While you’ve probably already heard about the health and stress-reduction benefits of a regular yoga routine, taking your practice to the next level can offer a range of positive mental, emotional, and physical benefits that have the potential to impact you in positive, life-changing ways. It’s also a great way to practice self-care, setting aside time that’s just for you that contributes to your overall health and wellness. Today, Popular Fitness shares some tips to help you center yourself and find different pathways to peace and serenity that lead to enlightened principles for living.
What Is Yoga?
If you’re new to yoga, you may know it involves contorting your body into different positions, or “poses,” and holding them for various lengths of time before moving in fluid-like motion to a new position. The practice is actually much more nuanced than simply, “stretching.” While there are various types of yoga with different variations, the most common type - known as Hatha yoga - involves not simply stretching, but calculated and intentional breathing combined with a meditative process. The focus is on lengthening your muscles and improving balance and flexibility, as well as slowing your mind and your breath in a controlled way that brings myriad wellness benefits.
Health Benefits of Yoga
There is a long list of benefits that come from practicing yoga. According to Hopkins, this includes reduction of arthritis and inflammation; better sleep; brighter moods and reduced anxiety; improved heart health; and greater degrees of balance and flexibility – both of which are especially important with older individuals, who may have an increased risk of falling. You may also see increased energy, reduced back pain, and improvement in some chronic health conditions. Yoga practice also appears to lead to elevated levels of self-care in general. As a whole-body practice, those who devote themselves to this level of wellbeing showed improved mental health.
Getting Started
Yoga can feel intimidating to the beginner. You may wonder, what happens if my body doesn’t bend that way? What if I can’t catch my breath, or I fall? Or worse yet, I make a sound I don’t want to make? Keep in mind that yoga is all about acceptance of yourself, your body, and of others sharing the practice. Luckily, there are plenty of apps to help you on your fitness journey.
Additionally, a qualified and well-trained yoga instructor will help you along the journey. While a beginners’ class might be the best place to start, regardless of the level, you’ll always be encouraged to practice in a way that feels right for your body. Start slow if you need to; even a 7-minute session has benefits! As with any physical endeavor, you will get stronger the more you practice, and you’ll be able to encourage yourself to become bolder in your efforts. If you don’t feel a good fit with Hatha yoga, there are a number of other types you may find more beneficial.
Use the Right Equipment
You can find a wide array of yoga equipment that can help in different ways. Mats of varying thickness can protect your joints and bones from hard surfaces; blocks can help you balance and reach new positions without over-straining; and bands can help you deepen stretches in ways you can’t on your own. You can also purchase “yoga paws,” which are essentially footie socks for both your hands and your feet. They have rubber grippers on the bottom that will keep you from sliding when you’re moving from one position into another. Essential oils applied at the temples can also help you transition into the right headspace.
Also, if you decide to upgrade your home (perhaps by finishing a garage or basement) so that you can have a special space dedicated to exercise, there’s an added benefit down the line: renovations like this also boost your home’s appraisal value. Just make sure you keep those receipts!
Benefits of Classes
When you’re getting started in yoga or taking your practice up a notch, a skilled instructor can be invaluable. To get the most from a yoga session, you’ll want to ensure you’re doing the moves and poses correctly, and an in-person class will likely include full-body mirrors and hands-on help to aid you in your journey. You can get a similar feel in an online class, though it will be tricky to get instructor feedback unless it’s an interactive environment. Personal training sessions are another way to go. Don’t compare yourself to others when practicing, and allow yourself to take risks, fail, and try again. Once you’re more comfortable with the basics you’ll be better prepared for solo practice.
Benefits of Solo Yoga
While many yoga practitioners thrive on the collective energy of a yoga studio class, others prefer to be more introspective in their practice and work alone. You may opt for a home studio for privacy and practicality. An outdoor Zen garden with room for yoga can be especially peaceful and meditative. Consider hiring a backyard landscaping designer to create the ideal yogi retreat. A rock garden, serenity fountain, and fragrant flowering plants can make for a beautiful haven. If you have an outdoor sound system installed, all the better for playing soothing tunes. You can research companies online by reading reviews and reviewing portfolios before meeting with a contractor. If price is a concern, ask about whether they’re offering deals or credits.
Getting the Most From Your Practice
Regardless of what type of yoga you practice, where you do it, and what tools you use, there are some “best practices'' that will help you get the most from your time. Begin by wearing comfortable clothing; high-waisted yoga pants are a good start. Also, remember to set an intention before the start of each session. Rather than allow your mind to wander to the day’s events or zone out, focus on your breathing and use the session to meditate. This will help give you clarity of mind, body, and spirit. Bring your own equipment as well. While many yoga and fitness centers provide community-use mats and equipment, they may not be properly sterilized between uses, which can open you up to the potential for staph infection.
Meditating
Meditation takes many forms and can be done by itself or in conjunction with the practice of yoga. Essentially, meditation consists of measured breathing and intentional clearing of the mind as a way to reduce stress, improve focus and concentration, and relax the body at a deep level. Much like yoga, beginning meditation can feel uncomfortable, or odd, but the more you practice, the more naturally it comes. It’s fine to start slowly. You may find guided meditation helps you immerse yourself in the process, as an in-person or recorded guide leads you through the various steps and stages. As with yoga, you can take your meditative practice to higher levels if you so choose.
Balancing Your Chakras
Many practiced yogis maintain chakra balance as part of their yoga and meditative processes. According to Chopra, we each have seven chakras, which are nerve and organ centers where our bodies store thoughts, energies, emotions, and past events. When chakras are balanced and open, we are healthy and well; when one or more chakras are blocked, or out of balance, it can cause mental, emotional, and physical unwellness. There are a variety of ways to balance your chakras, ranging from crystal therapy to meditation, acupuncture, and sound healing. Awareness of which chakras are out of line is the first step in balancing them.
Zenning Other Areas of Life
Yoga practitioners are typically looking for health, inner peace, and relaxation. To ensure you don’t leave this feeling in the studio, bring it home with you. Start by creating a comforting, clean, decluttered space in which to live. Eliminate bad energy and “stuff” you don't need, or that doesn't bring you joy. Surround yourself with beauty and create a serene environment, low lighting, fresh air, live plants, and comfortable surfaces can all create an inviting environment. Purify your air, install unique works of art, and make your sleeping environment a calm, cool, and restful space. Eliminate electronics, invest in comfortable bedding, and use a white noise machine or blackout curtains to tune out ambient distractions. Getting your house in order opens you up to getting your mind and body in order as well.
The art of yoga is one of discipline. Set reminders on your phone to measure your progress and time commitment as a way to keep you focused and on track. Whether you’re beginning or advancing, don’t get discouraged! The more you practice, the better you will start to feel. Need extra encouragement and accountability? Get a yoga buddy and agree to support one another’s practice.
