Top Recommendations on How to Start Yoga - How Often a Week You Need to Practice and Nutrition During Practice

If you are interested in how to practice yoga and have never attended specialized classes, then during the initial search for information you will be able to find many articles devoted to different types of yoga , practices independent and under the guidance of instructors. To get an adequate impression of the practice, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with certain basics of yoga for beginners , the observance of which will make your first steps in this endeavor productive.

Yoga: Where to Start

Yoga: where to start - a very extensive question, in the article we will try to give recommendations that are purely practical in nature, familiarization with these tips - this is exactly how to practice yoga correctly.

Sequence

Stick to the chosen sequence - perform all poses without exception and without haste. In most yoga schools, all sequences are structured in such a way that each pose prepares the body (muscles, ligaments) for the next pose. By strictly adhering to the sequence, you will eventually memorize the order, and you will not need to be distracted by external sources to remember which pose is next. In addition, most beginners begin to perform the last asanas quickly, “to do” or completely skip asanas in the sequence - due to fatigue or lack of time. But, as a rule, the last asanas in the sequences (especially Shavasana - never neglect it) aim to bring the whole body and nervous system into balance (in particular, if the practice was dynamic).

Duration

Determine the duration of the practice in advance and strictly follow it. Set a timer on your phone. This will allow you not to stop as soon as you “get bored” or “get bored”. It may happen that you start practice without much enthusiasm, and find that 15 minutes have passed quickly, and you want to spend more time on the mat. Most classes last 90-120 minutes. But for starters, you can practice for 15-20 minutes. With this approach, yoga classes will give you pleasure and there will be no feeling of guilt that you are skipping classes because of your laziness. Plan the days when you will practice and enter them in your diary. Most teachers agree that a 20-minute practice every day is more valuable than an hour and a half once a week.

Daily Routine

It is preferable to practice yoga in the morning before eating. The yoga daily routine involves a very early (by modern standards) rise - around 5.30 am. But beginners may have less mobile muscles in the morning, so in many yoga schools, beginners are recommended to start practicing in the afternoon or evening, when the muscles are already warmed up and more flexible. After a couple of weeks of regular practice, the muscles will become less tense and you will be able to successfully practice in the morning hours.

How Often a Week?

A frequent question for beginners is how many times a week you need to practice yoga? Classical types of yoga (for example, Ashtanga yoga , Iyengar, etc.) are usually practiced 6 times a week, Sunday is a day off, in addition, traditionally classes are not held on the full moon/new moon, women are also not recommended to practice the first three days of their critical days.

Breathing

Most beginners, in their desire to take the desired pose, work so hard and strain that they forget to breathe. Without breathing, any asanas turn into just poses and ordinary physical education. Read more about breathing during practice in the pranayama section.

Sleep Schedule

Get enough sleep. Observing this point will make your practice effective, you will have more physical strength and endurance to perform asanas. Yes, the pace of life is accelerating at an incredible rate, but this does not mean that you should put your health on the altar of “success” (from the word to succeed). When the body is rested, the nervous system has recovered, a person manages to do more during waking hours (this is proven). Simple tips that not everyone follows will help you establish a sleep schedule:

• Go to bed at about the same time (no later than 10-11 pm). It is during the hours of 10.00-02.00 that the “subtle body” rests - the human psyche recovers. It’s not easy at first to get yourself used to going to bed at this time, but try to follow the rule for 3 weeks and evaluate the result. Just try.
• Air the room before going to bed, preferably sleep with the window open. This way you get more oxygen + you ventilate germs.
• Don’t watch TV, don’t read social media feeds at least an hour before bed. Dedicate this time to loved ones or yourself - do self-massage with oil (preferably sesame oil, which warms the body, has a calming aroma), read, listen to pleasant music.

Nutrition

Review your diet. Having started practicing, you will find that “invisible” folds on the body prevent you from performing some asanas, twists are difficult, inverted poses. But gradually you will notice that the weight is gone. Help your body get rid of the unnecessary by following simple rules of nutrition during yoga classes:

• Before morning practice (as on any other day), drink a glass of room temperature water (you can add a little lemon juice), coffee and tea, by the way, are also not prohibited, but not promoted. But don’t overdo it with coffee - don’t drink the drink in the afternoon.
• If the practice is in the afternoon or evening - the last meal should be 3-4 hours before practice.
• Some asanas are recommended to be practiced after eating to improve the digestive process and relieve heaviness: Supta Baddha Konasana, Padmasana , Matsyasana .
• Can you eat after yoga? After practice, you can consume liquids, but it is recommended to eat no earlier than an hour later.
• Proven: with regular classes, the body intuitively begins to determine what is good for it, and which food should be avoided. In conclusion, we note that the successful study of yoga for beginners is 99% practice, 1% theory. Even if you missed a class (one, two, a week, a month - it doesn’t matter), just return to practice without reproaching yourself. It is likely that it will take some time to return to the desired rhythm and to the same level of progress that you achieved before the pause. But the main thing is not to be afraid, but just to start practicing!