Types of Yoga For Beginners

Types of Yoga

If you wanted to start yoga as a beginner, you have clicked the right link. Hatha yoga is one of the most popular forms of yoga in the western world. It is use of yoga postures or asana. Many people practice hatha yoga only for it physical benefit, unaware of the mental benefits it provides. However, the aim of hatha yoga is meant to be to condition the body, so that the mind can be prepared for other activities like spirituality and meditation. It is believed that when the body is in a good physical condition, the mind is free to concentrate on spiritual activities and renunciation.

All the physical asanas or postures come under Hatha Yoga and is the most widely practiced yoga types when compared to Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga etc.

For beginners, to start with you should be able to control your breathing so that you cardiac muscles can be stronger to support the other asanas you might perform at later stages. Also the breathing techniques are widely practiced all over the world to overcome problems like regular headaches, blood pressure control etc. Hence, we would start with the Anuloma-Viloma Asana and the Kapalabhati Pranayama.

Anuloma-Viloma Asana:

1. Sit in the right posture which is advised to be Padmasana. You can also choose a suitable posture depending on your convenience but sit erect.

2. Now, fold your pointing finger and the middle finger of your right hand. (Kumbhaka)

3. Sir erect, use your right hand's thumb finger to close your right nostril and then take a prolonged inhalation through your left nostril.

4. Now hold your breath for sometime, open the right nostril, close the left nostril with your right hand's ring finger (because the pointing finger and the middle finger are closed in Kumbhaka)

5. Again, exhale (prolonged) through the right nostril. Change your fingers and nostrils and repeat the exercise continuously.

Note:

o Kumbhaka is a unique way of holding the fingers for the asana, but for the first six months you can hold your right nostril with your thumb finger and the left nostril with your pointing finger.

o If you cannot sit in Padmasana, adopt any comfortable posture; but sit erect.

Kapalabhati Pranayama:

Rapid exhalation and inhalation is Kapalabhati, well known as the destroyer of disorders caused by phlegm.

1. Spread out your yoga mat and sit erect in padmasana. If you find padmasana difficult, sit erect in normal sitting position (folded legs)

2. Place your hands on your respective knees.

3. Exhale the air inside your lungs forcibly(Passive inhalation)

4. After each exhalation, make a passive inhalation, which is very short and then again exhale.

5. Repeat the exercise continuously.

Note:

o It is a very useful exercise for asthama and constipation.

o Your lungs and liver become strong.

o Blood circulation and respiratory activities are taken care of.

o People who have diabetes, do not practice it.

o Also, people who are suffering from ulcers in the stomach should not practice it.