Which Yoga Is Best For Beginners?
Yoga has become one of the biggest tools that people gravitate to when it comes to not only physical health, but mental and spiritual health. This may be because it combines these three so perfectly that it allows for a wealth of benefits, including reducing the stress and anxiety we all face in our everyday lives. But if you're new to yoga, the plethora of options may be a little overwhelming, and you may wonder what yoga is best for a beginner.
The truth is, most of them can be done easily as a beginner because there are different classes available to choose from. However, when it comes to an understanding of the principles, the three best yoga styles for beginners may be - Hatha, Iyengar, and Yin. These all allow for a deep understanding of yoga's poses and principles in a beginner-friendly manner.
If you are just starting your wellness journey and have decided to incorporate yoga into this adventure, then you will want to keep reading. We're going to go over not only the yoga styles best for beginners, but also a few other pieces of information that might help you make an informed decision.
Why Yoga?
Before we jump into the styles and some words of wisdom we have that could help you create a more beneficial yoga practice, we thought it would be good to take a look at why yoga in the first place. Why would someone choose to utilize yoga as a way to enhance their health?
The truth is yoga has a wealth of benefits not just physically and mentally but spiritually as well. Here are some reasons why we think yoga is such a great choice, especially when you are starting out on your path to creating a healthier life:
Movement
Movement of any type will be great for your physical and mental health. Many people, though, when looking at yoga, simply think it's a pretty laid-back form of exercise. But these individuals might be shocked to know that it is actually a fantastic whole-body workout.
Not only that, but it is customizable to the needs of the individual. Whether you choose different yoga styles or just customize a specific style of yoga at the beginning and up the speed and difficulty level, it can be a wonderful workout.
Awareness
One of the main problems many have regarding their physical, mental, and spiritual health is a lack of connection with their body and mind. But through the practice of yoga and the stretches as well as the philosophical pillars attached to it, you will find yourself becoming more aware of your body and your thoughts.
Along with this, you'll also be in tune with your surroundings, which will help with grounding you so that you can completely focus on your entire body, from your soul to your body.
Improvement
The truth is that yoga is going to improve a lot of things in your life. From being able to utilize breathing techniques to work through difficult situations to improving your sleep and your posture as well.
Through the poses incorporated in the practice, you will tone and strengthen your muscles, allowing for improvement in your physical stamina and, as we said above, posture. The breath work increases oxygen into your system, improving your cognitive capabilities and mental health.
On a spiritual level, you'll connect with your inner energy and the energy surrounding you. This will allow you to align them better, so they work how they're supposed to.
Strength
If you're just starting out in yoga, you may not associate the word strength with a practice that seems so low impact. The truth is, though, that yoga works your entire body, and because of the focus on flexibility and movement, your physical strength will increase greatly.
Along with this, your breathing exercises will help elevate the capacity of your lungs. Your core strength will also be impacted due to the focus on movements from pose to pose. But maybe for some, the biggest benefit will be the increase in mental strength due to the mindfulness practices and philosophical outlooks of the ancient practice.
Mindfulness
Though many physical changes will happen when you incorporate a daily yoga practice into your life, there are just as many lifestyle changes that come with it. Because of the meditational aspect of the practice, you will learn to be more mindful of your feelings and surroundings. This will find its way into every aspect of your life and help you build a life that is less stressful and full of anxiety.
Yoga Styles for Beginners
So you can see that there are many great reasons to incorporate yoga into your daily life. But as a beginner, you may be looking at all the yoga styles, and as we said in the intro, it might be a challenge to choose which one is going to be the right fit for you.
Here are the three yoga styles beginners will get the most from:
Hatha
Hatha yoga is the simplest yoga for beginners to get into. This is because it is focused on the basics and a slower-paced yoga. While executing this type of yoga, the individual will move through a set sequence of poses and hold each for a set breathing cycle. This makes it perfect for beginners because it'll allow them to understand the poses better and build up stamina.
Iyengar
This style is an intense look at the poses themselves. Each class will dive deeply into several poses and utilize a wealth of different props. This is a great option if you're a beginner that's dealing with chronic pain or other medical issues because you will have those props to help you through the process.
Yin
For those that are looking for a little bit more of a relaxed style of yoga that still gives you the physical aspect, this style of yoga is perfect. This is a great yoga to choose for those overthinkers or individuals who seem to have their brain on overload.
It is a slower-paced style of yoga that holds poses for several minutes and is more designed as meditative yoga. It's great if you're looking for yoga also that is effective on the deeper connective tissues to help relieve pains.
Beginner Tips: Some Words of Wisdom
Once you've chosen between the three types of yoga for beginners we've discussed above, you might want to start considering how to make those practices the most effective for you.
So we thought we would share with you a few words of wisdom that could help you elevate your new yoga practice:
Comfortable Clothes
When prepping your gear to head out to your first yoga class, make sure that the clothing you wear is comfortable. You don't want too loose clothing, but you want them to be loose enough so that they don't restrict any of your movements.
No Comparisons
Everybody's yoga journey is going to be different. So when you're executing these poses in your classes, know that you shouldn't be comparing yourself to others in the class. They may be further along in their journey, or they may have different issues with mobility, so just concentrate on your progress, and you will be successful.
Push Yourself
Pushing yourself is good, but you must be cautious of the pain. So though you want to challenge yourself, you want to ensure that if something doesn't feel right, you immediately address it. Otherwise, you may find yourself unable to continue your yoga practice.
Self-Love
One of the main pillars of yoga is being open-minded and nonjudgmental. You need to listen to your body and your thoughts and allow yourself to embrace them, so you can work through them. This includes even those negative thoughts and emotions that we have been taught to avoid.
Hydrate
Remember that yoga is an exercise, and you will sweat. Because of this, just like with any other exercise, you must always hydrate yourself well. Don't chug the water before practicing because you don't want it sitting in your belly as you try to do your poses, but you need to make sure you hydrate healthily before, during (if necessary), and after.
Final Thoughts
There are so many styles of yoga to choose from that when you're looking for yoga as a beginner; you may find yourself paralyzed. But there are several that are perfect for beginners, and we've taken a look at them above. Hopefully, by giving you this information, we have assisted in your decision-making process so that you can start down your path to that happier, healthier life.
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