A Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Postures

by Kim Archer ~ March 17th, 2009. Filed under: Exercise.

The first yoga class for a beginner can be overwhelming in terms of the large number of poses that can be performed. However, the poses are learned progressively, with the instructor starting off by naming and explaining each yoga pose one by one while also giving a demonstration.

The benefits that result from the practice of these poses are many, from enhanced wellbeing and increased mobility to improved self awareness and stress relief. Yoga offers many rewards when practiced on a constant basis, particularly if it results in a balance of the body and mind.

Another name for the yoga poses is asanas, and each of them includes both a mental and physical component. Asanas address almost all the body parts, and usually the trainer will indicate the most intense point of physical stress. What needs to be mentioned here is that, depending on the yoga variant practiced, the asanas can differ a lot too, particularly since some postures are specific to one school or another.

Besides the physical capacity to perform yoga poses, one also needs to develop balance and an ability to concentrate, since physicality is just one side of the practice, and is completed by the spiritual dimension. Tension release, breathing techniques as well as the ability to ignore the difficulty of a pose improve the chances of success. Once you have mastered a yoga pose, it is important to learn to maintain it for a specific period of time.

Instructions for the execution of various yoga poses are available in books, e-guides, on internet sites and magazines. However, the practice of yoga poses in the absence of professional guidance and help could be a threat to one’s physical and spiritual health with the risk of getting injuries. Therefore, starting yoga practice using instructions from books or internet sites is risky and should be avoided.

Beginners should remain under the direct supervision of a trainer, with the understanding that the beginner stage can often extend way beyond a year of practice. The complexity of the yoga poses will get more difficult with every advance you make on the way, but progress remains slow on average as one pushes the limits of body and mind.

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