As a yoga beginner, some of the yoga poses can often seem quite daunting. Of course, they look easy enough. For example, the downward dog looks easy when demonstrated by a yoga instructor but when you come to put your own body in that pose, there seems to be some serious body non-cooperation going on.
Why won’t my body do this stuff?
Most people starting yoga are nowhere near flexible enough to achieve these poses straight away and it is important to not become overwhelmed and think yoga isn’t for you.
You don’t set yourself a goal of running a marathon and expect to be able to run a marathon straight away. Instead, you build up to it gradually, letting your body become accustomed to the new regime so that eventually you have the endurance and strength to run that marathon.
No race to the finishing line
It’s the same with yoga however with yoga there really is no hurry or competition or deadline. It is about connecting with your body and mind and improving daily. Yoga can become a life long practise so you have plenty of time to learn and there really is no finishing line to race to.
You can make small steady gains by incorporating some easy moves into a daily 10-minute routine that will allow you to progressively reap the benefits of yoga. These include increased strength and flexibility, feeling more invigorated and energetic and less stressed.
Each day you will see improvements and those seemingly difficult poses will become more and more doable.
Easy to fit in
Everyone has 10 minutes in a day that they can fit in something that has so many positive benefits. Check out the videos below to help you get started. YouTube is a fantastic resource on your yoga journey with so many great people teaching you yoga for free.
As you become more comfortable with doing yoga then you may wish to seek out a class to take your yoga practice to the next level or to share the experience with like-minded people.
However, the most important thing is getting started and not feeling that yoga isn’t for you. Yoga is for everyone who accepts that it’s ok to be a beginner at something and be willing to open themselves up to better health and well being.
Being the newbie and being out your comfort zone will only be temporary. Your comfort zone will soon expand to include you as someone who does yoga. You just have to hang in there until it does. A small price.
Leave us a comment and let us know how you got started with yoga and any tips you have on how beginners can take their first steps towards overcoming their fears and loving yoga.
Top photo by Anupam Mahapatra on Unsplash
Yoga poses for beginners