What is Yoga?
What comes to mind when you hear someone talk about yoga? Could it be one of these things?
You have to be flexible
Yoga is too slow
Only women do yoga
Yoga is a religion
Yoga is for young people
Yoga is expensive
There are several common misconceptions about yoga. In reality, these things are not valid.
When I started with yoga, I didn’t know how powerful it would be. In the beginning, I attended classes here and there. After every class, I’d feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready for what life brings me next. Slowly I began to incorporate it into my daily routine until, eventually I learned just how many benefits a regular yoga practice can provide.
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Disclaimer: I am not a certified yoga instructor, the information contained in the post are all experience based. Consult your doctor before beginning any workout program.
First and foremost lets just get this out of the way. Yoga is for EVERYONE. Every race, gender, body, sexual orientation, age, insert whatever description you choose here. Yoga is for EVERYONE.
The biggest misconception that I hear people say when I mention that I practice yoga. You do not have to be flexible to do yoga. In fact with a regular yoga practice, you could potentially increase your flexibility with time.
Yoga is for Everyone
Bottom line, if you have a body and you have the clearance from your doctor you can practice yoga. There are so many free yoga videos on YouTube, so creating a yoga practice doesn’t have to be expensive.
Lets dive into all of the things you need to know about yoga, how it can benefit your life as well as how to start and maintain a yoga practice. So sit back, get some coffee and get ready for all you need to know to get started in yoga.
History
Yoga has been very popular in eastern culture thousands of years ago, dating to before religions were beliefs were established. Iyengar yoga began as a way to connect breath with movement in addition to creating an element of mindfulness. If you want a more in depth reading about the history of yoga, read this article.
Yoga in western culture is significantly younger and steadily became popular during the 1950s. Maintaining the foundations of mindfulness and combining breath and movement, modern day yoga practice may look different among yoga teachers and yoga students.
My practice may look entirely different than another student’s yoga practice. But that is okay, your yoga practice is yours and yours alone. This has not changed since it began all those years ago. Yoga is not something that you can master, but rather something you continue to work on by listening to your body to practice where you are during that particular moment. Read this article for more information about the modern history of yoga.
Different Styles of Yoga
There are several different styles of yoga. Some styles are very fast paced flows while others are slow moving meditative styles of yoga. Not every style of yoga is right for every individual, but the underlining message of combining the “body, mind and spirit” is the same.
As with any form of exercise, you want to choose the activity that you enjoy doing. Yoga is no different. If one style didn’t feel right to you, try another. When I first started my yoga practice, I only knew of one style of yoga. Luckily I do enjoy it, so I wasn’t turned away from yoga because I didn’t like the first style I tried. After trying several other styles of yoga, I can see a time and place for each style of yoga and thoroughly enjoy them.
For a more detailed description of the following yoga styles, read this article from Yoga Medine.
Kundalini Yoga
This style of yoga brings in the element of spirituality into the practice. Many yoga flows are designed to reduce stress by stimulating your natural energy. Many Kundalini yoga instructors begin their classes with a mantra, or a focus for the class, while the flow focuses on breath combined with changing. While this style does have some movement, it also has a some meditative elements toward the end of the flow.
I’ve never experienced this style of yoga, but I’ve had some yoga teachers include the matra element in classes. Encouraging the setting of an intention for that particular class.
Vinyasa Yoga
This style of yoga combines breath to movement through the fast paced flow. Because of this there still is a meditative element to a vinyasa style yoga class. This is a really popular style of yoga for any one who wants more movement than stillness in their yoga practice.
I began my practice with this style of yoga, and almost always tend to choose this style over any other style. Yoga for me is my active recovery days, so I try to choose other slower paced styles of yoga.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is a more traditional style of yoga that is a slow paced practice focusing on movement, breath and meditation. Many elements from iyengar, bikram, or astanga styles of yoga are typically a part of hatha yoga.
I’ve haven’t done hatha style of yoga in my practice, but have experienced elements of meditation in some classes.
Ashtanga Yoga
During ashtanga yoga, there is a series of six poses taught in the same order. Often times, the instructor in ashtanga yoga will provide more hands on adjustments as the students “master” each of the six poses. It is the same flow for every ashtanga yoga class with no music playing.
Ashtanga yoga isn’t something for me. I need more of a variety in my yoga practice. Though I do enjoy routine with my strength training, it’s not what I am looking for in my practice.
Yin Yoga
Yin yoga is a much slower paced yoga style that holds poses for an extended period of time. The idea behind this style of yoga is to increase flexibility through the body’s connective tissue in the low back, hips and legs. When holding each pose, props such as bolsters or blocks are used to relax into the pose. This style of yoga is great for an intense stretch after tough strength training workouts.
Yin yoga is amazing. I love the stretch that occurs when holding the poses in a supportive way.
Iyengar Yoga
This style of yoga is named after the original founder of yoga from thousands of years ago. Iyengar yoga combines the use of props with detailed instruction with a classical style of yoga.
I actually had never heard of this style of yoga, but my interpretation is that all of the styles of yoga utilizes elements from the origin. Many classes will offer the use of props for any modifications. Using a block as support in extended side angle, or using a strap in dancers pose.
Bikram Yoga
Often referred as a style of hot yoga, bikram yoga is similar to ashtanga yoga by using a set series of poses always in the same order for 90 minutes. Bikram yoga is taught in a class heated to 105 degrees F with a 40% humidity. Since this style of yoga is very structured, many studios offer a generic “hot yoga” class that often times is a heated vinyasa yoga. Practicing yoga in a heated environment provides many benefits by allowing students to sink deeper into poses, detoxifying the body and increase circulation.
I have done hot yoga, but never a bikram specific style of yoga. I love hot yoga. The feeling after is just amazing. It’s like you sweat out all of the negative energy you didn’t even know you had.
Power Yoga
Power yoga is a less spiritual yoga style than the others. This style is a very quick paced practice that focuses on strength as well as flexibility. With its roots in ashtanga yoga, power yoga has a less specific flow and allows the teacher to create a class as their own.
I’ve done a few hot power yoga classes, but it was a little too fast paced for my taste. I love my vinyasa classes even in hot yoga, but power yoga is too quick for me.
Sivananda Yoga
This style of yoga is focused on a more meditative practice, similar to hatha yoga. Unlike other styles of yoga, sivananda yoga begins each class with savasana, or final resting pose then moves into a series of specific basic 12 poses.
Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a very meditative style of yoga, where students use props to relax into poses, similar to yin yoga. The difference is poses are held longer and in a much more relaxed position than in yin yoga. It’s not uncommon for students to drift in and out of sleep during restorative yoga.
I love restorative yoga. Just like yin yoga the relaxation of this style of yoga is the best feeling at the end of the day.
Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga is designed specifically for pregnant women who still want to move their bodies. Focus is on low back pain and hip pain that often comes with pregnancy. Since the body changes the entire duration of pregnancy, many poses are excluded that could be uncomfortable or harmful. As always, consult your doctor to make sure you are cleared to do prenatal yoga.
Benefits of Yoga
Yoga can provide significant mental benefits such as stress relief. Since stress can present itself with tension in the neck, back, headaches and troubles with sleep, just to name a few. With a regular yoga practice, you can learn many stress relief techniques. While creating a mental clarity and a sense of calm, yoga also provides an increased body awareness. If you want more information about the benefits from yoga read this article.
In addition to the spiritual and mental benefits from yoga, there are many physical benefits:
increased flexibility - I always respond to the misconception about flexibility and yoga with this. You will gain flexibility with a regular yoga practice.
increased muscle strength and tone - you’d be surprised with how much strength you can gain with just body weight movements.
improved respiration, energy and vitality - because of the breath to movement is important in yoga.
maintaining a balance metabolism - many poses involving twists are said to aid in digestion
weight reduction - with a regular yoga practice and a balanced diet
cardio and circulatory health
improved athletic performance - the addition of a regular yoga practice can help athletes recover and improve their performance
protection from injury - yoga works and stretches all of the supportive muscles that are often forgotten about, which can help prevent injury
Yoga for me has given me a place where I can spend my time focusing on me. I can clear my mind and get a better sense of grounding. It definitely provides a sense of clarity and stress relief.
While providing a great place to improve my mental health, I have also have noticed so many of the physical benefits like many of the above. I notice that I can recover from my strength training much quicker than if I didn’t do any yoga.
There you have it, the basics of what yoga is. For me yoga helps me much more mentally than it does physically. I do benefit from all the physical aspects as well, but I notice a difference of how I feel mentally after my yoga practice. Between that and running, I need something to ease my anxiety and stress.
The biggest stresser in my life right now is that I really do not love my job. It is not a bad job by any means but it is just not the right fit for me. I am working towards the ability to do what I love, starting with this blog. But in the mean time I need the job to pay bills. It takes a toll mentally when I have to spend my time working doing something other than working for my goals. Every day, I long for the day I can quit and be my own boss full time. I just keep reminding myself that I am working towards it. One day, I will get there. One day, I will have the ability to do what I love full time with the flexibility to work from anywhere I want.
In the mean time, I’ve got yoga, running and working out to keep my mind clear. Sometimes when I do not want to do any of these things, I just remind myself that I will feel better after. I will feel better tomorrow. It is when I don’t want to workout, run or practice yoga, is when I need it the most.
Looking for more? Stay tuned for my next blog post with my recommendations for what you need as a beginner yogi. Being a yogi doesn’t take much and doesn’t have to be expensive. But there are so many products on the market that it may be difficult to navigate. In my post Ultimate Beginners Guide to Yoga, I break down my recommendations for various yoga mats and accessories, how to get started as well as where to find great free yoga videos.
If you are here and reading this, that means you have an interest in your health and fitness. That is so good, I am so excited for you! Taking care of your body is literally the best thing you can do for yourself in the present as well as long term. I read this quote, not sure who said it.
“Do something today that your future self will thank you for”
I just find that so inspiring. Hard work will pay off in the future, but you also have to live in the moment and I feel like taking care of yourself is doing both. You are doing good for yourself now as well as for your future self.
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