Yoga at Home: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

If you’re new to yoga, it can be scary. Between the gravity-defying poses on Instagram and the overwhelming number of class options, it’s easy to think of yoga as exclusive. The truth is that yoga is accessible to everyone, and you don’t need gymnast-level flexibility to attempt it. In truth, you practise yoga not because you are flexible, but to become more flexible in both your body and your life.

Here, you’ll learn everything you need to know about yoga for beginners, including the advantages of regular practice, introductory postures, how to find the best class for you, home practice, and more.  

Where To Get Started?

Yoga for beginners refers to simple yoga positions that can be used to build stamina, improve body posture, and develop flexibility. Beginner yoga also helps you de-stress your thoughts and relax your body, allowing you to feel revitalized again. The most important question, however, is where to begin and what to expect. Here’s your guide. 

• Start with Acceptance: Accept that you are a beginner, you are doing something for the first time or perhaps for the first week and you can’t be the pro in the first go. Once you accept your body you are going to flourish and thus it must be the first point to look out for before you begin your yoga journey. 
• Release Expectations: Yoga is more about acceptance than expectations. Yes, everyone wants to be a pro at practice but remember that you can’t go for a Bhairavasana in the first go. So release those expectations and work your way up as easily as possible. 
• Don’t set unrealistic goals: I want to lose inches off my waist and fat off my arms. The rest of my body is fine. These are unrealistic goals and you must realize you can’t target one body part or lose extreme weight in a matter of time. 

Keep in mind that it is a personal journey, where patience is the key, listening to your body is your worship, and enjoy the process going along. 

Choose The Style Of Yoga 

Whichever form of yoga you prefer—Hatha, Ashtanga, Vinyasa or Kundalini—consistent practice will yield the benefits of strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. However, choosing the correct fit might mean the difference between enjoying your practice all day long and yoga turning into just another worthwhile duty. The following advice will help you select the appropriate style for you:

• Vinyasa Yoga: A typical vinyasa session consists of a series of poses that are completed with a single breath. 
• Yin Yoga: Yin yoga is a relatively new style of yoga that uses variants of seated and supine stretches held for three to five minutes to reach fascia, a type of connective tissue that has been extensively studied. Minimising recovery time from injuries and increasing flexibility can be achieved by applying mild tension to the fascia.
• Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga yoga is an intense and athletic form of yoga that is taught in progressively harder sequences. It is based on numerous predetermined sequences of postures that never change. 
• Hatha Yoga: In contrast to vinyasa, Hatha yoga emphasises each posture alone, rather than combining poses to form a sequence. Your comprehension of each pose should deepen as a result of the practice.
• Yoga Therapy: Any methodical application of yoga poses to treat trauma or mental and emotional strain in addition to physical pain or injury is known as yoga therapy.  
• Kundalini Yoga: Kundalini yoga is a synthesis of spiritual and physical practices that emphasizes dynamic breathing methods, mantra chanting, and meditation over physical movement.
• Power Yoga:  This kind of yoga transitions between poses. Similar to Ashtanga and certain forms of vinyasa, power yoga increases internal heat, boosts endurance, improves strength and flexibility, and lowers stress levels.
• Prenatal Yoga: Prenatal yoga can be performed before, during, or after pregnancy. It focuses on breathing, stamina, pelvic floor work, restorative poses, and core strength.
• Tantra Yoga: Tantra yoga aims to give you more self-assurance and contentment as you navigate the world by utilizing and embodying the five energies of Shakti, the divine feminine that stands for creativity and transformation.

Beginner Friendly Asanas To Begin With 

Rayburn recommends that if you’re a novice seeking to begin a yoga practice, you start with any of these typical postures. You may also have a full yoga session at home by following the pattern below.

Tadasana or Mountain pose

This is the most fundamental pose in yoga that teaches you how to stand tall and proud like a mountain. The term “Tada,” which suggests a mountain, is where the name Tada comes from. The mountain position, the starting point for all standing poses, tones the major muscle groups and improves focus and awareness. Even though this job description describes it as “simply standing,” a lot is going on. 

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

The majority of yoga practices and classes involve a downward dog, which stretches and strengthens the entire body. It can be the first pose you learn when you start practicing yoga. Furthermore, it acts as both the resting pose and a transitional stance for your practice. 

Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

It’s common practice to perform a downward-facing dog pose after an upward-facing dog pose as this strong pose stretches the chest and abdomen wonderfully while arousing upper-body strength.

Bridge Pose (Setubandhasana)

Setu Bandhasana is a means of bridging the physical and mental realms. The bridge is a fantastic backbend for beginners that works on strengthening the back body and stretching the front body.

Child Pose ( Balasna )

The child pose, or Balasana, is a peaceful resting pose that releases tension and calms the mind while stretching the legs, thighs, and hips. Everybody needs a decent resting pose, and the Child pose is a great one for all levels of yoga practitioners, not just novices.

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

A yoga class is incomplete unless it ends with a final relaxation position. Corpse posture, also known as Savasana, is a resting pose, but despite its simplicity, it has been considered the most difficult of all the asanas. Spend the final few seconds relaxing and making an effort to be thoughtful and present. 

Benefits Of Yoga At Home

Yoga poses help you gain strength and flexibility while lowering tension and soothing your mind. Asanas affect the entire body, including the brain, internal organs, bones, muscles, joints, and skin. Yoga’s physical components are the pose and the breath. Whatever your level of experience, everyday yoga practice can help you feel better from head to toe. What are some extra benefits of practicing yoga at home?

Have more time

Making additional time in your busy schedule is one of the main advantages. You’re saving time not just on the commute to and from class, but also on the time it takes to check in, wait for the teacher, and gather your props. 

Deepen your self-awareness

Some people might believe that doing yoga with a teacher nearby increases its efficacy. Nevertheless, this isn’t always the case. The presence of a teacher might cause distractions and hinder pupils’ capacity to concentrate on their bodies. Self-awareness is developed via the physical practice of yoga. You cannot become aware of this by focusing on another person.

Boost your discipline and confidence

You develop discipline and dedication to your development every time you carve out time from your hectic schedule to finish a home routine. Your yogic willpower, or tapas, gets stronger every time you conquer a demanding or difficult task. You will see a clear correlation between your home practice and your general life in terms of discipline, confidence, and inner power. 

Move at your own pace

It requires you to follow the yoga instructor along in-studio classes. You don’t have to rush through the sensual positions or endure the tedious portions while you’re at home. It is frequently more therapeutic, peaceful, and restorative to practise at the rhythm and pace of your breath.

You can strengthen your resiliency and resolve by engaging in a regular at-home practice. Regular practice can help you establish a habit and grow more accustomed to overcoming obstacles, which will help you stay focused on your objectives, stay away from distractions, and lead a healthier lifestyle. 

Are there any Downsides Of A Home Yoga Practice

It’s crucial to be aware of any potential drawbacks before beginning yoga at home. Buying equipment, interacting with people less socially, and receiving individualized education are some of these drawbacks. For instance, you might not get the one-on-one attention you need from an instructor, which means you might pass over insightful criticism and direction. Furthermore, you might not be familiar enough with some positions if you’re new to yoga to perform them correctly on your own.

No personalized instruction

It would be better to look for a class nearby if you want to study yoga but are unsure about where to start. The teacher will be able to walk you through the fundamentals and teach you positions that are tailored to your abilities. Instructors may, for instance, inquire about your present state of health, offer suggestions for improvement depending on your body type or degree of fitness, or both. Together with guiding you through each posture, the instructors will teach you proper alignment and breathing techniques.

One can fall into a routine

If you practice exclusively at home, you will undoubtedly form certain undesirable habits. You won’t have the necessary strength, flexibility, or body awareness as a beginner to achieve the proper alignment in the poses. You risk hurting yourself by maintaining poses for too long or adopting bad posture habits if you don’t have the assistance of knowledgeable instructors. It is more probable that you will stick to easy yoga positions rather than challenging ones, which will hinder your progress.

Less social interaction

You are unlikely to meet new individuals when practicing at home as opposed to in a classroom. As a result, you won’t have as many opportunities to socialize and form friendships as you would in a classroom. If you value connecting with people and experiencing similar things to them, you might want to think about enrolling in a class at a nearby studio.

Need to purchase props

Yoga blocks and other props that you might need to properly participate in a class are usually available at most studios. You will need to buy these necessary pieces of yoga equipment or find alternatives if you practice at home. In addition to the initial expense, you will require storage space for these things. 

You will require at least one source of teaching in your home unless you are a seasoned yoga practitioner. You need a gadget that can stream videos and a reliable, steady internet connection to rely on online yoga videos. If you’re not familiar with technology, this could be challenging and annoying. 

The benefits of yoga, which include relaxation and stress relief, will be lost if you spend half of your practice trying to figure out what to stream. Thus, you can still practice yoga at home with the guidance of a qualified instructor if you like. Enjoy your practice and check out Nirvana Yoga School India’s online yoga training programs.