With the help of yoga, you can acquire the harmony of your body, build muscle mass, improve the flexibility of the spine. Many people want to do yoga, but not everyone has the opportunity to visit a fitness center. Yoga exercises can be done at home. How to start doing yoga at home from scratch?

It is better to start yoga classes at home after several workouts with an instructor, and then you can move on to doing the exercises yourself. How to do yoga correctly? The following rules will help with this:

1. In order not to strain too much, beginners should not take on difficult asanas. The body should not tremble.
2. Breathing is even, calm, without pauses. You can not inhale and exhale jerkily.
3. Move on to difficult poses gradually.
4. Lower your shoulders down, then the lungs and heart relax. There are some asanas with raised shoulders.
5. When asanas are performed, where the elbows are unbent, you need to make sure that your hands do not strain, so that you do not feel discomfort.
6. Do not strain your knees. Keep your kneecaps relaxed so they can move freely.
7. Include asanas to stretch muscles and tendons. This will prolong health.
8. To get the desired result, it is important to practice systematically.
9. To maintain balance, do not close your eyelids.
10. If you experience pain or other discomfort, stop exercising.

Do asanas slowly, without sudden movements.

Useful properties of yoga

People perceive yoga differently. For some, this is oriental gymnastics, for others - Indian philosophy, for others - a kind of fitness. If explained in an accessible way, this is a combination of physical exercises with spiritual practices.

The benefits of yoga have been proven based on thousands of years of experience:

• As a result of active breathing, the lungs are well ventilated and the heart is trained.
• Performing exercises, the concentration of attention is aimed at balancing the body, which increases the endurance of the whole organism.
• Metabolic processes in the body are activated.
• Improves the functioning of the reproductive system in men and women.
• The elasticity of the muscles improves, so some asanas are good for pregnant women to avoid tearing.
• The motor function of the spine is restored, osteochondrosis disappears, bone tissue is strengthened.
• The abdominal muscles work actively, which helps to cleanse the intestines.
• The aging process slows down.

How to relieve stress at home? And this is where yogic exercises can help.

How to start exercising at home?

How to do yoga at home, where to start? Home yoga requires strong motivation and self-discipline.

Before you start yoga at home, it is better to go through a few lessons with a master who will choose the right mode for you, a feasible load. You can get advice on how to properly perform the exercises. After this, classes for beginners at home will be a logical continuation, with the aim of improving the body and spirit.

In order for yoga at home for beginners not to become another life test, it is important to observe the following principles:

• When choosing a set of exercises via the Internet, take an interest in the experience of the teacher, pay attention to his figure, the quality of the video material provided. If a book is chosen as a guide, it should contain photos or pictures with a detailed and consistent description of the performance of asanas.
• You can not perform asanas without first preparing the muscles, tendons, joints (warm-up).
• You need to start with easy for you asanas that do not cause discomfort. Each organism is individual.
• Controlling your own breathing, which is the basis of yoga (every inhalation and exhalation is done consciously) At the first stage, it will be difficult, but it makes it possible to distract yourself from the unpleasant sensations that may arise during the asanas.

Many are interested in the question, how to learn to stand on your head? Is it possible to learn this on your own? This exercise is very difficult, so you should try it only with an experienced instructor, step by step, so as not to harm your health.

Contraindications

Hatha yoga has both benefits and contraindications. This should be known especially to those who want to practice yoga on their own.

So, you can not start classes if:

• have chronic diseases;
• injuries in the spine;
• high or low blood pressure, dizziness, nausea;
• acute forms of illness, mental disorders.

Malasana (garland pose)

For beginners, Garland Pose will greatly help with the goal of supporting the body. It can be easily done at home. It is very important to master it and systematically perform it, since it harmoniously affects the body:

• Refreshes and calms the brain activity.
• It normalizes the hormonal background in women, so it can be allowed to be performed during critical days.
• Fat deposits in the lower abdomen are broken down.
• The organs of the abdominal cavity come into tone.
• Pain of arterial origin on the back and ankles is removed.
• The vertebral axis is strengthened.
• It is allowed to perform during diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

It is forbidden to perform Malasana if there are back and knee injuries.

To perform the Garland pose, you must:

1. Stand straight, spread your legs shoulder-width apart.
2. Sit down without taking your heels off the surface. Turn the toes outward.
3. Press the elbows to the inside of the knees, lower the tailbone to the bottom, connect and squeeze the palms.
4. Stretch the chest.
5. Stay in position for about 30 seconds, breathing with the help of the abdomen, even. after which the hands are separated and lowered to the surface.
6. It is desirable that Malasana be present in all complexes for beginners.

Complex for beginners

When working with yoga for beginners, you need to be able to choose the right asanas. We offer 10 simple exercises that you can easily do on your own and have good effectiveness. Each asana should be done at least three times. The duration of the lesson is about 30 minutes.

Tadasana is a fairly easy exercise. Become straight, straighten up, arms at the seams, feet connected. You don't have to stress too much. Try to relax in the asana.

Urdhva hastasana (hand up exercise)

The starting position is the previous one. On an inhalation, raise your hands up, aligning your palms. Try to reach higher with your hands, feeling the spine and stretching it. Exhaling, lower the upper limbs.

Stay in the previous position. As you exhale, lean forward from the hip, touching the surface with your palms, do not bend your legs. Stay in the asana for a few seconds with a relaxed back and move to the starting position.

Ashvanchalasana (lunge)

Sit down, placing your palms on the surface, align the lower limbs, resting on your fingers - the plank pose. When inhaling, one leg is bent at the knee and placed on the sole in front. Raise your head up. After a short pause, exhale, putting your legs in the starting position. Do the same movements with the other leg.

Chaturanga dandasana (slow push up)

From the Planck position, inhale lower down, bending your arms and linger. After that, slowly exhale and return to the starting position.

Ardha mukha padmasana (half lotus)

Sit on the buttocks, aligning your back, align your legs in front of you and connect. With the help of the hands, pull the right leg towards you and place the foot on the left thigh, as close to the stomach as possible. Move the right knee to the side. Maintain a straight spine. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds, slowly straighten the right leg and repeat with the left leg.

It is made from the previous starting position. Inhale to raise the upper limbs up, exhaling lower the body with raised arms on the lower limbs. The palms touch the toes, the forehead touches the knees. The back is straight. Hold for about 30 seconds. If at the first stages it is not possible to touch the legs, you need to do the exercise as it turns out. Gradually everything will get better. The main thing is systematic.

Ardha Matsyendrasana (Pisces God Pose)

Sitting on the surface, legs straight, bend the right leg and place the foot near the perineum. Grab the foot of the left leg with your hands and move it behind the knee of the right leg. The body is twisted from the waist, the left hand is placed behind the back. Repeat the same with the left leg.

Lie on your back, press your hips to your stomach, bending your legs, hands holding on to the soles, knees apart. Relax in the asana and stay for about 1 minute. Straighten the upper and lower limbs, lie down and repeat the asana. This exercise relieves depression at home.

The tenth exercise include Malasana.

After the exercises of this complex will be obtained easily and without tension, you can move on to more complex asanas. Yoga at home will bring good benefits to the body if performed systematically.

Yoga exercises for beginners at home. This article contains the most popular yoga exercises for beginners that you can do at home! Reading!

In modern Russia, yoga, as a direction of fitness, is gaining more and more popularity. So, in the second half of 2015, according to RBC, the number of people who at least once attended a yoga class was about 1.37 million people, while in 2013 this figure was approximately 1.02 million people. It would seem that there is growth. But is it really that much? For comparison: according to American research, 36.7 million people practice yoga in the USA! What is the reason for such a huge difference?

Our magazine conducted a survey, as a result of which it turned out that the main obstacles to starting classes are:

• Fear and self-doubt. After all, the Internet is filled with many beautiful photos depicting people in incredible poses that are simply physically impossible for an ordinary person to repeat. In other words, many are convinced that yoga is an activity for those who have flexibility and good stretching.
• Another part of the respondents referred to lack of access to yoga classes, since this requires a lot of time, which is sorely lacking in a busy daily schedule of worries.

It must be said that according to the same American studies, 55% of those who practice this direction of fitness in the West have never visited a yoga studio! That is, many people practice on their own. In this article, we decided to dispel all doubts and give a complete set of yogic asanas (poses), which:

• Under the force of absolutely everyone, regardless of the physical characteristics of the body;
• To complete them, it is enough to devote 1 hour of time per day without leaving home.

So, to perform the exercises, you will need comfortable clothes, a rug and attentiveness: the correct execution of asanas is the key to the effectiveness of the lesson.

Little tip: start without socks. This will help you achieve better stability, which will reduce the risk of hands and feet slipping on the mat, providing a safe and comfortable body position.

In each position, you should linger for 8-10 respiratory cycles. In asymmetrical asanas, do not forget to perform exercises on the other side.

A set of exercises for beginners at home

1. Tadasana or Mountain Pose

At first glance it may seem that this is just a standing position, but it is not. To start yoga, you, first of all, need to learn how to stand correctly. To enter Tadasana, you need to: connect your feet together, tighten your knees, buttocks and stomach, stretch your spine, straighten your chest and lower your shoulders, direct your eyes forward, stretch your arms, stretch your fingers down.

• Variations: to make it more difficult, you can cross your arms into the castle and, with an exhalation, rise to the half-fingers, directing your straight arms up and turning the lock of your hands away from you.
• Effect: improve posture, strengthen abdominal muscles.

2. Vrikasana or Tree Pose

Technique: standing in Tadasana, transfer body weight to one leg; bend the other leg at the knee and pull it to the body. Turn the knee to the side and place the foot of the bent leg as close as possible to the base of the inner thigh of the supporting leg. With the supporting leg, resist pressure from the bent leg - so that the body does not collapse. Connect the palms together ("Namaste") and place in the chest area, or reach for the hands up. For better concentration and balance, you should stop looking at a stationary object.

• Effect: strengthening leg muscles, improving posture, preventing flat feet.

3. Uttanasana or Stretched Pose

Despite the fact that this pose is based on the usual forward bend, not everyone performs it correctly: and this applies to both beginners and practitioners. To safely perform the asana, you must: stand in Tadasana, tighten the abdominal muscles, stretch the spine in one straight line. With an exhalation with a straight back, tilt forward, bending only in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe pelvic bones. When it is no longer possible to continue the tilt with a straight back, you should bend your knees and place your palms on your shins, or lower them to the floor while maintaining spine extension. With each exhalation, try to straighten your knees. After mastering this position of the body, you can go further and further into the slope, directing the forehead towards the shins. To exit the position, you need to stretch your arms and rise up with a straight back.

• Effect: with the correct tilt, the asana has practically no contraindications. Its implementation stimulates the work of internal organs, has a calming effect on the brain, improves mood, relieves fatigue, in women it facilitates well-being during menstruation, and has a harmonizing effect on the entire body.

4. Adho Mukha Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog Pose

This asana is one of the most popular in yoga. It is usually known even to those who have never practiced. However, it will take some time to fully master it. Technique: you need to kneel so that they are the width of the pelvis, place your palms strictly under your shoulders; spread your palms so that there is a distance between each finger, stretch your elbows. As you exhale, raise your knees, directing the pelvis back, and pushing off the floor with your hands, try to put your heels on the floor. Point the chin to the chest, relax the neck. The main task is to stretch the back in one straight line. To exit, you need to bend your knees, lower them to the floor and lay the pelvis on your heels.

• Effect: This asana is considered a resting pose. It is believed that being in it allows you to restore energy, and when performed in the morning - to cheer up and tune in to a new day. In addition, the pose stretches the spine well, gives the legs harmony, and the calf muscles - a beautiful relief and the correct shape.

5. Urdhva mukha svanasana or Upward Dog Pose

Technique: lie on the floor, bend your arms at the elbows and place your palms under your shoulders. With a sigh, straightening your arms, raise the torso, hips and shins from the floor, bending in the thoracic spine, look up. Tighten your buttocks, point your shoulders down. To complicate the asana, you should put your feet on the rises.

To exit this pose, you can bend your elbows and lower yourself to the floor, or push off your hands from the floor, point your pelvis back and come out into “Upward Dog Pose”.

• Effect: the pose has a positive effect on the spine, helps with back pain, strengthens the muscles of the hands, opens the chest, and normalizes blood circulation in the pelvic area.

6. Virabhadrasana I or War Pose I

Technique: from a standing position in Tadasana, you need to take one leg back to a wide step distance. The front foot is directed toe forward, the back foot is wrapped with the heel inward and placed on the floor. Bend the front leg at the knee so that the angle between the lower leg and the thigh is 90 degrees. Place the knee of the bent leg in line with the heel. Lower your shoulders and raise your straight arms up, joining your palms above your head. Look at the fingers.

• Effect: strengthening the legs, working out the knee joints, opening the chest, increasing endurance.

7. Virabhadrasana II or War Pose II

Standing in the position of Virabhadrasana I, spreading the arms to the sides, lower them in line with the shoulders with the palms down, turn the body 90 degrees so that the arm of the same name is above the leg of the same name. Look in the direction of the bent leg.

Technique: from Tadasana, take a wide step forward so that the distance between the legs is about a meter, pull up the knees. Point the front foot forward with the toes, and wrap the back foot with the heel inward by about 45 degrees. Direct the thigh of the hind leg down, bringing the pelvic bones in one line. With a sigh, stretch your arms above your head and lean forward with a straight back, lengthening your sides. Next to the outer edge of the foot of the front leg, place the palm of the same hand (if there is not enough stretch, the hand can be placed on the shin). Point the other hand up, turning the body and bringing the shoulders into one line. Stretch behind the upper arm, expanding the chest. Look to the ceiling, behind the outstretched hand.

• Effect: strengthening the muscles of the legs, opening the chest, stretching the spine and developing flexibility.

Asana is aimed at learning how to "sit properly". In addition, it is the starting position for almost all seated forms. Technique: sit on the floor, straighten your legs at the knees, pointing the toes of the feet towards you. Straighten your arms at the elbows and place them along the body, put your palms next to the buttocks. Draw in the stomach, direct the shoulders down, open the chest, direct the gaze in front of you. Stretch the spine in one straight line.

• Effect: stretching the muscles of the legs, strengthening the muscles of the back and the formation of correct posture.

Technique: Sit on the floor in Dandasana. Bend your legs at the knees and place your heels closer to your groin. Connect the soles together: the outer edges of the feet should touch the floor. Spread your knees in different directions, trying to lower them to the floor. Grasp your feet with your hands and stretch your spine vertically upwards. After mastering this posture, you can bend with a straight back, directing the chest to the feet.

• Effect: the pose has a very beneficial effect on the female body, strengthening and eliminating disturbances in the functioning of the organs of the genitourinary system; stretching the inguinal region, relieving leg fatigue, improving blood circulation in the pelvic region.

Technique: Sit in Dandasana and spread straight legs as wide as possible to the sides. Point your feet towards you. Pushing off the floor with your fingers, align the position of the body and with a straight back, stretching the stomach and sides, lean forward; grab your feet or knees / shins with your hands.

• Effect: liberation of the groin area, relieving tension, stimulating blood circulation in the pelvic area, beneficial effects on the menstrual cycle and the ovarian area.

12. Navasana or Boat Pose

Technique: Sit in Dandasana, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. With a straight back, lean back about 60 degrees, transferring the weight of the body to the sitting bones and tensing the abdominal muscles. Raise your legs so that your shins are parallel to the floor. You can stay in this position or straighten your knees. Stretch your arms on both sides of the body parallel to the floor.

• Effect: strengthening the abdominal muscles, back and hips.

Technique: lie on your stomach, bend your elbows and place your forearms on the floor so that your elbows are under your shoulders, point your fingers forward. Connect the legs together, point the soles up. As you inhale, move your head up behind the crown, stretching the spine and opening the chest forward. With strong hands, pull the floor towards you, opening your chest even more.

• Effect: strengthening the muscles of the back, eliminating stoop.

The pose serves as a compensation after the backbend, so it should be performed immediately after the Sphinx Pose.

Technique: kneel down and sit the pelvis on the heels, slightly spreading the knees to the sides. With an exhalation, lean forward and lay your forehead on the floor, and your stomach on your hips, fold your arms on both sides of the body, or stretch them forward.

• Effect: relaxation, relieving stress and fatigue, getting rid of headaches, improving digestion.

Posture of rest and complete relaxation of the body after practice. Shavasana is performed in silence, or to calm quiet music - in an atmosphere of complete harmony and relaxation. You can also take a blanket to keep you warm and cozy. Like any yoga asana, this pose has a technique for performing it: you need to lie on the floor evenly and comfortably, place your hands at some distance from the body with your palms up, legs slightly apart, close your eyes. Calm your breath and focus your attention on relaxing every part of your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that since this set of exercises works out the main muscle groups well, its implementation is recommended not only for beginners, but also for those who practice - as a light morning exercise or evening class - to relieve tension and fatigue.

Engage in health and easy practice for you! And to all beginners: "Welcome to the world of yoga"!

Drawing up a set of yoga exercises: general principles.

Marianna Goroshetchenko

Before you start regularly practicing yoga at home, you need to draw up a training program, select exercises and combine them into a sequence. I will outline the principles of this work below.

The sequence and combination of yoga exercises

There are several rules that must be observed when compiling a yoga complex. Most of them are advisory in nature, deviations are possible.

1. From outside to inside

Techniques that require deeper concentration are performed towards the end of the complex. Usually the sequence is as follows: dynamic warm-up - asanas - pranayama, mudras and bandhas - relaxation and meditation.

2. Block division

There are several types of yoga postures:

• standing (standing postures),
• sitting (meditative postures),
• slopes (poses for bending the body forward),
• backbends (poses for back extension of the body),
• twisting (postures to rotate the spine around the axis)
• inverted (upside down postures), etc.

Poses of the same type are usually performed in a block, one after another: several standing poses, then several bends, etc.

3. Bottom up

Man is an upright creature, problems in the underlying structures provoke disruption of the work of the overlying ones: curvature of the spine in the lower back causes overstrain of the muscles of the cervicothoracic region, a knee injury causes pain in the lower back, and flat feet causes an overload of the entire musculoskeletal system, etc. It makes sense to correct violations in the same sequence. Therefore, the complex is built in such a way that the body is worked out from the lower parts to the upper ones:

• standing (legs and pelvis);
• tilting and sitting (pelvis);
• bending and twisting (spine);
• inverted (neck and head).

4. From simple to complex

Inside the block, asanas are grouped from simple to complex. The complex as a whole is built on the same principle. So, a less deep backbend is followed by a more intense one, a simple standing posture is followed by a more complex one, and so on. Start your session with a warm-up and / or the simplest asanas, gradually complicating them.

5. From tension to relaxation

One of the most important goals of yoga is to reduce tension, relax the body and calm the psyche. As a rule, relaxation is easier to achieve after effort. The complex is built in such a way that after power postures followed by meditative and relaxation ones. This principle also applies to individual asanas: a posture that causes muscle tension is followed by another that relaxes and stretches it.

6. Principle of compensation

After performing complex postures, a compensatory asana is performed, which removes a possible overload. As a rule, this is a posture that is opposite in action and shallow in amplitude. So, for deep bends, compensation will be a simple tilt, for standing poses - a simple inverted position, for deep bends - a slight deflection. The same principle holds true when performing asymmetrical poses: if you have performed it in one direction, you must also perform it in the other. Universal compensatory pose - shavasana. It relieves tension from the whole body. If you feel overwhelmed, be sure to relax between poses.

7. Relaxation at the beginning and end of the complex

This could be shavasana, yoga nidra, or another deep relaxation technique. In the beginning, this technique may be short-lived and serves to calm the mind and set you up for practice. In the end, the relaxation should be longer. Its goal is a deep recovery of the body and psyche, reducing stress levels and calming the mind.

The final relaxation is the quintessence of the whole practice. All previous techniques serve to make it deep and high-quality. In no case should they be neglected, otherwise the practice can lead to an increase in excitation and exhaustion, and not to the restoration of the body.

Here is a diagram of a yoga complex, based on the described principles. The scheme is approximate, the number of poses of each type may vary, some types of exercises may be missing. The choice of specific exercises within the framework of the described scheme depends on your goals and objectives, as well as the state of the psyche, physical development and the amount of time you have for classes.

Accounting for the goals and objectives of the complex

As a rule, a person comes to yoga to solve specific problems. And the complex should correspond to these tasks. There are extremely many variations of these problems and their combinations, and it is impossible to describe the entire algorithm within the framework of one article. However, I will give a few frequent requests and exemplary sets of exercises below.

Stress Relief and Relaxation

A person who is in a state of chronic stress, as a rule, notes a high level of muscle and emotional tension. He would like to relax, but he can't. In this case, it will be optimal to perform power yoga poses, especially standing ones. Postures should not be difficult for the practitioner. Strength asanas should be simplified, but fixed for a long time.

After a block of power poses, you can perform several lying or inverted poses, they contribute to relaxation. And at the end - a deep and prolonged relaxation. An approximate complex, designed for 50-60 minutes:

1. (3 min.)
2. (30-60 sec.)
3. (1-2 minutes in each direction).
4. (30-60 seconds each side)
5. (5 minutes.)
6. (3 minutes each side)
7. (25 min)

Removal of back pain

In case of pain in the spine, most of the exercises should be performed in a horizontal plane (lying on the back, stomach and standing on all fours). In this position, the spine is unloaded. Standing and sitting postures are more likely to exacerbate pain. In addition, deep inclinations, deflections and twists are excluded. All exercises should be soft, with an emphasis on stretching the spine. A good effect is given by low-intensity power poses, followed by relaxation and stretching. Approximate complex for 35-45 minutes:

1. (5 minutes.)
2. Warm-up for the pelvic-lumbar zone (5-7 min.)
3. (1-2 min.)
4. (1-2 min)
5. (1-2 minutes each side)
6. (1 min.)
7. (1 min each side)
8. (1-2 min.)
9. (15-20 min.)

Improve digestion and relieve stomach pain

There are many exercises in yoga that affect digestion. First of all, these are twisting and inverted poses, but also tilts, and deflections, and standing. Abdominal manipulations (uddiyana, agnisara, nauli) stimulate digestion extremely intensively, but care must be taken with them. An important role is played by the removal of clamps from the abdomen, diaphragm and the formation of normal abdominal breathing, both in asanas and in everyday life. It is also necessary to pay attention to relaxation, since the state of the psyche and the autonomic system directly affects digestion. Approximate complex for 45-50 minutes:

1. (5 minutes.)
2. (1-2 min.)
3. (3 min.)
4. (1 min.)
5. (1 min each side)
6. (3 minutes each side)
7. (5 minutes.)
8. Abdominal breathing (5 min.)
9. (3-5 sets of 10 seconds)
10. (15-20 min.)

Stimulation of the reproductive system

In yoga, there is a large arsenal of postures that stimulate the activity of the reproductive system. First of all, these are standing and sitting postures, inverted postures, as well as twisting, especially in the version with the thigh pressed against the stomach. Uddiyana and mula bandha have a strong stimulating effect. However, they require caution. It is also important to remove the clamps from the pelvis and diaphragm and train abdominal breathing, this improves venous and lymphatic outflow from the pelvic area. Below is a complex suitable for all cases, except for cysts, growing or bleeding fibroids and other tumor diseases of the pelvic organs, as well as pregnancy. The complex is designed for 45-55 minutes:

1. (5 minutes.)
2. Warm-up for the pelvic region (5 min.)
3. (1 min each side)
4. (1 min each side)
5. (1 min each side)
6. (3-5 min.)
7. (1 min each side)
8. (5 minutes.)
9. (3-5 sets of 10 seconds)
10. Mula bandha (10-15 times)
11. (15-20 min.)

Accounting for the physical and mental state and external conditions

The optimal duration of the lesson is from one to two hours. At the same time, 5-10 minutes at the beginning of the practice and 15-25 minutes at the end should be given to relaxation. If necessary, you can perform shavasana between asanas. The rest of the time is spent practicing. At the same time, it is advisable to choose exercises that are diverse in type, accessible in terms of difficulty and corresponding to your goals and objectives.

If you are limited in time, the complex can be reduced. In this case, relaxation at the beginning of the session can be reduced to 1-2 minutes, at the end - up to 7-10 minutes. The rest of the time, devote asanas, choosing the most relevant.

In addition to the goals and objectives of the practice, the complex should also take into account the current state of the body and mind.

If you are tired, do not get enough sleep and feel exhausted, it is advisable to perform only the simplest relaxation asanas (balasana, jathara parivartanasana, viparita karani, etc.), as well as deep relaxation techniques (shavasana, yoga nidra).

If you feel overexcited and stressed - power postures followed by relaxation (see above Stress Relief and Relaxation). If your knees are bothering you, you should not do standing and sitting postures, but viparita karani and other inverted postures will help relieve your knees. If the pressure has increased, inverted poses, on the contrary, should not be performed - but sitting and lying postures will help well to relax and reduce the overall tone. If the back hurts - lying poses to stretch and relax the muscles of the back (see above Removal of back pain). And so on.

Everyone has heard the word “yoga” at least once in their life. But will everyone be able to explain in an accessible way what it is? Yoga is an amazing practice that came to the world from mysterious India, bringing health to the body and soul of a person. Yoga will teach you how to breathe and relax properly, put your blood pressure in order, and help you forget about insomnia.

If we talk about yoga in the full sense of the word, then this is a special way of life that helps to achieve enlightenment. This is the oldest philosophical doctrine about the essence of human life.

Anyone who decides to seriously engage in yoga should be aware that life according to the new canons will require a lot of time for this serious hobby, it will be necessary to give up some of the benefits of civilization.

Yoga will make you rethink your life principles and habits. It will demand an immediate rejection of everything harmful and bad. A person must instill in himself control over his feelings, acquire mental and physical balance. Independence from one's feelings, the ability to meditate and fully concentrate one's attention lead to the achievement of the perfection of the human soul.

If, however, yoga is perceived as a set of asanas (special postures), then it will become just gymnastics, nothing more. But it will not bring the desired effect. In this case, yoga is a complex of various exercises to improve health, normalize the work of individual organs, and form a perfect figure.

How did it appear?

The history of yoga is long and rich. Even on Indian seals dating back to the II-III centuries BC. e., there are images of figures in poses of yogic meditation. Such a concept is found in the "Rig Veda" - in the ancient Upanishad, which scientists attribute to the tenth century BC. e. The basic concept of yoga is set forth in the "middle" Upanishads of the 6th century BC. e. These are the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutra.

The earliest school was called "Raja Yoga". It is also called "Mind Control Yoga". The Yoga Sutra defines Ashtanga Yoga, the eight limbs of Raja Yoga.

These steps are divided into two main parts:

• the four lower steps are Hatha Yoga;
• the four higher steps are actually "Raja Yoga".

It is Hatha Yoga, which is focused on cleansing the body and mind of a person, increasing vital energy, that has become widespread in the world.

The benefits of yoga

The beneficial effects of yoga on health can be fully felt by any person who regularly devotes several hours to it every week. Even two months is enough to feel positive changes. Exercise helps to forget about chronic pain in all sections of the spine. Most of the asanas are aimed specifically at maintaining its proper functioning.

Practice heals all body systems: cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, etc. When performing asanas, all internal organs responsible for the normal functioning of the body are massaged. Regular yoga classes make the body flexible and plastic. Correction of incorrect posture eliminates the causes of pain in the joints, makes the gait more graceful and smooth.

Meditation in asanas increases the ability of the immune system to resist disease, reduces the risk of heart disease. Yoga classes fill a person with vital energy, help to gain self-confidence, make a person calmer and less prone to stress than usual.

Are there any contraindications?

Yoga can be practiced by anyone. But, like any gymnastics, yoga classes have their contraindications. Without consulting a doctor, you should not start performing asanas with:

• mental disorders, especially schizophrenia;
• the presence of inguinal hernias;
• high arterial or intracranial pressure;
• heart disease, especially after a heart attack;
• any exacerbations of diseases of internal organs;
• in the first year after a stroke;
• joint diseases, spinal injuries;
• oncology;
• immediately after any operation;
• colds or flu, as well as any increase in body temperature;
• for women, classes are unacceptable during critical days, as well as during pregnancy periods of more than 3 months.

Yoga classes should be interrupted if health worsens after training. In such cases, medical advice is needed.

Rules for beginners

Before you start practicing, you need to learn a few main points that will help you practice yoga for the benefit of the body and mind:

1. Since yoga classes require systematic.
2. It is necessary to immediately determine the time of classes. It is believed that every morning you need to set aside a couple of hours for yoga. At this time, the body is more flexible, and asanas are easier to perform.
3. If the work day is too busy, then it is better to set aside at least 15 minutes each day than then try to catch up in one day.
4. It is necessary to deal with an empty stomach or a few hours after eating.
5. Perform exercises on any non-slippery rug or floor.
6. Classes are held barefoot.
7. Practice requires complete silence and concentration, so all external sound sources must be turned off.
8. Performing the exercise, you need to concentrate on the body, and, at the same time, completely relax. Asanas should be performed slowly and very smoothly, feeling each inhalation and each exhalation. Only by correct breathing can you completely relax the body and calm the mind. This is the essence of yoga practice.

What can't be done?

Yoga has always been considered a fairly calm, safe activity that will only help you cope with constant stress, improve your figure and strengthen your immune system. All this is so. But at the same time, you need to correctly, concentratedly and smoothly perform each exercise. It is necessary to take care of the spine when performing asanas, one should not allow discomfort or even pain in its area.

If such sensations appear, then it is better not to do such exercises. You need to consult a trainer or a doctor. It is impossible to force the development of complex movements and asanas. Stretching is possible. In the event of pain in the knees when performing such postures as the lotus, special attention should be paid to the smoothness and correctness of movements. And then the injury can be avoided.

Initial asanas (exercises)

You can start the first asanas even without an instructor. They will only bring benefits, even if their implementation is not entirely accurate or correct. But these simple asanas will prepare you for a better understanding of your body, give you a direction for development. There is no need to rush. You just need to tune in to the sensations of your body.

The easiest exercises for beginners:

Get straight. Relax. With the right hand we help to put the heel of the right foot on the inner part of the thigh of the left lower limb.

We spread our arms to the sides, bring them together with our palms at chest level. When inhaling, raise your hands as high as possible. We hold the position.

We take our hands back, opening the chest. Then you can change the leg if you wish. Move slowly.

This asana will give a graceful posture and strengthen the spinal column. It is quite possible to do it at the very beginning of yoga classes, it will allow the body to tune in the right way.

Child

Slowly lean forward, lower your buttocks onto your heels. The stomach should lie on the hips, touch the floor with your head and stretch your arms forward.

Hold this position, relax and keep calm breathing. Spend 5-7 breath cycles. Next, raise your body and return to the starting position.

This asana will gently relax the tight muscles of the back, relieve tension from the neck.

Downward facing dog pose

Place your hands under your shoulders, spread your fingers wide, press your palms to the floor. Feet stand hip-width apart, parallel to each other. Curl your toes and push your hips up as you rise from your knees.

Relax your neck. Hands remain in place, and try to put your heels on the floor without lifting your toes from it.

Watch your fingers and palms, they should rest against the mat and not move. The weight should be evenly distributed between the palms and feet.

In this case, the back should not be rounded, you need to stretch the spine. Start transferring the load to your hands, as if you are trying to move the floor while inhaling, and as you exhale, try to put your heels on the floor. This asana will make the legs slender and relieve tension from the shoulder girdle and back.

Stork

We stand shoulder-width apart, bend over, rest our hands first on the hips, then on the knees. Bend your knees and stretch your lower back even more. Continue to bend your knees until you can step on your palms with your feet.

The heel should be placed between the middle and index fingers, and the toes should be on top of the wrists. We take our elbows to the sides (if flexibility allows). We press the chin to the chest as much as possible, we collect the shoulder blades together.

We reach the knees, reduce the shoulder blades as much as possible. Then you need to push off from your feet and stretch your back. This should allow the back of the body to be stretched as much as possible.

The development of this pose is Kundalasana, in which the legs are initially placed slightly wider than the shoulders, and at the end point, the shoulders are wound behind the legs (as shown in the picture). This asana will give flexibility to the legs and increase the tone of the body.

Onion

Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms along the body. Spread your legs a little to the sides, you do not need to close them. Bend your knees and wrap your hands around your ankles on the inside.

Slowly raise your head and upper body. Try to lift your hips off the floor, stretching out like a bow. Hold for 7-10 breaths and return to the starting position.

This asana will make the back straight, arms slender, strengthen the abdominal muscles.

Surely there is no such person who would not have heard of such a word as “yoga”, but at the same time, not everyone is able to explain what it is. I would like to note that yoga is a unique, amazing practice that came into the world from the mysterious, mysterious India, and in fact, as you know, this particular country brings health not only to the body, but also to the soul of a person, so you should be aware and understand this .

It is impossible not to add that yoga allows you to learn how to breathe correctly, breathe correctly, fully relax, but in addition, it allows you to forget about insomnia, and many people suffer from this ailment so often.

Speaking in general about yoga, of course, it should be understood that this is a special, unique way of life, which is famous for the fact that it will allow everyone to achieve enlightenment. Remember that if you want to do yoga, you will have to give up certain benefits of civilization.

After all, yoga is different in that it makes you rethink not only life principles, but also habits. If you want to practice yoga, be prepared for the fact that now there will be a desire to give up everything bad and harmful, you can learn to control your feelings, acquiring not only mental, but also physical balance. Those people who regularly do this claim that they started life differently and had no idea how their gray days went before.

Many people perceive yoga as a set of asanas, if you wish to do the same, then you should know that for you it will become a simple gymnastics and nothing more, therefore it will not be able to bring the proper effect. In this case, yoga will be a complex of various exercises designed to improve health, normalize the work of certain organs, etc.

A Brief History of Yoga

As for the history of yoga, naturally it is long and rich, because if you carefully study the Indian seals, you can see images of figures in yoga meditation postures.

Despite all the advantages that yoga has, nevertheless, many people do not know what benefits it brings, and if you carefully study this issue, then all doubts will disappear instantly, instantly. We can safely say that even two months is enough, and you can feel favorable, positive and positive changes.

Such exercises are also famous for the fact that they will allow you to forget about chronic pain in certain sections of the spine, which is important. It is important to add that yoga is also different in that it heals all body systems, and these are not empty words. Of course, you should practice regularly in order to achieve some results, and the effect, in this case, you yourself will begin to notice how the body becomes flexible, plastic.

Attention: Remember that only yoga classes will allow a person to feel real life energy, gaining self-confidence, moreover, such classes will allow you to become calmer, less prone to both stress and other negative situations, and this is a serious advantage.

Contraindications for yoga

You need to understand that yoga can really be practiced by all those who wish it, but, like any gymnastics, there are some contraindications that it is advisable to familiarize yourself with in advance so that such training cannot cause any damage and harm to your health.

1. For example, it is strictly forbidden to practice yoga with certain mental disorders, this includes schizophrenia, certain exacerbations of diseases of the internal organs, so it is worth considering this;
2. If you are faced with such a problem as arterial, intracranial pressure, then you should forget about such activities, you may also have various heart diseases;
3. You can not do yoga and in the presence of inguinal hernia;
4. In the case of certain heart diseases, especially after a heart attack;
5. It is impossible not to add here the diseases of the joints, various injuries of the spine, oncological diseases;
6. If certain operations were carried out, then such activities should be abandoned;
7. Accordingly, this must be done with the flu, colds, and fever.

Attention: Sometimes it happens that during yoga classes a person begins to feel bad, his condition worsens, naturally, it cannot be tolerated, in this case, you should definitely stop training so as not to face serious health problems, moreover, you will need medical consultation .

Now you probably understand that yoga will require systematicity, so try to immediately decide on the time of classes, it is generally accepted that you should start every morning with yoga, doing it for a couple of hours, but of course, the most optimal time for practicing is evening.

In addition to the above, it is important not to forget that yoga should be practiced strictly with an empty stomach, or, a few hours after eating, you can perform special exercises, both on a slippery rug and on the floor, barefoot.

Many people do not take such activities seriously, later wondering why they could not achieve any results. Know that yoga always requires complete silence, concentration, which means that external sound sources should be turned off accordingly.

At the moment when you begin to perform certain exercises, you will definitely need to concentrate on the body, completely relax, forgetting about all those problems that may be bothering you, completely immersing yourself in the process of meditation. In general, know that asanas should be performed correctly, namely, slowly and smoothly, then you can feel every breath, exhalation, which is important.

Indeed, with exceptionally correct breathing it will be possible to properly relax the body, calm the mind, so do not forget about it, this is the main secret, the effectiveness of such exercises.

What not to do while doing yoga?

Yoga is generally considered a calm and safe activity, it will allow you to cope with constant stress, it also strengthens the immune system well, but you should not ignore the fact that you need to perform each exercise not only smoothly, but also with focus.

Initial exercises for beginners

As for the first exercises, you can start them on your own, even without an instructor, such asanas are extremely beneficial, and even if they are not performed quite correctly. Of course, you should not rush, try to tune in exclusively to the sensations of your body, doing the exercises gradually.

To perform this exercise as efficiently and correctly as possible, you need to stand straight, while inhaling, slowly raise your arms, stretching them up as far as you can. After the manipulations, even hands should be taken back behind the head, this will allow you to fully open the chest. To enhance the effect, it is necessary to raise the bent leg, placing its foot on the thigh. Such an exercise is effective and useful, because it gives a graceful posture, moreover, it seriously strengthens the spinal column.

You can perform the following exercise, which is called the child's pose. In this case, you need to sit with your buttocks on your heels, and then begin to lower your body onto your hips, while stretching your arms forward. Such an exercise is necessary, effective, because it will relax your tight muscles, relieving tension from the neck.

For this exercise, you should bend over with your hands on the floor. Then lift the pelvis up, stepping back with the heels, and the weight should always be evenly distributed between the palms, feet, respectively, as a result, you can relieve tension from the shoulder girdle, from the back.

For example, the stork pose is a good option. Where you should raise your hands up, bending down with an exhalation, thereby bending from the waist. This exercise improves the tone of the body.

To perform this exercise, you need to lie on your stomach, holding yourself by both ankles, while inhaling, simultaneously lifting both the upper and lower halves of your torso. The exercise is effective, as it will allow you to make your back straight, arms slender, so it is impossible not to appreciate it.

It is important not to forget that practice yoga at home, it is natural to perform certain exercises thoughtfully, leisurely, this is the most important thing. Only in this case, there is a great opportunity to feel your every movement as efficiently as possible, enjoying it to the fullest.

Of course, one should never forget about thoughts when doing such exercises, this is due to the fact that they will allow you to relax, distract from certain problems, making yourself much better than yesterday.

If something is not clear, then you can always watch videos teaching these exercises that will help you not to make mistakes. Thus, after a while, you will remember all these exercises by heart, respectively, you will be able to perform them without much effort, difficulties and difficulties.

Conclusion

Now you understand for yourself that yoga is really a complex of serious, effective and safe exercises that allow you to look at the world with completely different eyes, get rid of certain problems, creating a special harmony of soul and body.

In addition, now you know that yoga is the direct path to health, such training will allow you to get rid of the negative baggage that has been accumulated throughout your life, etc.

There are many wonderful exercises in yoga, but the minus of yoga is various spiritual practices that often lead to spiritual problems.