Yoga Complete Guide

Using Yoga Postures to Better Your Lifestyle

There really is so much to learn when starting out with yoga. It is easy for anyone to feel a little overwhelmed by all the different poses and yoga positions. The best thing to do is learn some of the most basic yoga postures first.

Best Poses for Beginners

Your first yoga class will comprise of different yoga postures including opening poses, standing poses and salutations. These poses incorporate twisting, stretching, hip exercises and bending backwards and forwards.

When taking your first class be sure to listen to your body. Even though you do want to

push yourself, you don't want to run the risk of hurting yourself.

Along with the basic poses you will also learn how to breathe correctly. Learning these breathing techniques will occupy much of your time in the beginning. But not to worry, you will soon be accustomed to breathing properly and won't think twice about it.

While practicing your postures try to remember to be graceful if you can!  You might find that you are concentrating so hard that you forget to be poised.  Think of being a dancer and being light and airy in your movements.

Yoga Poses for Infertility and Back Pain

Yoga poses can actually help you with many health issues. There are yoga postures for infertility which have been shown to help increase a woman's chances of becoming pregnant. This is done by teaching you how to relax and by decreasing the amount of stress in your life.

These relaxation poses help to relax all your muscles in your body, not just your mind. If you are trying to conceive then it is advised to attempt these relaxation poses after

having  sex.  Of  course,  nothing  is  guaranteed,  but  women  have  reported  getting pregnant after using this advice.

Many people start practicing yoga due to back pain and there are many yoga postures to help eliminate this condition. Some of the more common yoga postures are the pelvic tilt, the standing forward bend, and the side angle pose.

Practice Yoga Safely

Learning how to relax and allowing yourself time just for you is very important but you want to be certain not to overdo things. If you have led a pretty sedentary lifestyle don't go crazy by attempting too much too soon. One thing to remember about yoga is that it can fit into your life in many different ways and at different levels.

It is recommended to start off with about 15 minutes of yoga each day, then as you feel comfortable you can increase this amount of time. Be sure to pay attention to your form, take the time to learn how to perform the basic postures correctly. This way you will derive the maximum benefits from each yoga class.

Yoga is not an activity to be taken lightly, it can really benefit your body, mind and soul. Remember, no matter how you are feeling there is always some type of yoga that will fit into your lifestyle and help you feel much better.

Basic Yoga Postures and Some Easy Variations

The Cobra can be done in simple and easy stages.

1. Lie down with your forehead on the floor, pull your legs tightly together and make sure they are stretched backwards.
2. With your palms down put your hands underneath your shoulders.
3. Inhale and raise your head pushing your neck back.
4. Use your hands to push your body up until you are in an arched position.
5. A variation is to straighten out your arms if you feel comfortable enough.
6. You would then bend your legs and drop your head back to attempt to touch your feet.
7. Come out of the pose very slowly and return to the starting position.
8. Repeat

The Bow

1. Lie face down on a mat
2. Inhale and bend your knees up.
3. Stretch back with your arms and try to take hold of your ankles, keep your fingers on the outside.
4. Inhale and raise your head and chest off the floor. At the same time you want to be pulling at your ankles so your knees lift up.
5. Now breathe normally and try and kick your legs up a little higher. You should now be in a bow position.
6. Hold for a few normal breathes and return to the starting position

Shooting Bow

1. Sit with both legs stretched out in front of you. Make sure your back is straight.
2. Reach forwards with both hands and clasp your feet. Your right hand should be holding onto the left foot.
3. Inhale and bend the left knee and pull the foot across your body. Your elbow wants to point upwards and twist your body to the right slightly.
4. Hold this posture and continue to breather normally.
5. Then repeat this on the opposite side.
6. Only go as far as you can each time, you will reach farther with practice.