Beginner Yoga Mistakes: A Belief That Can Hurt and Help Our Yoga Practice And How To Manage It

Mostly we get messages to try harder, run faster, and be number one. If we have internalized this message, we bring this attitude to our yoga practice. Striving to perform and be better might have become our way of approaching life.

Striving can show up in ways that subtly defeat our spirit. Beginners to yoga make the mistake of forcing to achieve what they consider to be the pose rather than appreciate and accept modifications. Modifications are available for all body parts: tight hips, weak wrists, low back pain, and so on. For example, in Sun Salutations many struggle moving from step 8 - Downward Facing Dog, Adho Mukha Svanasana to step 9 - Lunge or Runners Pose, Ashwa Sanchalansana. Tight hamstrings and hip flexors make the move difficult; and it is impossible to bring the back leg all the way through and in one graceful move place that foot between the hands.

Here's a secret in Yoga. Yoga poses reveal and challenge our weak areas. We experience this very quickly. Sometimes we see other students performing a move with grace and ease; feelings of frustration surface. We have a never-say-die spirit; we muster courage and push internally to try to make the impossible happen. Our breath becomes forceful and we might groan as we make even more effort.

We hurt our practice when we experience feelings of frustration because we cannot do a pose; when we push and force trying to make the impossible possible; and when we refuse to accept modifications. If only we could have compassion for ourselves at this time.

While practicing the Lunge pose on its own, shorten the distance between both feet. Move dynamically with the breath, exhaling as you straighten the front knee to the best of your ability, and inhale as you gently lunge forward returning to the place where the knee is directly above the ankle. Note - allow the toes to lift as you try to straighten the front knee without force. When you are ready to, can you hold Lunge for a minimum of 6 easy breaths?

Here are two points worth noting:

(1) Acceptance of limitations does not mean resignation.

(2) Yoga poses must be modified to suit the individual. It is a mistake to think that your body must be forced into a yoga pose.

What qualities are needed to accept and appreciate modifications? Patience is one quality. It takes time to release tight muscles. Consider which daily activity and hobby might contribute to this tightness. Observe the mind-body connection and which muscles engage when you strive for success during your day. It is a mistake to disconnect life off the mat from our practice on the mat. In terms of striving, we can make this quality work for us rather than against us when in our practice we:

Strive to keep our commitment to be on the mat regardless of distractionsStrive to bring our awareness back to the body again and againStrive to move with the breath.

Heather Greaves is an avid yoga student and the owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training. She organizes yoga and meditation retreats and workshops in Ontario and Barbados, and has been helping yoga enthusiasts learn to teach therapeutic yoga in a certified program. For more yoga tips or to sign up for our monthly newsletter visit http://www.yogatogo.com/

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Beginner Yoga Mistakes: Five Steps to Correct Beginner Yoga Mistakes That Create Shallow Breathing

Often when we are new to an activity there are doubts about our ability to be accurate. Hesitancy, uncertainty and sometimes anxiety seeps into our bones and to the core of our very being.. Soon our breathing becomes constricted and there is tightness across our chest. If we are paying attention, we can feel this in our body in yoga. When this happens what should we do about it?

Here are five helpful steps:

1. Acknowledge

First we want to acknowledge that this tendency is present even in our yoga practice. Are you able to be specific about which pose, poses or circumstances evoke this response? Give yourself time to be clear about this. It might mean revisiting the scenario mentally or physically.

2. Prepare

Take a moment before going into the yoga situation to calm your nerves. Use whatever techniques work for you. Slowing down the breath by exhaling through pursed lips is one way to begin to soothe yourself. Sighing works as well.

3. Self Talk

It is more effective to be real about your feelings - to face them. Try to identify the emotion that you are feeling. We cannot fool ourselves by saying we are victorious when we feel we've failed. If we can see ourselves as successful, then we can affirm that. On the other hand, if we feel incapable and do get enthusiastic with the idea of reaching the aim, we can affirm the enthusiasm.

4. Talk with Another

Sharing fears, as well as aims with a well-wisher warms the icy, cold feet and garners support. We know the experience of secrets weighing us down, and making the heart heavy. What does it take to divulge and be a little more vulnerable? And is it worth it?

5. Enlist Help

Sometimes additional instruction or clarification is needed when going into, holding, or exiting a yoga pose. If you are unclear about a particular phase of a pose, ask for help from a yoga teacher.

After taking these five steps you are likely to be much more prepared for your practice and will abort those particular beginner yoga mistakes. You will have identified the circumstances surrounding your mild panic, and created an atmosphere more conducive to exploring your yoga. Plus one more situation that created or enforced shallow breathing will be eliminated. The internal tension that results in a tight face, neck and shoulders will be reduced or eradicated. With your upper body and abdominal wall more relaxed, you will experience gentler, deeper breaths, and calmer nerves.

Heather Greaves is an avid yoga student and the owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training. She organizes yoga and meditation retreats and workshops in Ontario and Barbados, and has been helping yoga enthusiasts learn to teach therapeutic yoga in a certified program. For more yoga tips or to sign up for our monthly newsletter visit http://www.yogatogo.com/

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Beginner Yoga: How to Include Peace of Mind Exercises Within Your Yoga Practice

Yoga practice can bring peace of mind. By the end of the yoga class we usually forget the burning desire or important concern that occupied our mind. Peace pervades both mind and body. Here are a few yoga exercises that help you gain peace of mind.

1. Begin with Centering

What is centering? It's a method which helps to turn the mind inward and works to quiet our busy mind. In kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, a specific mantra is chanted at the beginning of every class and personal practice. In some hatha yoga classes the mantra 'Om' is chanted. This opening activity takes only a few minutes and makes a huge positive impact on our state of consciousness and thus prepares us for our yoga practice.

The use of a mantra has a direct effect on the mind, and beginning your personal practice with a chant draws a subtle starting line that adds something special to your experience. How would you describe that inward journey - sacred, soulful or something else? I am always fascinated by the various ways we describe our experience of the same exercise.

2. Chanting during Practice

In our personal practice we can decide to chant 'Om' aloud at the beginning of the asana portion of our practice. If you start with the Sun or Moon salutation you can chant either when you are moving into the pose, or slow the practice down by chanting one 'Om' as you hold the pose. You may want to explore to find out when it is most natural for you to chant. Do you increase or decrease the chant volume as you practice? Does it feel natural to stop chanting aloud after a while?

3. Hand Mudra

A common hand mudra is holding the hands in prayer position. This mudra, called Namaste mudra, can be held when standing at rest in Tadasana. You can hold the hands at the chest and let the thumbs touch the sternum. Notice how each finger rests against its pair and whether one hand presses more into the other. Can you distribute the pressure evenly between both hands? Are you using excess effort?

Feel your feet to the earth, hands at the heart, and head to the sky. Next sense your whole body as a single unit, then bring the breath into your awareness. This rest between poses can become a standard within your personal practice; an exercise to draw the mind inward.

As a beginner yoga student you can design your personal practice to include the elements that are most effective to quiet the mind. As you experiment with these techniques, may you discover again and again the power of designing your own practice and the ability to quiet your mind.

Heather Greaves is an avid yoga student and the owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training. She organizes yoga and meditation retreats and workshops in Ontario and Barbados, and has been helping yoga enthusiasts learn to teach therapeutic yoga in a certified program. For more yoga tips or to sign up for our monthly newsletter visit http://www.yogatogo.com/

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Yoga - Common Beginner Questions

If you've just started practising yoga, then you could have a few questions that you're looking to answer. Here are the most common questions taken directly from the mouths of my yoga beginners. Hopefully you'll find something here to suit your situation and learn something new.

Q. I'd like to find a short routine that I can do each morning before work. I don't have a lot of time - is there anything that you can suggest?

A. One of the most powerful poses for the body that suit the morning time is the Sun Salutation. Not only will it give your body an early boost of energy, but it's perfect as the first pose that you do as part of a routine. You'll be able to focus on breathing well, bending both forward and backward with a touch of strength work. Start off with just 5 or 10 Half Sun Salutes to get warmed up. Then move into the pose known as Sun Salute A.

It's very important to move slowly and with your mind on it. Don't push yourself but use a steady and smooth movement and breath. Just 15 minutes of Sun Salutation will set you up for the day with energy and flexibility.

Q. I'm quite overweight. Should I wait until I've lost a few pounds, or can I practise yoga even though I am 80 pounds too heavy?

A. You don't have to wait to lose weight - you can get started with yoga immediately. You'll just need to keep in mind that some of the poses might be harder to accomplish. Yoga will give you much in terms of mental and physical benefits and this could put you in the frame of mind to become fitter and lose a few pounds. Yoga helps people find balance and if we were already perfect then it wouldn't give us so much of a benefit. Everybody who does this form of exercise comes to it from a different place. Just getting onto that mat is a huge step in the right direction.

By practising your daily routine, you are likely to find that you will make more conscious healthy food choices and you will be more conscious of treating your body well by taking other exercise opportunities. You will find yourself calmer, more focused and in the present moment. You can take yoga classes or if you feel shy, then purchase one of the yoga DVDs that can be done from home.

Q. I cannot afford to take classes at a studio, how can I get involved?

A. The economy has been hard on all of us, but don't worry it's still possible to learn how to do yoga in a low cost way. There are a wide range of DVDs that can be played on your home entertainment system. Experienced and qualified instructors will show you how to make the moves and you won't need to give money to the gym. You won't even need to pay out on petroleum to get there either. One payment and you're done. Just order your DVD and put on some clothes that will stretch with you. Take a class every once in a while, to be sure that you are on the right track with your poses.

Thomon Wardle is an experienced practitioner of yoga and Pilates. Visit http://www.getfitwithpilates.com/ and view the range of yoga DVDs and Pilates DVDs to get started with your weight loss with yoga. There is a free eBook worth £9.95 for immediate download while you are there.

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