Yoga practice

There is an ancient parable about a man who all his life asked for help from the sky, but received nothing. At the very end of life, seeing the collapse of all his hopes and tormented by this, he exclaimed: "Oh God, give me the strength to change myself." And a voice came from the sky: "That was where we should start!" The meaning of the parable is that any victories begin with a victory over oneself. Each person possesses a huge potential embedded in it by nature, which yoga will help uncover.

Where to begin?

Yoga should be a pleasure, not a means, but an end in itself. After all, many come to yoga in the hope of losing weight or improving health. But what happens to the means to achieve the goal? When a disease is cured, the need for medication disappears. Yoga should not be a medicine, but an exquisite delicacy that you want, regardless of any circumstances.

It is best to start practicing yoga from the physical level, i.e. from the third stage, which includes dynamic and static exercises (asanas). To improve flexibility, it is desirable to do in the morning a small musculo-articular gymnastics. Neat rotations of the joints work perfectly: lying in bed in the morning, begin to rotate with your feet, then work in the same way on the knee joints, carpal, when you take an upright position, work out in a circular motion the spine section by section. Useful ten-minute rotation on the hips hoop (hala-hoop). An important condition: asanas should be practiced in the morning (but not immediately after waking up) or in the evening (but not before bedtime). And not immediately after other types of physical activity! Therefore, after morning exercises, it is better to do hygienic procedures, breakfast or something else, but not to do yoga.

Asana rules

In the literature, you can find a lot of asanas with descriptions, we will not dwell on any specific. We confine ourselves to the general rules of implementation:

1. You can not do on a full stomach, in a state of intoxication, the benefits of such activities - is close to zero.
2. Before classes should empty the intestines and bladder (hardly anyone would think to engage, overcoming natural needs, but such a rule nonetheless exists!)
3. Should be engaged in a bright, clean place. The room should be warm and well-ventilated (but without drafts!).
4. For classes necessarily need a mat. Now you can buy special mats for yoga, but you can choose something from your home. The main thing is to be comfortable: do not slip feet, etc. The same applies to clothing for classes: it should not interfere with movements or be too tight (so much that impedes blood flow), it is desirable to stop the choice on natural materials.
5. For women on critical days of the month, inverted poses are contraindicated (such as the stand on the shoulders of Sarvangasana, on the head of Sirshasana, etc.)
6. Performing asanas can not force the process, causing yourself discomfort or pain. Mental stress is not permissible: leave all problems and experiences outside the classroom. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali advises when performing asanas "focus on infinity." This means trying not to think about anything concrete, to relax the mind.
7. Engage without fanaticism, if the headstand should be held for at least three minutes, it does not mean that a half-hour stay in this position will benefit. Unreasonable extension of the time in asana can harm your health. This is the main argument used by supporters of the idea: "we are practicing, yoga, only with a teacher." Follow the instructions clearly, but check them with your own logic for rationality (you never know whose benefits fall into your hands). Get information from reliable sources.
8. Examine contraindications for each specific asana, if any. And do not forget to listen to your own feelings, learn to distinguish between "good" pain (caused by stretching of muscles and ligaments) from "bad", which appears as a "stop signal".
9. Alternate periods of tension and relaxation. Finishing classes is best in "Savasana" (posture of the corpse), immersed in deep relaxation.
10. Build classes on the principle of simple to complex, increase the load gradually.
11. A vegetarian diet is beneficial in that it increases the elasticity of muscles and ligaments (at least, it is considered so). You can stick to it, but if this is tantamount to severe torture, do not force yourself. Trust your body, it will prompt you what it needs.

Finally

And one more tip: it is best to begin classes with goal setting. Not global - to achieve samadhi (spiritual perfection) - but something more specific, albeit intermediate. Choose an asana that you really like (from an aesthetic point of view or therapeutic effect), but not given. On one of the mountain paths of Tibet, it was stamped: "Have you learned to rejoice at obstacles?" So, the obstacles are fine, only they allow to achieve something, and not to get on the tray. Go to your goal, keep it constantly in your mind, because even a mental action on some fractions of a percent gives the effect of the physical. And when you reach, set a new goal, because yoga is inherently almost inexhaustible.

Especially for womeninahomeoffice.com - Olga Farusy