Yoga is an ancient art that has been improved and refined by many great teachers through the ages. Now days it comes in so many different styles and different people probably will find different styles of Yoga more suitable for them. This is because Yoga is a very personal set of exercises with the strong emphasis on looking within ourselves so we can achieve personal wellbeing and balance. Regardless of which Yoga version you practice there are a number of things that apply to all yoga versions rather than individual versions of discipline. If you trying to get the most out from your yoga sessions you will need to learn this things and include them into your yoga routines.
Normally you will find that most of your time doing yoga is pent in lying or a sitting position; however the breathing portion of your yoga session is usually a standard standing pose. Standing pose is the most natural pose for people to find themselves in, yet for some reason we spend very little time practicing standing correctly. If you begin your yoga practice with a standing pose you will be free from the stress of having to take on an unaccustomed position those allowing yourself to focus on other fundamentals of yoga. As an example you can concentrate on getting your breathing in order and feeling the full benefits of each breath. The standing pose is so natural to people that we do not need to pay any conscious thought to it and we can concentrate on our breath entering the body and going through us. Also he standing pose is beneficial to bringing the body into alignment and centering ourselves both physically and mentally. Leonardo Da Vinci created a famous diagram which shows the perfect symmetry of the human body when it is in its natural standing position and this position has always been the most natural for us to find our balance and centre.
Generally most of the yoga session is spent on placing our bodies in positions which designed to stretch and activate our body. These positions are entered into gradually and gently so there is no risk of injury. Many positions have a number of different levels so we can get more benefits from them as our body becomes more used to doing them. This can be easily demonstrated by a simple forward stretch. As an example the gym teacher tells students to touch their toes the students is performing the same exercise whether they can reach and touch the floor or whether the stretch only goes as far as their knees. The only difference is the level of incline.
Forward stretch is also a good example of how the natural movements of Yoga are used outside of a Yoga session, in this case in stretching and warming up before physical activities. Most children whose trainers take them through stretching exercise before a game of soccer, have no idea that most of the poses are taken directly from Yoga.
The key to benefiting and enjoying from this main phase of the Yoga is to pace it to your level. As with the child who can only forward stretch to knee level you do not need to perform the exercise at the highest level from the first time you do it. You have to find your comfort zone and then move a small fraction beyond it. Then with each new session try and maintain that level and push a slightly further if possible.
The end of a Yoga session is also a very important stage. This stage normally consists of a group of restorative and restoration positions that are designed to let the energy to flow back through your body. A good Yoga class releases pent up energy in your body and lets this energy to flow freely to all parts of the body. This is a critical part of gaining the maximum benefits from Yoga sessions.
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