Are you thinking of trying Yoga? Or you have tried a few classes and want to know more? Do you get disheartened when you see pictures of others in unrealistic yoga poses? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this yoga for beginners article is for you. For most, Yoga is what we do on the mat but that’s only one of the eight steps of Yoga as per Sage Patanjali’s Ashtanga. What we do on the mat is only to prepare the body to be able sit comfortably in meditation to work on stilling the mind. Yoga is one of the most ancient scriptures on psychology, it defines how to alleviate suffering and ultimately achieve liberation from the cycle of life and death. And no, Yoga is not a religion at all, it’s a way of life.
Sage Patanjali compiled the 196 sutras or sentences of wisdom. Somewhere between 500BC and 400AD, where in the second sutra itself, Yoga is defined as that which stops the fluctuations of the mind. Most of us have experienced the torment from our own monkey mind, can you just imagine if our mind is calmer and stiller? The clarity of thought, peace and better awareness it could bring to us in our daily life. Whilst the end goal of Yoga is Samadhi, a very deep prolonged state of meditation, requiring relentless practice of all aspects of Yoga. Even beginners can reap the benefits of Yoga at a physical, mental and emotional level through a regular practice.
So for all the beginners and curious ones, here is my take on the ABC of Yoga.
A for Awareness
Simply speaking, when we do anything with awareness, we are practicing Yoga. Awareness means being fully in the present moment, right here, right now, with all our attention on the task at hand. It is the nature of the mind to swing between the past and the future often ignoring the present moment, and Yoga reminds us to bring awareness in every breath we take, every move we make. There is one main difference between Yoga on the mat and any other physical exercise. The latter can be done whilst being engaged in other activities such as listening to music, watching a screen or having a conversation. On the other hand, Yoga needs complete withdrawal from the external world and with full awareness of the mind on the breath.
The A of Yoga can also stand for Asana and Alignment however Awareness is the first step and with awareness we can focus on the asana and our alignment.
B for Breath
Our breath or our life force, is what differentiates us from a dead body. With a big gasp of air or an inhale we are born and with an exhale we leave our body and it dies. The breath is an involuntary action which performed by our nervous system. The quality of our breath decreases as we go through emotions and stress in our lives and especially if we don’t pay attention to manage our stress. Practice of Yoga brings our awareness back on our breath, teaches us to breathe deeply and more efficiently impacting our lung capacity, calming the nervous system and uplifting our emotions and mood. A steady, stronger, deeper breath helps to cultivate a calmer mind and enables us to make healthier decisions and respond better to the triggers in our life.
C for Change
As you become curious about Yoga, deepen your understanding of the philosophy and putting it into practice in your life, you will start to notice a change in the way you look at your life situations. Yoga doesn’t encourage one to change the situations we are in. Such as difficult relationships or unfulfilling careers. Rather it enables us to change our perspective and look at the same relationship, career but with a different pair of eyes. It encourages us to make changes at a deeper level which impacts the way we feel about our situations. This inner change eventually becomes infectious, and one starts noticing people around us also changing gradually. One would not imagine at the beginning that the practice of Yoga could bring changes at such a deep level, but that’s exactly why Yoga is not a work-out but a work-in.
Yoga for Beginners
The ABC of Yoga inspired me to begin my journey with Yoga and I haven’t looked back since. I encourage you to give it a try for yourself, notice how you respond to what it offers. Be curious and explore more in depth,. Then one day maybe you will explain your version of ABC of Yoga to inspire someone else.
Click to read the benefits of doing Yoga: Top 10 Benefits of Yoga
AUTHOR: ANITA
Having grown up in India, I encountered yoga very early on joining morning walkers in the neighbourhood for yoga or later as a teen being stretched by a long bearded, white robed Indian yogi. However, I truly fell in love with Yoga in Switzerland, when my inquisitiveness and curiosity led to a teacher’s certificate in my hands.
