How to start practicing yoga? Notes when practicing yoga

Yoga has many benefits for mental and physical health. For beginners, it is recommended to practice simple and basic yoga exercises to get used to them, then perform advanced poses.

1.1 Types of yoga There are many different styles of yoga and practitioners should choose the class according to the style that is right for them. Specifically:
Yoga Hatha: Tends to be good for beginners because the movements are quite slow; Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Power yoga: Often more challenging, depending on level of instruction; Iyengar: Often focuses on posture alignment, often using tools to help students get in better shape; Hot yoga: Practice in a hot environment, many gyms have temperatures up to 40oC. Many people like to practice yoga in a hot environment, but some people who are sensitive to heat or have some medical conditions will find it uncomfortable to practice Hot yoga; Kundalini yoga: A term for the mental energy or life force located at the base of the spine. In Kundalini yoga, practitioners use breathing exercises, physical postures, chanting, and meditation to unleash this energy. It is used to treat drug addiction. According to research published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, kundalini yoga techniques are also helpful in the management of obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug addiction and substance abuse disorders, and disorders. major depression, dyslexia, grief, insomnia and other sleep disorders. 1.2 Controlling the breath Yoga focuses a lot on the breath - it can be effective for health. If a yogi has mastered the breath, then he or she is also practicing. According to a 2014 study, a 25-minute routine of alternating nasal yoga breathing can significantly reduce blood pressure and breathing rate in people with high blood pressure.
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1.3 Yoga poses Depending on the gym and yoga instructor, the names of the poses can be in Vietnamese, English or Sanskrit, or a combination of them. This can be confusing during the first few sessions of beginners.
Therefore, newbies should learn about the most popular yoga poses to familiarize themselves with the English, Vietnamese and Sanskrit names and basic implementation of these poses. The most popular poses are baby pose, downward facing dog, etc. They are included in most yoga classes. Other poses include warrior pose and sun salutation.
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A typical yoga class usually lasts 45 - 90 minutes. Depending on the teacher and yoga style, the session usually begins with a focus on controlling the breath, moves into poses in the middle of the session, and often ends with meditation to cool down the body.
2.1 Prepare equipment Most yoga classes are equipped with mats, equipment and props that practitioners need such as sweat towels, blankets, yoga bands,... Others are not equipped. The practitioner needs to prepare in advance and bring it to class.
2.2 Attire The practitioner should choose comfortable, stretchy pants or shorts and a shirt that hugs the body so that it doesn't flip over when doing somersaults. Practitioners will not need to wear special shoes because yoga is usually done with bare feet. Alternatively, the practitioner can wear a pair of yoga socks with straps in the front to keep their feet from slipping on the mat.
2.3 Principles in Yoga Class Principles in yoga class are mostly pretty easy to understand. That is respect for teachers, respect for classmates, respect for yourself and the practice of yoga. Other notes include: Arrive to class on time, turn off your phone before going to class, stay in class until the last relaxing time,...

2.4 Basic yoga routine Most yoga classes follow a similar schedule, although the details of the session can vary based on the type of yoga performed and the direction of the instructor. teacher. From the moment you enter the classroom to the first lesson, the process usually goes like this:
Check-in: Students should arrive a little early to have time to prepare and find their classroom. If this is your first time practicing, you may have to fill out the necessary paperwork before starting the session; Enter the classroom and find a suitable position: The practitioner needs to take off his shoes before entering the class. Then, position the mat so that it faces the same direction as the other students' mats. At the same time, students should ask the teacher if they need to use any other exercise equipment. Beginners can talk to the teacher if this is their first practice; Sit on the mat until class starts: This is a great opportunity for practitioners to slow down, take a deep breath, and get in the air before class begins; Work on the progress of the class: Classes typically begin with basic breathing exercises and basic, slow poses to warm up. Some teachers may instruct students to pronounce a series of "Oms" or meditate before starting the poses. After that, the class will increase the speed and intensity of the yoga practice, before gradually reducing the speed again, performing deeper stretches. Many classes end in a sitting, lying position and ending with a corpse pose - an important relaxation period for the body to absorb everything it has learned before returning to everyday life; Classes often end with deeper breathing: Since yoga focuses on the breath like physical exercise, the final breathing exercises serve as a helpful reminder to focus more on the breath. for the rest of the day; Ask questions at the end of the lesson: Most teachers will answer any questions students have. This is a great time to learn more about specific poses or simply have a closer relationship with the teacher. After the class is over, the practitioner should take a moment to reflect on his or her experience, assess what he or she likes and dislikes, and assess whether the pace and instruction are appropriate for the student's abilities. me or not. From there, the practitioner will make a decision to join this class in the future or switch to trying another form of exercise.

Practicing yoga at the gym helps the practitioner get detailed instructions from the teacher, meet other students, learn more about how to practice from the people around,... However, if the gym is too far from the place. If it is difficult to arrange a fixed time for going to school at the gym, practitioners can choose to practice yoga at home. So how should yoga be when starting at home? Some important notes include:
3.1 Prepare necessary exercise equipment Practitioners should prepare to invest in a good yoga mat, a few necessary tools,... This will stimulate interest in practicing at home. Necessary tools include: Yoga mat, a pair of yoga foam blocks, yoga rope, cushion for meditation. Practitioners note that they should buy thinner mats to make it easier to practice balance poses.
3.2 Choose a practice space When practicing yoga at home, practitioners should choose an open, large, less furniture space in the bedroom or living room. Practice in an undisturbed space during practice. The yoga space needs to be large enough to lay the mat down and move freely. So this area needs to be at least 2.1m2.
Finally, if you want to watch online training instructions, you need to practice in a space with a large TV screen. If there is not enough space, the practitioner can also use a phone or tablet.

3.3 Choosing the right exercises There are thousands of options for yoga exercises out there. Practitioners should refer to different forms of yoga to choose their favorite and follow them. This is especially important for those new to yoga as not all yoga classes, teachers, or styles are the same. So it can take a while to find the right yoga class.
3.4 Schedule your practice The benefit of doing yoga at home is that the practitioner is not limited to a specific schedule or duration of practice. However, this is also a limitation of practicing at home because it will be difficult for practitioners to self-discipline.
Therefore, it is best for practitioners to arrange their yoga practice time, decide when to practice, and time to practice each time. Then put them on a fixed schedule and can't be ignored. Occasionally, due to busyness, practitioners can shorten the class, but this should not be made a habit.
How long each training session is completely depends on the practitioner, whether it is 15 minutes or 90 minutes. However, for beginners, it should only be about 35-45 minutes. This is the right time to help the practitioner get used to the typical form of a yoga class without being overwhelmed or overwhelmed by the practice. In the future, trainees should extend their training sessions to increase their total weekly practice time.

For beginners to practice yoga, the following should be kept in mind:
Newbies to yoga are best to attend a few classes before starting to practice at home. The teacher will help correct the wrong movements of the practitioner; Listen to your body, don't try too hard. Simple modifications or baby rest can be done as needed. The flexibility and endurance of the body will improve gradually over time; Start practicing at home when the practitioner is completely comfortable with basic yoga poses; Attend yoga seminars for more detailed instruction in the practice of yoga; Note the effects of yoga on the body. Practitioners should record how they feel during non-practice to realize the benefits of yoga. Yoga is a practice popular around the world that combines breathing, postures and meditation. Yoga has many physical and mental benefits such as stress management, reducing depression, improving mood, improving sleep quality, reducing pain, increasing strength, and more. You can start practicing yoga at any time for good health and a beautiful figure.

Reference sources: healthline.com, .verywellfit.com