Yoga helps people of all ages and fitness levels improve their strength, flexibility and balance. Its gentle stretching and breath work also soothe the nervous system and can ease stress, anxiety and fatigue.
Begin with hands underneath your shoulders and feet hip-width apart. Then, gradually straighten the front leg while letting the other stay flat on the floor.
Warm-Up
The warm-up phase of a yoga routine includes a series of poses that prepare the body for the rest of the practice. This sequence can be a complete practice all on its own or it may be used to help students become familiar with the postures that are commonly used in different yoga styles.
A good yoga warm-up will allow the muscles to release their tension and will also strengthen and stretch the joints of the body. This allows students to move more easily through the rest of the yoga routine and reduces the risk of injury.
Begin by placing your hands on the front of the mat for a couple of breaths and then moving to Extended Side Angle Pose facing the back of the mat. Inhale to straighten the left leg, then exhale to hinge forward from the hips and reach your fingertips toward the ceiling. Hold for a few breaths and then repeat on the other side.
Flow
A yoga routine begins with a calming meditative experience that helps the yogi to relax and prepare for the next portion of the workout. This phase can be done seated or standing.
Once the yogi is ready to move, she starts with a low-intensity sequence of energizing poses that will help her get her body moving. This is known as the flow phase.
According to psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, people who engage in flow experiences feel that their actions and awareness become one. They also lose a sense of time, and they have an autotelic experience, where what they are doing is its own reward and not something that is done for outside rewards.
Having a yoga routine is a great way to stay motivated to practice. Don’t let your first class not go as well as you wanted it to – just keep coming back and see what happens. The more you keep practicing, the better you’ll feel.
Relaxation
Yoga is a type of exercise that uses movements and breathing to promote physical fitness. It also has the power to relax the mind and reduce stress. This can help to alleviate many common health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
It is recommended that you practice a relaxation routine at least once per day to reap the full benefits of yoga. It is best to choose a time of day that suits you. Morning routines can be energizing and improve focus, while evening sessions can help you prepare for sleep. Try this simple follow along yoga routine from Bupa, which only takes 12 minutes. All you need is a mat or towel and some floor space. This routine is suitable for beginners to yoga as well as advanced yogis.
Strengthening
The final phase of yoga involves strengthening the body, which helps with balance and posture. The poses also help build muscle and improve flexibility. This routine starts with a mountain pose to raised-arms sequence, which stretches the back and shoulder muscles and improves posture, especially important for those who work at desks.
Next, the balancing yoga pose tree pose strengthens the legs and core. The pose is accessible for beginners because it doesn’t require any pronounced bending of the knees. Those who don’t feel comfortable resting their hand on the floor can use a block for the bottom hand instead.
Regular yoga practice can help improve balance, strength, and flexibility and reduce stress and anxiety. It also promotes relaxation to aid sleep and may even help lower blood pressure. However, it’s important to mix in other types of exercise to reap the full health benefits of physical activity. The best way to develop a yoga routine is to start small and gradually build up the exercises over time.