Yoga has a reputation for being difficult, which may have scared away many people who would have otherwise enjoyed it. Naturally, yoga’s challenge is entirely a subjective matter: some people may find it very easy, while others will struggle with its basic concepts. For example, an athletic person who’s stayed in great shape may find yoga simpler than someone who hasn’t worked out extensively for many years. That said, learning this art can be made simpler!
Thankfully, no matter what your current schedule or comfort level, learning yoga should be an approachable process. After all, there are varying difficulty tiers to this practice that makes it suitable for beginners and advanced practitioners. Furthermore, there are many tools that may make your learning process easier and improve your confidence. Read on to learn more about yoga’s difficulty, as well as tools that can make your learning process more efficient.Â
What is Yoga?
Yoga experts believe that people on the Indian subcontinent and surrounding areas have been practicing yoga for thousands of years. In fact, it may predate many modern religious systems and is believed to have been invented to communicate with ancient gods. This spiritual aspect isn’t as emphasized in modern times. In fact, many people simply use yoga as a physical exercise, using challenging poses and breath control to improve their strength and flexibility.
A typical yoga routine includes stretching your body in unique ways and holding poses while breathing slowly. Breath control is important for yoga practitioners: proper breathing not only helps make poses easier to maintain but calms your mind. In this way, yoga provides strength, flexibility, and even some cardiovascular benefits, while also managing anxiety and other mental health concerns. Pose difficulty will vary based on the yoga type you perform.
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Benefits of Learning Yoga?
Yoga is a uniquely powerful exercise that provides very comprehensive physical health benefits. For example, it can improve your flexibility by forcing your body into unique poses, enhance your strength by asking you to hold these poses for extended periods, and even boost your cardiovascular health through proper breath control. Even better, yoga can also manage some depression and anxiety symptoms as a supplemental care option.Â
Furthermore, yoga is a surprisingly social exercise that often integrates multiple people in a single practice area. For example, yoga classes may feature a dozen or more learners interacting with a skilled trainer who can help adjust their routines and improve their effectiveness. In this way, yoga can expand your social life, help you make new friends, and even fight some social anxiety symptoms alongside counseling and medication.
What Are the Hardest Parts of Learning Yoga?
While we strongly believe that anyone can learn yoga if they practice at a pace that’s right for them, there are many roadblocks that may slow your process. The following issues listed below are the hardest parts about learning yoga and must be properly addressed. Thankfully, we have provided simple suggestions in each section that should make this process easier for you.
Strength Demands
While you don’t need to be a bodybuilder to practice yoga, many of its poses require a healthy and strong body to properly perform. Unfortunately, if you haven’t worked out much lately, you may lack the strength necessary to handle these poses properly. This lack of strength has caused many people to give up yoga entirely, which is a shame on many levels.
Fixing this problem requires building strength in key areas of your body, including your legs, back, arms, and shoulders. You can also practice strength-based yoga routines that improve your musculature and make this process easier. Thankfully, there are many strength-based yoga poses that can boost your practice and provide the long-term support that you need.Â
Balance Struggles
Do you get dizzy easily or have other problems with balance? Yoga might end up being harder for you to master than expected. Proper balance is one of the most important elements of yoga: there are many times when you’ll likely be standing in one pose for minutes at a time, including poses on just one leg! Without this proper balance, you’re likely to fall and might get hurt.Â
Don’t worry! This problem is one that many people experience when starting a new yoga routine. Try to use a chair, table, desk, or wall to stay balanced if you struggle at first. You can also practice various balance-based yoga routines to expand your capabilities and perform more effectively. In this way, you can stay on your feet and feel more confident.
Lack of Flexibility
Have you ever seen a yoga practitioner who can put their foot behind their head while standing? Don’t worry if you’re not at that level or never get there: it’s a pretty advanced move! However, you do need a base level of flexibility to properly perform yoga. Stiffness and a limited range of motion may make your exercise harder and could even cause injuries.Â
If you don’t feel comfortable with your flexibility, talk with your general care practitioners to find exercises that can slowly help you handle yoga more effectively. Once you feel less stiff and ready to try yoga, try practicing some exercises specifically for flexibility. These routines are often simpler and focus on improving your range of motion to make yoga easier.
Struggles Controlling BreathingÂ
Yoga is not just a strength and flexibility routine: it’s also a meditative and mindfulness practice that can improve your overall mental health and balance your mood. However, it’s a challenge for some people to focus on both their poses and their breathing at first. Furthermore, some people may simply have a hard time keeping their breath slow and measured while posing.
If you have a hard time maintaining yogic breathing during your routines, try to practice it when you’re not posing to get more experience. For example, you can try yogic breathing while walking, preparing dinner, or even relaxing while watching TV. Yogic breathing is beneficial for your mental health and is a great skill to practice even when you’re not doing yoga poses.Â
Difficulty Focusing
Focus is an important part of yoga because you should be trying to keep your mind clear, breathing smoothly, and letting go of tension and anxiety. However, it can be hard to focus when you’re working out. Some people simply have trouble focusing effectively in general and may have an even harder time concentrating when trying to force it if not prepared.
If you have a hard time staying focused during your workout, it might be a good idea to sit down and practice a few focus-related exercises that can clear your mind and make this process easier. For example, meditation routines can clear your mind and help you focus more effectively when practicing more advanced yogic techniques in particular.
Poses Aren’t Easy to MasterÂ
There are some yoga poses that are going to challenge you more than others: some might even seem impossible, even once you’ve mastered basic steps. This frustrating situation may make learning yoga harder because you might be focusing on routines that are simply outside your current ability. It’s good to try new things but only when your body is ready.Â
If you struggle with some yoga poses and need a break, step back from them and practice beginner-level options until you feel comfortable. Focus on routines that are similar to any that you’ve had a hard time mastering. Doing so can help you work up to practicing more complex poses and routines and make this learning process less frustrating and more effective.Â
Frustration and ImpatienceÂ
When you’re learning something new, you’re going to run into times when your progress slows. Unfortunately, many give up on yoga and other new skills simply because they run into these roadblocks. For example, you might find a pose that seems outside your ability and struggle to master it. This situation can make you feel incapable of learning yoga and even make you quit.
Motivation problems and impatience with your progress are both hard to overcome without a little determination. The best way to manage this issue is with self-compassion. Don’t be so hard on yourself or punish yourself when your progress doesn’t match your expectations. Try to find some yoga practice partners or buddies who can cheer you on and make your practice better.Â
Mistakes That Limit Your Effectiveness
Everyone makes mistakes when learning something new, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re not a perfect yoga practitioner after a few weeks or even months. However, there are some errors that can be problematic such as improper poses and techniques. Unfortunately, poor yoga practice may cause back, neck, and shoulder injuries that may affect you for many years.
If you keep making mistakes that limit your yoga effectiveness, try one of CourseHorse’s many online classes! Courses like YogaProse: A Virtual Yoga & Writing Workshop, Gentle Yoga & Qi Gong, Slow Hatha Flow, and Gentle Hatha Yoga include a live professor who can guide you through your routines and improve your techniques to minimize your mistakes.
Key Takeaways
- Yoga is an ancient art that may predate many religionsÂ
- Practitioners use yoga to improve physical and emotional healthÂ
- Learning difficulties may vary based on multiple factorsÂ
- It’s possible to overcome these difficulties if you prepare for themÂ
- Breath control is just as important as physical strength and flexibilityÂ
- Practice makes perfect, as does patience and calm
- You can take private, in-person, and online yoga classes at CourseHorse