With stress piling up on everyone’s plate, more and more people are looking towards the promises of stress relief and meditation that yoga offers. But the world of yoga can be very overwhelming for new joiners as they will be flooded with information about various poses, types of yoga, what to eat, what to wear, and picking out locations to practice. Local Texas news recently informed that the famous Texas yoga place Texarkana yoga has been transferred to new owner Jessica Gray. Such leadership changes can also be a cause of distress for a newbie.
To help you get started, here is a list of yoga basics, for everyone.
Types of Yoga
There are too many forms of yoga to list and the sheer number will be too much information overload for beginners, but here is a list of 3 best ones for your introduction to yoga:
Hatha yoga – This is the basic form of yoga that everyone is familiar with. It’s also a general term that refers to the fundamental physical sides of yoga. Meaning by practicing Hatha yoga you will be in the best place to pick up all the starting information about poses, breathing, and best practices.
Yin yoga – Another good starting point for beginners, it is a slow-paced form of yoga with seated postures that are held for extended periods. It is a meditative style and could be great for getting comfortable with holding postures and being still.
Restorative Yoga – This style of yoga was developed to help people relax and wind down. It involves using props like pillows and blankets while holding postures to stimulate the relaxation process. It has very few postures but if you are looking to learn how to relax, this is a great place to start.
What to wear
It is understood that when you are practicing yoga you would wear clothes that you feel comfortable in, but for many, that means wearing loose shirts and shorts. In yoga, you are required to change and hold postures, depending on the type of yoga there may or may not be faster movements or angles in which you have to pose. The problem with wearing loose-fitting clothing, as comfortable as they might be, is that they will flop over your head or restrict your movements.
For your yoga practice, make sure to wear fitting or athletic clothing that will not restrict your movement but also be able to provide you support in your movements and absorb sweat. Wear dark colors if you sweat a lot so you don’t feel awkward when opaque spots appear on your clothes.
Also, remember to avoid socks since yoga is a practice of using your body and the movements require your feet to have contact with the ground.
Yoga mats
Regardless of where you practice yoga, whether it’s in a class, outside, or your room. You will be changing or holding postures and you will be sweating. Practicing yoga on a carpet can be unhygienic, especially during classes so the use of your yoga mat is a must.
All kinds of sizes are available with different textures. You can select the yoga mat size according to the style of yoga you are practicing. If it involves stretching and holding those postures then get a longer one that can accommodate your movements in it or use a smaller one if you are practicing sitting postures. Another important detail to keep in mind when selecting a yoga mat is to use one which provides you good grip since your feet have to be in contact with the ground and it is best if it can keep you from slipping.
