A yoga routine can help with weight loss, muscle tone, and joint flexibility. Depending on your needs, you can choose a gentle or restorative routine or one with more challenging poses.
Start with Child’s Pose to reconnect with your breath and stretch the hips and lower back. If this pose is too intense, try happy baby or supine twist.
1. Breathing Exercises
One of the most important parts of any yoga routine is breathing exercises. Known as pranayama, these yogic techniques help to improve circulation and promote relaxation. The benefits of incorporating breathing exercises into your yoga routine are many, including:
A standard yoga sequence usually begins with an opening meditation or breathwork session to help center the yogi and prepare them for the practice ahead. This is followed by poses that activate the yogi’s body and encourage energy flow. Depending on the class’s focus, this can include a combination of low-intensity and energizing poses such as cat and cow or sun salutations.
Another popular yogic breath exercise is happy baby, which can help ward off nausea and vomiting. Inhale through the nose and retain your breath for a count of 5. Then exhale while making a soft, hissing sound, repeating this several times. This can also help to hydrate the body and calm the nervous system.
2. Postures
When many people think of yoga they picture yogis contorting their bodies into pretzel shapes, but the postures that form the foundation of a yoga routine are designed to be comfortably held. Yoga postures, called asanas, are intended to bring your body into alignment with the geometry of the universe, which can only happen if you sit in the right pose.
Practice a few of these poses during your daily yoga sessions to improve your balance and strengthen your legs and arms. You may also feel a release of tension and stress as you learn to let go in these poses.
It’s important to find a class with an instructor who encourages beginners to take it easy and listen to their body, especially if they have neck or back problems. If you have chronic back or neck pain, speak to your doctor before starting a yoga class. You should also let your instructor know if you have any physical limitations.
3. Relaxation
The physical movement of yoga helps to relieve tension in the muscles, and the practice of breathing exercises encourages a calm mind. When combined, these elements can help reduce stress, which can lead to sleeplessness and anxiety.
Yoga can also be used to develop mindfulness, a technique that helps people to better identify stress triggers and respond to them. This can be particularly useful for people who suffer from anxiety and depression, as it can reduce the symptoms of these conditions.
Many types of yoga are calming, but yin and restorative yoga poses are especially beneficial for stress relief. The postures are designed to release the tension that accumulates in the body, and can help to rebalance the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. They also encourage a state of awareness that can help you to overcome feelings of stress in the future. For example, Child’s Pose stretches the spine and encourages a deep inhalation that can help you relax and breathe fully.
4. Meditation
Yoga is a great way to strengthen your body and calm your mind. When combined with meditation, the benefits are even greater. Practicing both regularly can help improve your mood, increase concentration, and support your sleep habits.
A few minutes of meditation before your yoga routine is a great way to set a tranquil tone for your practice. It also helps you focus on your breath and remove distracting thoughts during class. Adding meditation to your yoga routine can also help you stay grounded and focused throughout the day, which is key for staying healthy.
Lie on your back with a rolled blanket beneath you and focus on your breath. When your mind wanders, bring your attention back to your breath or a physical sensation like the stretching of your muscles. Eventually, you’ll find yourself in a state of deep relaxation and peace. This is called Samadhi. It is the highest stage of meditation, bringing your awareness into oneness with the object of your meditation.