Yoga For Beginners: A New Healthy Hobby

By Thaya Kareeson

Yoga is well-known to improve health, relieve stress, improve coordination, balance and overall fitness, both mental and physical. Yoga, if you know nothing about it, can be intimidating. You have visions of turning yourself into a human pretzel - you who has not done anything remotely pretzel-like since you were five years old! Put your mind at rest. In yoga for beginners there is no need for you to do any pose beyond your ability. Here are a few beginner's poses to get you started.

Easy Yoga Pose, also known as sukasana, is very basic pose often used for meditation. To do this post, sit on your bottom cross legged. Bring one heel up towards your groin. The other foot is left on the floor. Sit up as tall as you can. Imagine a thread connecting the crown of your head to the ceiling. Elongate your spine and lower your shoulders.

Tree Pose, also known as vrksasana, improves balancing ability. Mindfully, stand straight with your hands in a prayer position. The tips of your fingers should be pointing towards the ceiling. Keeping both hips squarely underneath you and begin to lift your left leg. Your foot will be sliding up the inside of your right leg until you reach the inside of your right thigh. Balance and do in reverse. Repeat standing on the left leg. It is completely fine to hold onto a table or chair if you need extra support to balance. Once both legs have been worked on, return to the starting position.

Adho Mukha Svansana, otherwise known as Downward-Facing Dog, will stretch your entire body. Start by getting down on all fours, hands and knees aligned with your shoulders and hips. Your back is flat. Next, bring your hands back towards your feet, raising your backside up towards the ceiling and straightening out your legs. You will look like a triangle (inverted). Hang your head, take your shoulders out of your ears and relax them (beginners tend to scrunch their shoulders towards their ears). Do not invert yourself farther than you can go without pain.

The Child's Pose is another good stretch for your spine. Starting at Downward-Facing Dog Pose on all fours. Lower your bottom down to sit on your calves. Your knees should be spread apart. Position your arms with your fingertips pointing toward your feet, along your body, or stretch them out in front of you with your fingers splayed. Hold as long as you wish.

The Cat and Cow Pose also starts from the Downward-Facing Dog Pose. Bend your toes under. Relax your shoulders and drop your stomach toward the ground. Your back will be concave. Hands and knees need to stay aligned with your shoulders and hips. Then stretch your back like a cat, arching upwards. Return to starting position.

From a standing position with your hands in prayer position and your feet apart, go slowly into a squatting position. Your elbows will be at the inside of your knees slightly pressing outward. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Spine should be straight, no hunching. Remain like this for five breaths.

You have just gone through five different poses of yoga for beginners. No doubt, you feel stretched out and relaxed. Continue practicing yoga poses every day and you will see yourself getting more flexible and stronger over time. You may even decide to join other yoga practitioners at a local yoga class. - 31875

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