New to Yoga

 

It’s never too late to start something new and that’s true for you and yoga. A regular yoga practice will have noticeable benefits to your overall well-being. You will improve physically and mentally. 

 

Yoga Sutra 1.2 explains why we practice yoga - to quiet the mind and connect to the present. The “chatter” of the mind takes our attention from the present moment. It is completely normal for various and sometimes random thoughts to enter your mind. Yoga trains you to be undistracted by those thoughts so you are able to remain focused on the present - on the people and activities you are engaging right now. Yoga helps bring balance to one’s life.

 

Our thoughts on “yoga for beginners” and on yoga more generally are perhaps a little bit unconventional. You see, to us, there is no effective difference between “yoga for beginners” and more “advanced” yoga. The benefits of a beginner class and an advanced class are the same, and on this our belief is in the mainstream. But so, if the benefits are the same, and a yoga student receives the same benefits in a beginners class as in an advanced, what is different between the two?

 

The true difference is the experience level of the yoga student. Because, you see, yoga, although practiced in a community setting, is a truly individual experience. There is no bad at yoga or good at yoga. There is only Yoga. At Chair Yoga Rocks we focus on Yoga Sutra 1.14: “Perfection in practice comes when one continues to practice with sincerity and respect for a long period of time without any interruption.” So, you might sit in a chair, you might stand on your head, whatever. The postures aside, a consistent yoga practice is Yoga. What will you do to be consistent?

 

You are your best teacher 

 

This is a common phrase heard in yoga classes everywhere, and when it comes to the physical asana practice of yoga postures and movements this is true. Only you know how a posture feels in your body, and you know if you are hurting yourself. I won’t belabor the point - you know the difference between “it’s hard” and “it hurts”.  The first limb of yoga (there are eight limbs) are the Yamas, or restraints, and to us they all in some way apply here. But the very first Yama, “Ahimsa” or “non-harming”, is most important. Don’t hurt yourself.

 

Sounds obvious, but in practice it is not easy for many. Sometimes, instead of listening to ourselves we listen to our egos, push ourselves too far too fast, and this can result in injury. Listen to yourself, listen to you body. If something is difficult that’s okay - that’s just inexperience. With consistent practice (remember Yoga Sutra 1.14) what is hard/difficult now will become familiar and “easy” in time. But if something hurts you must stop doing it. There is a modification or adjustment you can make so that you are not hurting yourself. The asana postures are not about “how far you go” but rather “how you go far”. Often times, the adjustment is simply “try easier”. 

 

Hatha Yoga

 

In the West, Hatha Yoga is the yoga practice commonly referred to as yoga.  Hatha Yoga is a practice of breath and physical postures and movement to attain the union of mind and body. This yoga is a fantastic method of mental and physical exercise.  Following is a very simple description of what makes up a Hatha Yoga practice.  Our purpose in offering it this way is to demystify yoga for people who are interested in beginning a yoga practice.  

 

Breath Control

 

The first part of the yoga practice is Pranayama or breath control. There are many specific breathing techniques meant to focus the mind, but in most Western yoga classes, the sole “technique” is simply focused, controlled nostril breathing throughout the practice. By focusing on the breath, the yogi avoids distraction. By controlling the breath through the nostrils, the yoga calms the nervous system, and the mind. Pranayama is the fourth limb of yoga.

 

Asana

 

In Hatha Yoga, the Sanskrit word Asana refers to the yoga postures. Asana simply means to hold one’s body in a particular shape or position. Asana is the third limb of yoga. You will learn below the true purpose of the postures, but it is natural for people to place importance on learning the postures so they will be “good” at yoga. We are good with that, so for that we have a page to teach many of the postures we practice at Chair Yoga Rocks.  

 

Vinyasa Yoga

 

Vinyasa means movement between postures in yoga, accompanied by regulated breathing.  Vinyasa Yoga is the most popular form of Hatha Yoga practiced in the West.  

 

A “Moving Meditation” 

 

Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. This definition is quite similar to the discussion of Yoga Sutra 1.2 at the start of this page. 

 

Hatha Yoga is often referred to as a “moving meditation”. One of our teachers has said that the asana practice is a “trick” to get us to meditate. It’s not a bad, deceptive trick - it’s a good trick. Asana is simple movement, and combining asana with pranayama, breath control, the circumstances for mediation are present.

 

Yoga For Beginners

 

This is yoga for beginners. Breath and movement. Focusing the mind to rouse meditation. The benefits of which are a stronger body and a calmer, more relaxed mind. 

 

There are many more authoritative writings for anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of yoga, several of which are linked in our “resources” section.