Yoga for beginners at home. How to start, first lessons, meditation, exercises and video tutorials

In recent years, yoga classes at home have become increasingly popular. For most beginners, yoga is presented as a set of exercises aimed at improving well-being.

Hindus themselves perceive yoga as a way of spiritual development, achieving harmony with the physical and spiritual world, seeking enlightenment and unity with God. The followers of this teaching learn to control the flow of thoughts.

Fundamentals of doctrine and philosophy

The foundations of the philosophy of yoga in its classical understanding are based on the material world (everything that can be somehow felt, heard or seen) and the spiritual principle (consciousness that exists outside of space and time).

The teaching of classical yoga shows a person the world around him as a microcosm, combining the physical body of a person, his memory, thoughts, feelings with a spiritual representation of his consciousness.

Types of practices

Considering all the recommendations for beginners, you can choose both a classic practice and special areas focused on specific goals.

Classical practices include:

• Hatha Yoga – the basis of this practice is the concept of a healthy body, which promotes spiritual growth. The correct implementation of this practice improves the physical development of a person by performing a certain sequence of dynamic exercises that help strengthen muscles, increase joint elasticity, get rid of excess weight and increase overall body tone.
• Kundalini Yoga is the awakening of cosmic energy dormant inside a person and its reunion with the forces of the Cosmos. The goal is to achieve inner harmony through the awakening of a power that is dormant inside each person. It is achieved by performing certain asanas, meditations, building proper breathing.
• Raja Yoga – the education of the human mind and all the psychological processes associated with it through special practices.
• Karma yoga – teaches a person the main law of karma: the correct action in any life situation, in relation to people, managing your destiny.

Highly specialized practices are also widespread:

• Yoga for women’s health , the lessons of which are focused on the general strengthening of the health of beginners to practice this practice at home. This is achieved by strengthening the intimate and pelvic muscles, which helps to normalize the functioning of the abdominal cavity and restore the functions of the reproductive system.
• Yoga recommended for pregnant women , the goal is to prepare the female body for bearing the child and childbirth, the formation of an emotional mood, as well as the subsequent prevention of postpartum stress.
• Yoga for pairing – the goal is to establish an emotional connection between partners.
• Fitness yoga is a practice that is as close as possible to sports or physical exercises, benefiting the physical body.

How to choose a practice

When choosing a specific practice, the following factors should be considered:

• the health status of a beginner to practice yoga;
• degree of physical fitness;
• possible contraindications to exercise;
• individual features and wishes.

Choosing the type of this ancient art, you need to understand your desires and determine for yourself the goal that you decided to achieve by doing this or that type of yoga.

The basic rules of yoga

There are rules in yoga, compliance with which will accelerate the achievement of the goal:

• Classes should be performed regularly.
• The best time to practice is the morning hours, before sunrise.
• It should be practiced on an empty stomach.
• Lessons should be carried out in a well-ventilated area.
• The duration of the main complex is about 1 hour (at first 15 minutes are enough with a gradual increase in the duration and complexity of classes).
• Exercises are performed from the “lying”, “sitting” and “standing” positions, facing the east.
• It is good to do barefoot and in loose clothing that does not constrain movements.
• Before class, you need to take a cool shower.
• During classes do not use perfumes.
• The body should be light, so practice should be 2-3 hours after eating.
• Do not drink water during and after exercise.

What is the use of yoga

Yoga classes help:

• relax and find harmony;
• bring the body in good physical shape;
• normalize weight without exhausting diets;
• improve blood circulation;
• gain self-confidence;
• strengthen the will;
• strive for change.

Doctors opinions

The opinions of many experts agree that beginners to practice yoga should be careful and should not try to learn the exercises as soon as possible:

• For yoga to benefit, it is best to practice under the guidance of an experienced instructor.
• Before starting the lesson, you should stretch your muscles.
• No need to overexert. You should stop feeling pain or discomfort.
• When choosing a specific practice, you need to consult a doctor to make sure whether this type is suitable or whether it is worth choosing another.

According to many doctors, yoga helps to cope with stress, which is responsible for the occurrence of many diseases, teaches proper breathing, tones up the body – all this positively affects the body.

What you need for classes

Before the start of classes you need to stock up on things that are necessary in the lessons:

• Yoga mat or mat (the choice depends on the nature of classes).
• Loose clothes made from natural soft fabrics that allow air to pass through and absorb moisture well, without zippers, fasteners and with a minimum of seams. Clothing should not be a bright color, preference should be given to natural colors, which help create a mood appropriate to the occupation.
• A towel is recommended.

Classroom

When doing yoga at home, the interior of the room is of great importance, especially for beginners to practice. Calm pastel colors contribute to relaxation, while bright colors, on the contrary, annoy. Many extra items are also able to distract attention. The room should be spacious, with good air access and soft light.

The ideal floor covering is wood or laminate.

Linoleum or tile is cold, and during classes you will have to lie on the floor with your whole body, which is not always comfortable, and discomfort prevents relaxation.

The right accessories will help you tune in the right way. Soft pillows, the smell of incense, pleasant relaxing music – all these little things will make classes more pleasant and soothing. A large mirror will help to monitor the correct posture
.

How to start practicing at home

Independent yoga lessons at home for beginners should begin with simple exercises. The best time for classes is early morning, since the stomach is still empty , and morning exercises are a good substitute for exercise and will help awaken the body.

You should take into account several aspects that will help in the classroom, making them as useful as possible:

• Yoga requires focus on the practitioner, so everything that interferes with concentration should be removed.
• Movements should be slow and measured.
• Breathing should be correct – this helps to relax the body and calm the mind.

Breathing exercises

Yoga teaches that consciousness and breathing are inextricably linked. Breathing training is one of the most important components of yoga: developing a rhythmic way of breathing and slowing it down to adjust to the cosmic rhythm.

Rhythmic breathing promotes concentration and focusing of consciousness.

Measured calm breathing is achieved by performing the following components:

• regular inhalation;
• air retention;
• exhale slowly.

You should only breathe through the nose.

In yoga, the following breathing methods are distinguished:

• Upper or superficial breathing : the upper part of the lungs is involved, while the ribs expand, the shoulders and collarbone are raised, and the diaphragm is stationary. The result is poor air exchange. The consequence is a lack of energy in humans.
• Middle or costal breathing – the lower parts of the lungs remain unused .
• Lower breathing or diaphragm – the lungs are freer and allow more air to pass through.
• Full breathing , in which the breathing apparatus is fully activated. This method of breathing helps to improve the functioning of the endocrine system and calm the nervous system.

Simple exercises for beginners

Simple exercises are known that bring benefits and help to better understand your body, contribute to development.

Tree pose

It is carried out from the standing position. With the right hand, you need to put the right heel on the inner side of the thigh of the left leg. Hands should be joined in palms at chest level. Then they take a breath, with their arms extended upward, and freeze in this position for several minutes.

Then slowly put their hands back, straightening the chest. Next, you need to change legs and repeat the steps. This exercise has a positive effect on posture and strengthens the spine.

Baby pose

The exercise is done in the sitting position, lowering the buttocks on the heels and straightening the back. You need to slowly bend forward, stretching your arms on the floor and reaching your knees with your chest.

It is necessary to stay in the pose for several minutes, it is important that the breath remains calm and even. Then you need to straighten up in the starting position.

Mountain pose

You need to kneel, support – on your toes, put your hands straight on the floor with your palms. This is followed by a push with the hips up, get up from their knees, without taking their hands and stretching the spine.

On inspiration, the load should be slowly transferred to your hands, and when you exhale, lower the foot to the floor completely, transfer the weight to the heels.

Stork pose

Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart. They make an inclination forward, while resting their hands on their hips. Then rest your hands on your knees. The next step is to bend your knees and continue to bend lower until your palms touch the floor. You need to step on the palm of your hand so that the heel is between the index and middle fingers.

Put your toes on your wrist. The elbows move apart in different directions, rest against the chest with the chin and move the shoulder blades. After that, you need to make a push forward and straighten your back. Performing this asana (in yoga this term is called a static comfortable position of the body during exercise) increases the tone of the whole body and gives flexibility.

Onion pose

Asanas are performed lying on the stomach, legs are straightened and slightly apart. Hands are located along the body. Bend your knees and grab your ankles with your hands (the girth should be on the inside of the leg). Gently raise the upper and lower parts of the body, arching the back.

It is necessary to fix the position for several respiratory cycles (8-10) and relax, stretched out on the floor. This exercise strengthens the abs and aligns the back.

Contraindications

Before you begin to practice any type of yoga, you must first consult with your doctor.

Performing asanas is strictly prohibited when:

• schizophrenia and other types of mental disorder;
• failures in the work of internal organs;
• heart disease
• inguinal or intervertebral hernia;
• suffered traumatic brain injury;
• spinal injury;
• deterioration of health after performing asanas;
• cr
  itical days in women;
• hypertension or intracranial pressure;
• oncological diseases;
• ARVI.

What you can not do when doing yoga

It is impossible:

1. You can not rush when performing asanas, all movements need to be done smoothly and evenly.
2. Beginners to practice yoga lessons at home without a mentor can not perform complex twisting. It is necessary to prepare the spine so that it reaches the necessary flexibility. Performing exercises without preparation can cause injury.
3. You can not start classes if you are concerned about pain in the spine.
4. You can not continue classes if after them there is a deterioration in well-being.

Effect of classes

For beginners, the results of yoga become apparent after a short time. Exercise not only has a beneficial effect on the physical well-being of practitioners, but also on the lifestyle as a whole.

The followers of this ancient teaching learn to get up early in the morning to work out at home until the morning meal. Even “owls” change their routine over time, accustoming themselves to bed earlier, which has a beneficial effect on well-being.

There is a change in eating habits. The contents of the refrigerator begin to change. Preference is given to dairy and vegetable products, the consumption of meat products and semi-finished products is reduced.

Changes apply to clothing preferences. People who are keen on yoga dress more easily in winter , since exercises stabilize the cardiovascular system, and as a result, thermoregulation improves.

The positive effect of classes immediately affects the emotional state.

Practicing systematically, yoga practitioners change their attitude towards the world and others, learn to set priorities. Yoga helps relieve stress.

Hatha Yoga Slimming Poses

Yoga is not a set of exercises for losing weight, however, regular exercises can achieve good results in this direction. And the poses practiced by Hatha Yoga help to lose weight “correctly”. Many exercises make you keep muscles in tension, which allows you to make them more elastic and taut.

For the best result, it is recommended to combine dynamic exercises with motionless fixation of poses.

The most contributing postures for weight loss are:

• “cobra”;
• “bridge”;
• “camel”;
• “fish”:
• “Birch”;
• headstand.

Particular attention should be paid to the breathing technique, which normalizes the digestive and excretory functions of the body.

“Breath of Fire”

Performance:

• It is performed standing. Need to extend the heels to the width of the shoulders.
• Then a sharp exhalation follows. The stomach should be pulled in and take a sigh.
• Breathing is somewhat accelerated.

First, you should do 3 approaches, each with 20 respiratory cycles, then increase the duration of the approaches to 70 cycles.

Purification by Fire

Performance:

• It is necessary to strain the berries and muscles of the perineum.
• Hands rest on the hips, do half-squats.
• Taking a deep breath, relax the stomach.
• When holding your breath, you need to move your stomach back and forth.
• The muscles relax as much as possible, then, slowly inhaling, fill the stomach with air.

Yoga-based morning exercises

This type of yoga consists of exercises that involve all parts of the body, and a series of cleansing practices. Charging will take about 15-25 minutes. Each exercise takes from 15 to 30 seconds.

Performance:

• You should stand up straight and join your palms in the chest area, bending your arms at the elbows. It is necessary to take the shoulders back and the chest forward.
• On inhalation, the arms rise upward, palms inward. It is necessary to extend the fingers upwards, while the lateral surfaces of the chest are stretched. Continuing to stretch, fold your palms.
• The fingers are crossed by turning the palms away from you and stretching out your arms above your head, straightening your elbows. It is necessary to stretch as much as possible with the whole body up, while not allowing the stomach to go forward.
• The legs are placed shoulder width apart. The right arm bent at the elbow is laid with a brush on the left elbow, and the left hand is placed on the right. When inhaling, you need to stretch your arms up, while exhaling – bend down. Knees do not bend.
• Take a big step forward with the right foot so that the right foot is directed to the right, and the left foot is inward. The arms extend to the sides, while the legs should remain straight. With an exhalation, the body stretches to the right, the right hand should touch the floor (or lower leg). The left hand rests with the palm in the left side, while you need to turn the chest up. The left hand after the body reaches up. Do the same in the opposite direction.
• You need to sit on the floor, legs are even, toes are pulled to yourself. Hands are lowered with brushes to the floor on both sides of the body. The shoulders are pulled back, the spine and neck must be straightened, the chest cage should be set forward. When inhaling, they try to reach their toes with their hands, arching their backs. When exhaling, you need to lean forward even further, the chin stretches to the legs. When inhaling, they return to their original position.
• Spreading on the floor, it is necessary to raise the legs and lower them, touching the floor with your fingers behind the head, stretching the spine up.
• You should lie on your back, close your eyes and completely relax the whole body. Breathe calmly, measuredly. After a while, they open their eyes and sit down, turning through their right side.

Yoga lessons for pregnant women

Do not be afraid that during the exercise, a situation may arise that provokes a miscarriage. With the correct and careful performance of asanas, yoga, on the contrary, has a beneficial effect on the female body, reduces lower back pain, increases immunity, is able to relieve morning sickness and raise the emotional mood of the future mother.

There are special yoga classes designed for women in position, taking into account which trimester of pregnancy.

If earlier there were cases of miscarriage or pregnancy was associated
with complications, it is necessary to practice yoga in the early stages with extreme caution and only with the permission of a doctor.

In the middle of pregnancy, standing poses are useful, as they contribute to the overall strengthening of the body and stabilize blood circulation. In the last trimester, the risk of injury increases, so you need to use additional support during class, and complex poses for twisting should be abandoned altogether.

Yoga for the abdomen and waist

Yoga is an effective aid in getting rid of fat in the abdomen. A few simple exercises can tighten the stomach, if you combine their performance with proper nutrition.

Cobra pose

Performance:

• The exercise begins lying on the stomach, touching the chin of the floor, the legs are extended, the arms at the elbows are bent and palms rested on the floor under the shoulders.
• On exhalation, the body rises, the support – on the hands, bending the back as much as possible back.
• Keep the body raised for 15-20 seconds.
• On exhalation, they fall to the floor.

This asana should be repeated with short breaks 5 times.

Boat pose

Performance:

• It is performed lying on the back, hands are placed along the body with the palms up.
• On inspiration, you need to slowly raise your legs straight, without bending your knees and stretching your socks.
• When lifting the body, you need to try to touch your toes with your hands.
• Fix the pose, not forgetting to control breathing.
• Take a deep exhale and return to their starting position.

After sustaining 15-second pauses, repeat the asana 5 times.

Wind pose

Performance:

• It is necessary to lie on your back, stretch your legs with your heels together, place your hands along the body.
• When exhaling, you need to bend the legs at the knees and pull them to the chest.
• Hands wrap around your knees.
• The breath should be deep.
• Delayed in this position for a minute or a half.
• When exhaling, take the starting position.

Strap

Focusing on the toes and palms, freeze in a horizontal position. Hands can be bent at the elbows or straightened, as when pushing up.

Yoga for the back and spine

Experts say that with proper exercise, some asanas can help solve spinal problems and avoid osteochondrosis. The following exercises help to lengthen the spine and strengthen the muscular corset.

Pose “dog face down”

Performance:

• They stand on their feet (the foot lies completely on the floor).
• Hands push off the floor.
• You need to try to stretch the spine in a straight line along the entire length.

For beginners, performing this yoga asana at home can be fraught with some difficulties due to the muscles that are still underdeveloped, so at first you can perform the exercise using the supports for legs or arms.

Pose “Palm”

Performance:

• You need to stand up straight, spreading your legs slightly wider than shoulder width.
• The shoulders should be relaxed.
• While breathing in, the hands are pulled upward with the palms inward (the distance between the palms should be equal to the distance between the feet).
• Slowly rise on toes.
• Then they throw their heads back, looking up at their hands.
• Keeping balance, you need to stretch your whole body up for your hands.

Pose “Hare”

Performance:

• Kneel, buttocks are lowered to the heels.
• Taking a sigh, you need to raise your hands up so that they touch your ears, and your palms are turned forward.
• While exhaling, the arms are pulled forward and tilted with the whole body, without lifting the buttocks from the floor. You need to try to reach your forehead to the floor.

Pose “Rotations around the abdomen”

Performance:

• It is necessary to lie on your back, arms outstretched to the sides.
• The legs, joined together, raise up.
• Sip socks on themselves.
• Slowly lower both legs to one side, without lifting their shoulders off the floor, then repeat to the other side.

Pose “West”

Performance:

• You need to lie with your back to the floor.
• Hands are placed above the shoulders, palms should lie on the floor.
• They smoothly lift the pelvis up, arching the body in a light arc.
• Try to keep your knees and elbows straight.

Yoga for Depression

Yoga lessons teach you to accept the situation and yourself as you are, as a result, the practitioner learns to control his emotions. Regular training helps to achieve harmony in relationships with the outside world and raise your emotional tone.

For children

The main objective of this type of yoga is to strengthen the child’s physical stamina, develop attention and respect for his body. Performing asanas helps to strengthen all the muscles of the child’s body, making them elastic, develops joint mobility.

Yoga classes help in the formation of proper child posture.

Children’s classes are held in a playful way. Children enjoy copying the behavior of animals and enjoy performing such asanas such as “frog”, “flamingo”, “dog face down”, “starfish”, etc. Children are more flexible, so many exercises are easier for them than adults.

Power Yoga for Men

When performing various twists, bends and power asanas, the body as a whole is strengthened, muscle tissue is strengthened, metabolism, attention concentration are improved, and insomnia and depression are relieved. In power yoga, no additional heavy shells are used, only the weight of one’s own body.

This type of yoga is significantly different from any physical exercises for pumping up muscles, because, despite the development of muscular strength, lightness and grace in movements are preserved. However, it is not easy for an untrained physically person to cope with this practice right away.

For two

Pair or “lazy” yoga is practiced with the support of a partner. The peculiarity of this species is the easy and quick assimilation of even difficult exercises at first. In partners, you can choose not only a spouse, but also a girlfriend, a stranger and even a child, although it is desirable that the partners be in approximately equal weight categories.

Paired classes involve supporting each other while doing stretch marks, sagging, and helping to maintain balance. Couples alternately play the role of a support or weighting agent.

For the elderly

Yoga for the older generation includes a number of simple exercises, but it is important to undergo a preliminary consultation with a doctor.

Only with the approval of the attending physician can you start classes.

Pose “Triangle”

It is taken from the basic position of “standing, feet shoulder width apart”. You need to put your hand on your side. Further, the hand slowly slides along the leg, and the second at the same time stretches up, then in the opposite direction. The main thing is to monitor your breathing.

Pose “Cat”

To perform the asana, you need to stand on all fours, round your back, then you should smoothly bend upward so that the head and neck are stretched forward. It will also be easy for the elderly to perform asanas “dog face down” and “freeing the wind”. Finish classes, relaxing in the pose of the “corpse.”

Yoga lessons for novice practitioners of the older generation are simple, and due to the elementary poses, exercises can be performed at home. Yoga allows you to prolong youth and gain spiritual balance and good spirits at any age. It contributes to the healing of the whole body.

Video tutorials of yoga at home for beginners

Where to start in yoga at home, see the video clip:

Hatha Yoga for Beginners: