seen that the beginners who are new to Yoga tends to get confused by all the terminologies and unable to decide which type of Yoga to choose. But it should always be kept in mind that irrespective of the type, all forms of Yoga are based upon few core principles which remains same.

The difference mainly is based upon which aspect the emphasis is being given in any particular Yoga type.

The basic principles of Yoga revolves around alignment of body parts in various poses, following a particular breathing pattern and focusing the mind away from external distractions. Some of the broad classifications of Yoga has been explained in the later part of this article.

With the emerging popularity of Yoga, numerous fitness organizations all over the world has started promoting and marketing their Yoga programs putting some of their own marketing twists in it. This makes it all more confusing and difficult to understand and choose. Especially when they tend to market new methods and new benefits in exchange of boat load of money.

But be aware of the fact that most of these companies are selling you hypes. So if you feel your finances are limited, there is absolutely nothing to worry. There is no dire necessity of courses and classes. You just need to gather information on various poses and internet is a classic source of this information. Remember, Yoga is an ancient art and has always been performed with simplicity through ages.

Although if we start discussing about the various forms of Yoga in details, it can potentially become a huge document. Which is far beyond the scope of this small article. So let’s touch upon the main characteristics of the various types which will help understand the classification.

Ashtanga Yoga:

The word Ashtanga or Astanga means “having eight limbs” in Sansrit. The ancient Yogic sage Patanjali first developed Ashtanga Yoga.

In modern days, it has become a very popular choice.This Yoga is based on the principle of executing a series of successive poses, and synchronising the breathing pattern with it. Ashtanga Yoga does involve quite a high level of physical activity and thus can take some time to master.

But if you practice this form of Yoga, beyond doubt it will help you shade extra weight and become slim and strong at the same time.

Ananda Yoga:

Ananda Yoga is actually a form of Yoga which has been sub branched from Hatha Yoga by Yogi Kriyananda, who is a direct disciple of Indian spiritual guru Paramahansa Yogananda.

There is less emphasis on physically demanding postures in this form of Yoga. Principle focus is to relax the body and mind through gentler poses combined controlled breathing. An initiation to deeper meditation is a greater objective of Ananda Yoga.

                                              

Hatha Yoga:

In Sanskrit the word Hath means “force” and it is most prevalent form of Yoga all over the world.

Hatha Yoga lies high emphasis on physical exercises along with controlling the mind to shield it from distractions. Chances are that you have seen Hatha Yoga images at multiple places including Yoga related TV programs and DVD covers. The principle is to perform a continuous series of movements to attain different poses in succession along with controlled breathing. The entire needs to be done in a relaxing manner with always taking care of the slow breathing pattern. It is not allowed to hasten through the sequence of moves and follow the process.

If you practice Hatha Yoga religiously, it will be help you gain clarity and self awareness.

                                               

Bikram Yoga:

This form of Yoga, as the name suggests have been synthesized from Hatha Yoga sequences by an Indian Yoga expert Bikram Choudhury.

Bikram Yoga needs to be done in heated up atmosphere. The room where the practice will take place need to have a temperature ranging from 95 -105 degree Fahrenheit. The heat is said to make the body more tolerant to injuries and give the muscles a level of flexibility. Also it has been claimed that it helps in detoxification.

How true is that? Well, no clear answers, because, that claim is yet to be proved scientifically.

But nonetheless, this form of Yoga has gained popularity among masses. But Bikram Yoga can be a costly affair due to its commercialized nature since special rooms and arrangements are needed in addition to professional supervision. So make an informed decision if you want to opt to opt for Bikram Yoga.

Yoga has branched out to multiple other types like Vinayasa Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and many others. But the most popular and vastly followed were mentioned above. Do not forget to research appropriately depending upon your own unique needs before starting with a particular form of Yoga. As mentioned above Internet is an unending repository of knowledge.

The bottom line is still that the basic principles are more or less same irrespective of the forms of Yoga. What is important is to get started and be regular and persistent in the practice. So, do not overthink, get started with your choice of Yoga poses and be assured that you will soon be able to reap several health benefits from it.

4 Annoying Yoga Difficulties Beginners Face And How To Overcome Them

by

Yoga has become a very common household name these days and have gained immense popularity in the Western World over last several years. This is due to its simplicity and super effectiveness. But although mostly Yoga is not too difficult to perform, but nonetheless, many individuals can face some few common difficulties while starting out.

Initial Pain and Discomfort:

The most common difficulty that a large number of beginners face is the stiffness of muscles that cause a considerable amount of discomfort and pain while practicing some of the Yoga poses. This is due to the reason that their body is not yet acquired the flexibility required for those poses.

The matter worsens for those, where the Yogi is supposed to hold the pose for several seconds for it to be truly effective. It is very natural to experience muscle aches during these poses and it does not necessarily indicate any serious issue.

An example will be the Warrior pose or the Virabhadrasana. This particular pose needs the thigh muscles to be stable and strong, so if that of the practitioner is weak, it can turn out to be quite difficult to hold the pose for a longer duration without the legs quivering. But this is quite natural in the onset.

The key is not to get daunted by this issue. Because the muscles need time and regular practice to become flexible and strong. And as time passes, with repeated practice of the same pose, will make the muscles appropriate and the pain and discomfort will go away completely. So hang on there!!

The Cost Factor:

The other most common difficulty is the cost factor associated with regular Yoga practice. It seems in recent times, the general thought process of many Yoga beginners and intermediate practitioners revolves round the merchandise that is needed to “appropriately” practice Yoga.

While some of these costs may be justified but one has to understand what exactly might be necessary and what are not. Since Yoga is a big industry these days, so the availability of numerous Yoga related merchandise is too common everywhere. Thus, if allowed, it can well be a costly affair.

The necessities are endless, starting from simple Yoga mats, to expensive equipment, fitness gears, accessories, headbands, dresses and the list goes on and on. And above all these, Yoga guides, books, DVDs and commercial Yoga classes or private instructors makes it even more confusing and expensive.

But the main question that arises from all this is – how much of all these is actually necessary?

The answer probably varies from person to person but it can be inferred without doubt that for a beginner, it does not need to be expensive at all. Now, Yoga has been practiced in India for thousands of years and costly equipment were not needed at that time.

Only two main things are necessary –

  1. A good Yoga mat and there are tons of places where inexpensive Yoga mats are available
  2. A Yoga guide be it a physical book or a DVD or online instructions. If it is too difficult to lay hands on a book or DVD, then YouTube is an excellent place for a ton of free resources.

Just by researching on the internet, huge amount of free information can be found on Yoga, and its various poses with instructions, which can be sufficient to begin with.

Getting Authentic Guidance:

The third difficulty is somewhat related to the above point. It is regarding unqualified instructors. Many Yoga students do not even realize the fact that their instructors may not be genuine, since it is all too much easy these days to get a false certificate in virtually any field.

Since Yoga instructors do not really need to be certified by a standard or centralized institution, so many of them get away with their limited knowledge which can, at the end, prove to be rather dangerous for the students.

So it is always advisable to only go to reputable workout institutions who are offering any Yoga classes and also to carefully check the credentials of the instructor/s. Also just by referring to a good Yoga book written by well known Yoga expert or by following a practice regime through a DVD or online course from a reputable organization can also be quite effective and sufficient.

Time Management:

Last but not the least comes the most prevalent difficulty of the 21st century. That of time. In today’s super fast digital age most people hardly have time for workout and even if they do manage to get time for Yoga everyday, they end up stressing up their everyday life.

One thing has to be remembered that the practice of Yoga is meant for relaxation and de-stressing the mind, but if this practice itself becomes the reason for stress, then it beats the purpose. So time management is extremely vital, because with Yoga, the importance of sufficient rest is paramount.

Although seemingly difficult, one way to manage time is to cut down a bit on less necessary and unproductive activities like watching TV, drinking with friends, spending hours in social networks over smartphone etc. For good health and mind everyone must be ready for a little bit of sacrifice.

It is also important to set aside a time for Yoga everyday and religiously maintain it. It is of no use to practice Yoga for 1 week and then forget about it for the next two. The time set aside for Yoga does not have to be long right at the beginning. Also during initial days it is fine to go ahead with a regime that involves only 3-4 days a week.

And as time progresses and practitioner becomes more and more comfortable and familiar with the different poses and regular timings, it can be incorporated more frequently in daily life.

As time progresses with diligent practice of Yoga everyday, life, without a scope of doubt, will become much more healthy, fulfilling and stress free.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

5 Super Effective Yoga Poses To Perform Every Day

by

Yoga has become a common household name these days and has gained immense popularity throughout the world. Although the roots of this very ancient practice actually lies in India, but it’s simplicity and effectiveness in getting a healthier life have made numerous people of the world embrace it. Not only the benefits of Yoga manifold, but they span from physical fitness to mental and spiritual well-being.

There are thousands of Yoga poses to choose from, which makes most of the beginner Yogis confused how to choose since they are often not familiar with their names and benefits. Each and every Yoga has a special long term benefit either on a muscle or an organ of the body. Having specific philosophies, each pose comes with specific breathing and repeating techniques.

5 such super effective Yoga poses have been described below which every Yogi should try to perform every day for sustained results. Please do not despair if you can’t get it right the first time itself. It is very normal to take several attempts to get used to any specific Yoga pose, especially for beginners. Just keep in mind that persistence will eventually bring perfection.

1. The Downward Dog Pose

The Downward Facing Dog Pose or Adho Mukha Shvanasana is one of the most frequently used Yoga poses.

  1. Bend and get on your knees in a crawl position.
  2. See that your palms and shoulders and your knees and hips are aligned vertically straight.
  3. With your palm pressing the floor, open up the fingers and then advance your palm forward and raise your knees off the floor.
  4. You have to it till your body forms an inverted V shape.
  5. Your knees should be straight. Keep you arms open and your head between them.
  6. Head should not hang down but should be aligned with your arms.

2. The Mountain Pose

The Mountain Pose or Tadasana is quite easy for beginners to perform.

  1. With your feet close and touching each other, stand in an upright and straight posture.
  2. The shoulders should be kept stress free and the arms should rest straight by the side.
  3. Then both the hands need to be lifted together till they are pointing upwards above the head.
  4. See that palms of your hands are facing each other.
  5. You need to breathe deeply while doing this pose and need to hold the final position for few seconds.
  6. Keep breathing in and out and relax your body while holding this pose.

3. The Warrior Pose

The Warrior Pose or Virabhadrasana has gained quite a bit of popularity and can be seen on various Yoga merchandise. Many celebrities are also seen doing this pose since it looks stylish and elegant.

  1. The first step is to stand upright with your legs a bit widely apart.
  2. Then the right leg has to be rotated 90 degrees to the right and body has to be lowered slowly till you are actually facing right with your right knee pointing 90 degrees right.
  3. With palms facing towards the ground, the arms need to be spread straight to each side of the body.
  4. You need to hold the position for 60 seconds or so and during this time breathing needs to be relaxing and gentle.
  5. Next, this pose needs to be repeated for left side as well.

4. The Tree Pose

The Tree Pose or Vriksasana is a common pose that may need a bit of practice to perfect.

  1. First you need to stand upright with the legs pressed to each other.
  2. Now right feet needs to be lifted slowly and you have to balance on your body on your left feet.
  3. The right feet then needs to be pressed against the left thigh.
  4. Then pressing the palms of your hands face to face, you need to lift your arms vertically above your head.
  5. Hold the pose for a few seconds.

5. The Bridge pose

The Bridge Pose or Setu Bandha Sarvangasana is a popular pose that you perform lying down.

  1. Lie down on the floor with your back straight and flat against the ground and your knees folded in front of you.
  2. Keep both the arms by the side of your body with them facing and touching the ground.
  3. Now you need to raise your entire body except your arms, till your thighs forms almost 90 degrees angle with your knees.
  4. Bear in mind that the arms should keep pressed to the floor for support and thighs should be parallel to the ground.
  5. Head and neck should always be kept pressing to the ground.
  6. Be extra cautious while doing this pose to prevent any injury to your neck.

So go ahead and try these 5 poses which have several health benefits and are relatively easy to perform. Performing these 5 poses every day will eventually make your muscles stronger and improve you sense of body balance. After you have mastered these, you can then start trying more difficult Yoga poses for enhanced effects.