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How to start a Yoga Practice?

Are you always thinking about how and when to start Yoga? If so, then you have come to the right place! Yoga not only helps you to be fit but also keep you away from stress. Then why to be late, let’s start the Yoga practice. Ahhh! before that you need to create a right kind of atmosphere to get its effectiveness and here are the 11 tips for you to keep in mind before starting the Yoga and Meditation practice.

1. Choose a convenient time

The most convenient time for practicing yoga is in the early morning time as you are free from daily chaos and stress. Moreover, your energy levels are high and there is always a greater chance of getting morning sunlight which is always good for your health. But, if you are not an early morning guy nothing to worry about. You can choose a convenient time prior to breakfast or at evening time. Evening time can also be used to practice yoga as this is the right time to refresh your mind and release the stress you have accumulated during the whole day at office.

2. Choose a comfortable place

It would be best if you can practise yoga in your terrace, balcony or in the garden area. This will expose you to the morning sunlight which is good for your health. If not, nothing to worry, please mind that you only need a place which can cover your yoga mat and a small place for movement. You can choose a small room in your home which is clean, well-ventilated and free from disturbance for the time you will practise yoga.

3. Make sure your stomach is empty

Yoga is not just an exercise but a powerful tool to enhance yourself and bring your energy upward. So, ensure that you are practicing yoga before taking breakfast or taking any meal i.e. empty stomach. You can practice yoga and meditation about 4–5 hours after your meal.

4. Keep your yoga clothes loose fitting and comfortable

Choose loose-fitting clothes for the yoga practice since it provides you comfort while stretching your body.

5. Warm up your body before practicing any intense yoga postures

After practicing meditation and pranayama, do warm up your body with simple stretches to bring flexibility. Practicing intense yoga postures without warm-up may invite strain and sore in your muscles.

6. Sthiram Sukham Asanam

Please keep a note that it’s your body and you know it better than the whole world. Don’t practise beyond your capacity or move faster. Respect your body and practise gently with a smile on your face. Everyone is blessed with a different body with flexibility.

7. Be regular and focused

Whatever you do in this world, you need to be consistent and focused to achieve your goal, yoga works in the same way. It is very important to be regular with your yoga practice and include it in your daily schedule. Make it a habit, as 20 minutes of Yoga can give you better results than 2 hrs. of occasional practice.

8. Learn how to breathe

It is always important to breathe while practising yoga, especially when holding the postures. Breathe in and breathe out helps you to remove the toxins from your body and allows the fresh air to be a part of your body.

9. Start the practice with Beginner Yoga:

There is always a human tendency to move faster and you can’t exclude yourself from that list. But, it is most important for yourself to understand that Yoga is a journey and not a destination. You need to proceed from basic yoga pose sequences like cat pose, dog pose, downward dog, cobra, seated twist, triangle, forward pose to understand each aspect of this beautiful ancient practice. Then you can explore the intermediary and advanced yoga postures as you understand it better.

10. Start with an invocation and meditation:

An invocation is a tool to bring the calmness and best in you before you practise any kind of yoga. In the Yogic science, an invocation is usually in Sanskrit used to connect sound with forms. We called this as a yoga of sound. A simple invocation can be started with:

Asato ma sadgamaya
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
Mrityor ma amritangamaya
Aum Shanti Shanti Shantihi

Lead me from untruth to truth

Lead me from darkness (ignorance) to light (knowing)

Lead me from death to deathlessness

11. End with Savasana:

Always end your yoga practice with simple Savasana, resting your back and consciously relaxing your body for 10–15 minutes. It helps to relax your body and mind.

Keep these 11 things in mind before laying your yoga mat to start the practice for effective results.

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” — The Bhagavad Gita