Yoga is fun to do but demanding. You can do it in your basement, living room, or anywhere you have some space to spread out. A basic practice takes about 15 minutes, though some sessions are an hour or more long, and some are only five minutes. You do not need any experience or equipment to start, though eventually, you will want to purchase a Yoga mat, blocks, and stretchy bands or straps.
Certain companies make special types for Yoga. If you want to practice at home, you can follow along with a Yoga instructor on television or your computer. They are ubiquitous, and you are encouraged to find one you like. Though a Yoga session can be short, it is demanding, and you will work up a sweat. In this article, we will write about yoga poses.
Yoga Poses
Yoga is primarily composed of poses. There are many poses, but we only go through a few to give you an idea. Some poses are easy, and some are very demanding. All involve stretching and balancing in various body positions. Generally, one is led by an instructor through a series of back-to-back poses. Some stretches between the poses are designed to give a practitioner a break.
Cat and Cow
A couple of the most common poses are the cat and cow pose. In both poses, you start on all fours, kneeling down. That is called table top position. In a cat pose, you separate your shoulder blades and hunch your lower back like a cat. The cow pose usually follows the cat pose and involves starting on all fours, but you lower your back as far as possible. Most times, you also alternate between cat and cow.
Cobras
Cobras are another type of Yoga pose. You get down on your belly, lying prone. Extend your arms in front of you. Arch your lower back so your chest and head rise off the ground. Do it a little for a baby Cobra. A medium amount for a Cobra and a lot, putting a lot of strain on yourself for a large Cobra. The different graduations are determined by how much you stretch.
The Downward Dog
Downward Dogs are the most famous pose and are demanding. They are a little like a plank, except you are bent at the waste with your butt up in the air. There are about a thousand other Yoga Poses, and I will write about some of the more noteworthy ones.
The Warrior Pose
Start on all fours in the Child’s pose, and while in the tabletop pose, stretch your hands out in front of you and touch your forehead to the ground. Sit your butt on your calves. The further down you get, the better off you are.
The warrior pose is a standing pose. Stand sideways and luge with your front leg. Extend your arms so that one is in front and behind you. Point the fingers on your hands.
Lunges
There are also some lunges, but they are deeper than the warrior poses. You can lunge with either leg, but bend your front one to touch the ground with your fingers on either side of your front leg. In a tree pose, stand up straight.
Extend your hands over your head and spread your fingers. Reach up in the air and stretch as much as you can. The idea is to be as like a tree as possible. In fact, many Yoga Poses elicit nature.
Yoga Stretches
Yoga Is filled with stretching. As mentioned above, stretches are usually placed between the poses to give a rest. There are various types of stretches. Perhaps the most common is the forward fold. Stand and bend at the waste.
Many stretches can happen while you are sitting on the ground. Face forward, for one, and extend your legs before you. Grab your heels. Another is sitting with your heels together and pressing down with your elbows on the inside of your knees.
Yoga Sources and Details
As mentioned earlier, and deserving of stress, yoga is ubiquitous. Search on your computer or television, and you will find many videos of instructors’ teaching sessions of various lengths.
Find one you like that goes for an amount of time that fits your schedule and follow along. The beauty of this is you can pause when you need to. Some Yoga instructors are better than others, so you should find one you like.
Breathing
Breathing is very important in Yoga. Often, the instructor teaches you how to breathe at the beginning of a session. In a pose or a stretch, you often breathe in on your way to the activity and breathe out when you get there. It is funny that controlled breathing is stressed because practitioners are frequently out of breath.
Conclusion
Yoga may be the best possible New Year’s Resolution. You will get stronger and more flexible. It is inexpensive in terms of time and equipment. The variety of instructors means you will likely find one you like. You can fit this workout into a busy schedule and do not need any equipment or experience to start.
