Madonna practices Yoga religiously. Jerry Seinfeld and Richard Gere meditate for hours everyday. You know all about the benefits of yoga and have decided you'd like to give it a try. So how do you get started?
In ancient India, students would choose a teacher, known as a Guru, who would enlighten and instruct the student in all the ways of Yoga, meditation, and spirituality. In return, the student would have a place to live in a school, known as an Ashram, and the student would do light work like cook or clean in return for the priceless instruction.
In the West, things are a lot easier and simpler. Yoga has become on of the most popular recreational activities in the United States. One can easily begin by going to a local Yoga school. This is highly recommended because it follows in the tradition of finding a Master or Teacher for personal instruction. Of course, there are many different types of schools and instructors. The best is one with which you feel comfortable as there are many styles to choose from.
Hatha Yoga is the most widely practiced form of Yoga. It is a series of stretches, aerobic exercises and later on, a lifestyle and way of living. There are hatha practices that use pillows, saunas and now even partners. New hatha techniques continue to be perfected.
A lot of orthodox yoga practitioners recommend the more traditional and spiritual practices. You may look in the phone book for your local school, usually the first class is free so you can go and check them out to see if you like their style or if it suits your particular needs.
The next best method is to buy a Video or to go to a Bookstore or Library. A video is good because if you are really new and aren't familiar with Yoga then it would be a great way to see what it is all about. Many videos are well produced and the Yoga routines are very pleasing. Many advanced and intermediate Yoga practitioners also enjoy videos that offer new techniques or postures and definitely enhance motivation.
After watching a video you will get a better idea of Yoga and some of the techniques and can try them safely in your home. Then you can either follow the video's routine, or better yet come up with your own and practice for a while before going to an actual Yoga class or school. If either of these options is not available, then hopefully you can get a book from the local library or bookstore. These are also valuable sources of Yoga information because they tend to have many photos and detailed instructions.
Now some of you may be wondering if there is any special equipment or material that you need in order to begin. Well the answer is both yes and no! Traditionally, Yoga students just used a loin cloth! Then they also had a religious text that they would read as often as they could, it is known as the Bhagavad Gita. Some just call it the Gita. It is a very interesting religious book that ties in with Yoga. Although Yoga exercises and instructions are not in the book, other important lessons and parables are, if you get a chance you may want to read it and see the helpful hints and advice for yourself.
Nowadays there is a wide variety of special equipment, clothing and accessories to choose from. Although some may not be so traditional, they do enhance and can make yoga more fun or easier to practice. Many modern day practitioners find use a yoga mat. It is a foam rectangle that can be rolled up and rolled out onto the floor so you can do your stretches and exercises in comfort without getting dirty or scraped from the floor.
Then, the list goes on to pillows, special clothing and so on. Again if you find that these are helpful or beneficial than you should use them to help you further your practice and fun. Yoga is supposed to be fun and something that you look forward to doing!
Many people find that it is very relaxing and helps them to reduce stress and tension. They actually look forward to their yoga practice because it makes them feel so good. You can see the expression on people's faces after their yoga workout or routine. They are usually smiling, very happy and radiant. And for a good reason too! After a Yoga Session all of your internal organs have been stimulated and feel rejuvenated from the increased circulation, many tension blockages have been healed or have been removed.
Many muscles have been stretched which induces a feeling of well being and relaxation. Blood pressure is usually reduced and the body feels a sort of euphoria from the gentle exercises. The list of benefits continues! Also, if you attend a yoga class or school, you may find that other yoga practitioners are the most interesting people that you will ever meet! Many are very active, are artists and musicians or are just really interesting vibrant people. They are usually very interested in being fit and are concerned about staying taking good care of themselves. So Yoga can be a social activity as well. There have been cases where "soul mates" have met or marriages have developed as a result of going to a yoga class or school. This is not the purpose of attending, but it is an interesting result nonetheless.
Also a key aspect of Yoga is relaxation. This balances out the aerobic and physical aspects of Yoga. Yoga is about achieving balance in your life through exercise, diet, positive thinking and relaxation. Relaxation is so important, especially in modern times. To cope with the stress and tension, the body and mind need to relax.
In Yoga, meditation is a good way to relax. Again there are many techniques and styles. A good one for beginners is to sit in a cross-legged posture on the floor or on a chair, close the eyes, breathe normally and rhythmically, try to not think about anything and to try to relax completely. This is a very basic technique but it is a good one. There are better meditation exercises and even more complex ones that involve special breathing techniques and sitting postures. Again, a teacher, book or video would be most helpful for learning more. But we all know how good relaxing feels! So let's go out there and get started, there is no better time than now and you have already begun a healthful journey by finishing this article!
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