“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it is what you learn on the way down.” -Jigagor
I used to go to yoga once or twice a month a few years ago, but I never really got into the practice until recently. Yoga always seemed intimating and overrated, and then it changed my life. The mental and physical benefits that I have reaped through yoga are undeniable and I feel as if absolutely everyone on this earth could gain from this practice in some way. In this blog post I am going to go over the different types of yoga, the benefits (mind, body and spirit) as well as give some advice on how to get started.
There are 11 major types of yoga, I will take you through 4 of the most popular practices. The most common type is Hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is perfect for beginners as it is one of the most basic practices to take part in. This specific kind of yoga focuses on physical postures and breathing for the most part. Iyengar yoga focuses on alignment along with detailed and precise movements. This practice helps to improve patience as well as balance as you hold specific poses for a long period of time. Iyengar is perfect for people who are recovering from injuries because of it’s slow approach. Kundalini practice is on more of the spiritual side than anything. This practice focuses on releasing the Kundalini energy from the body which would stay dormant otherwise. A practice involving this method can be a bit challenging and involve chanting, mantras and meditation. Last but not least I would like to touch on Vinyasa yoga, which just so happens to be my favorite. Vinyasa translates to “to move a special way” which is absolutely beautiful. This practice focuses on using your breath to “flow” into the next posture/pose. Vinyasa can vary from teacher to teacher, and many practices may fall into this category of yoga. There are many other types of yoga such as yin yoga, restorative yoga and Anusara just to name a few. Each practice has its own benefits, but there are some advantages that fall into every single type of yoga.
Most people take up yoga to become more flexible, get more toned and improve their overall physique. These are all benefits of yoga, but there are more than just the physical advantages. Integrating a yoga practice into your life can improve your respiration, energy and vitality. This is something that I became aware of after practicing for around a month. Any morning that I did not do my practice, I noticed that my energy wasn’t at the level that it was when I did my morning routine. Another wonderful benefit from yoga is the fact that it can reduce your risk of injury. This is HUGE. I introduced yoga to my grandparents because I figured it would help to take some stress off of them as well as improve physical aspects of their lives. My grandmother had always had trouble with her knee prior to beginning her practice; after she had been practicing for just a few weeks she noticed a difference in the pain that she felt. My grandfather is also able to get up the stairs much easier than he was previously. Yoga really is for all ages. One of the most important aspects of yoga is the calmness it can bring your mind. It is quite literally a moving mediation as it is hard to focus on anything but your breathing when you are trying to hold a specific pose. Yoga reduces stress levels and brings a more calm state of mind. When you can conquer your practice for the day, you can conquer your whole day.
So how do you get started you ask? Taking classes in person is always a great option, but it definitely isn’t for everyone. What helped me to get on track was actually YouTube. There are so many wonderful souls out there who post their guided yoga practice for the world to see. I still use these videos to this day as I find it easier to challenge myself when I am alone and not afraid of failure. Others may thrive in a different environment because it does take a lot of dedication to get yourself on the mat all by yourself each and everyday. I always say the hardest part is showing up. Once you have decided to partake in your practice, you will find it hard to stop. I will leave a link to a few of my favorite yoga YouTubers at the bottom of this article. I really hope that this can benefit someone as yoga is one of the best things that I have implemented in to my life. Inhale, exhale. You’re alive and the time is now. Do something good for your mind, body and spirit. Do yoga.
YouTubers I recommend:
Yoga With Adriene – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFKE7WVJfvaHW5q283SxchA
SarahBethYoga – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-0CzRZeML8zw4pFTVDq65Q
Yoga with Kassandra – https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithkassandra
Works cited:
https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/the-health-benefits-of-yoga
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/the-11-major-types-of-yoga-explained-simply