Yoga is a powerful and effective exercise routine but might seem intimidating or hard to learn for someone who’s never practiced it before. This guide will help you understand what you need to start learning yoga, including what materials and skills you’ll require: in this way, you can practice and master this exercise more effectively.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is fascinating because it’s one of the oldest still existing exercises in the world, with a history that stretches back to the second century BCE. It originated as one of the six darshans or systems of philosophy in India, as described in the book the Yoga-Sutras by Patanjali. In these times (and even now, for some practitioners), yoga is a spiritual exercise that brings you closer to God by freeing you from ignorance and illusion.
Do you need to follow this intense philosophy or attempt to reach Nirvana to get benefits from yoga? Thankfully, no! While you’re welcome to practice the spiritual aspects of yoga if they interest you, many people enjoy yoga’s benefits strictly as a physical exercise. That’s because it can improve your strength, balance, and flexibility, while also easing symptoms of arthritis, back pain, and poor sleep. It also can also boost your mood and enhance heart health.
Benefits of Learning Yoga?
In an article published on She Knows, the writer Krissy Brady quotes several studies on yoga that examine how this exercise helps people with social anxiety. The study found that yoga helped calm these individual’s anxiety and improve their overall emotional health. This fact highlights the uniquely social nature of modern yoga. A look at sites like Meetup showcase over 3,300 different yoga social groups with nearly 2.5 million members spread all across the nation.Â
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Simply put, people like practicing yoga together, especially with an instructor who can correct their errors. Furthermore, if you master yoga well enough to become a teacher, you could make around $40,700 per year or $19.57 hourly. These wages are median earning estimates, which means there’s a chance that you could make even more. But even if you don’t start a full-time yoga teaching career, you could set up a side hustle on the weekends to make more money.
Is Yoga Easy to Learn?
Yoga isn’t necessarily hard to learn but does demand a careful attention to multiple factors. For example, yoga poses require strength and stamina to master and must be performed in a specific way. Poor posture and improper technique might make yoga harder and even injurious. As a result, self-directed learning is a bit risky, though classes on video platforms like YouTube can help correct many issues for you.Â
On the same note, breathing properly is an important part of yoga that might be hard to master without help. You should be breathing slowly and deeply, letting your controlled breaths balance the challenges of the poses. Unfortunately, self-taught yoga practitioners may find themselves breathing too quickly and not receiving the most benefits. As a result, it’s a good idea to find guided learning options that make yoga easier to perfect.
Thankfully, CourseHorse provides many learning options that can help streamline your yoga practice. For example, their platform includes online courses like Gentle Hatha Yoga and Gentle Yoga & Qi Gong that feature live professors and guided lessons that make learning fun and easier. CourseHorse even provides in-person classes in cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as team-building events for up to 500 people who work well for businesses.Â
Furthermore, CourseHorse provides many unique benefits that help it stand out. You get 24-hour verification for each course, can adjust attendance size up to the day of the class at no fee, and never have to pay a booking cost. You can also contact them to learn more about different classes that might not be publically available yet. In this way, CourseHorse provides a comprehensive learning platform that works well for many different people and groups.
What You Need to Know Before Learning Yoga
Before you start practicing yoga, there are a few things you need to understand. These include some skills you might want to learn before starting and pitfalls that can affect even the most experienced yoga learners. Understanding these factors can keep you on the right learning path.
Prerequisite Skills
You don’t necessarily need to master any special skills before learning yoga. That said, there are things that can improve your practice and make it easier. What’s interesting about these factors is that regular and guided yoga practice may slowly improve them and enhance your techniques even further! These skills include:
- Strong Balance: Yoga is focused heavily on balance and includes poses where you stand on one foot. If you struggle to stand, you may need a support tool (like a chair or wall) until you feel strong. That said, yoga can improve your balance as well.
- Patience: Some yoga styles require long poses with minimal to no movement. If you’re easily distracted or struggle with boredom, yoga might be harder for you to master. However, many people practice yoga to improve their patience and focus.
- Strong Body: It’s important to have a strong enough body to handle yoga. Talk with your doctor if you aren’t certain: they can give you good advice and direct you toward healthier poses. Thankfully, you can also use yoga poses to increase your strength!
- Calm Mind: Many people practice yoga to calm their minds and anxiety. As a result, it’s important to know mindfulness techniques, like meditation and deep breathing, to further relax. Doing so can improve your yoga and make it more enjoyable.
Common PitfallsÂ
When starting your yoga journey, it’s easy to make mistakes that might impact your progress. These problems can not only frustrate you but even hurt you. Here are three of the most common issues to watch for when learning yoga:
- Improper Poses: Too many beginning yoga practitioners injure themselves by not practicing proper techniques. That’s why guided learning is so important: it can help minimize your risk and keep you safer and healthier.
- Poor Breath Control: Proper breath management during yoga can calm your mind and make it easier. Unfortunately, you may also breathe improperly and get fewer benefits. Working with a teacher can help you enhance these breathing techniques.
- Overexertion: When you’re new to yoga, it’s easy to injure yourself through overexertion. Try to practice at a pace that suits your current fitness level. Working with a teacher can help you avoid this risk because they can ease you into your routines slowly.
What You Need to Learn Yoga
When you start learning yoga, you’ll need a few things that help to make your learning easier. For example, you’ll need a yoga mat, instructional help, a comfortable area to practice, time, and patience to master in-depth yoga techniques. Below, we’ll highlight why each of these elements is so important and give tips and suggestions for each.
Yoga Mat
Yoga mats help you focus your routines more effectively and can also pad the ground where you practice. This extra support can ensure that your joints don’t suffer needlessly while you work out. While yoga mats aren’t strictly necessary, they’re a good investment because you can take them with you when you travel to ensure you have a safe and comfortable practice area. Furthermore, yoga mats are important for the spiritual side of this exercise, if you choose to pursue it.
Instructional Support
While you can learn yoga on your own, it’s a challenging enough practice that we strongly recommend professional instructional support. Working with a teacher can streamline your learning experience, minimize your injury risk, and ensure you stay safe. Guided lessons with CourseHorse are particularly useful, especially in-person classes. In these programs, you’ll have a live professor who can adjust your routines and prevent injuries.
Room to Practice
We can’t stress enough the importance of a comfortable yoga practice area. Try to find a warm room where you can practice quietly and without distractions. You might also want a television or computer screen if you plan on watching videos or attending online classes. Practice on a soft floor, like carpet, to better support your joints. Lastly, you’ll need enough room to stretch your arms and legs, while a window to let in fresh air and sunshine is a great bonus.
Time and Patience
Mastering yoga will require practicing at least 15-60 minutes a few times a week, depending on your fitness level. Try to schedule several workouts in the week to get in your yoga reps. For example, morning yoga is a great way to wake up and get focused on the day, while yoga at night can calm your mind and body for bed. You also need patience with yourself because it may take time to build the strength and stability necessary for more demanding poses.
Key Takeaways
- Yoga is an ancient technique that provides physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits
- Learning yoga requires mastering a few basic skills and avoiding common pitfalls
- Guided lessons can improve your practice
- Mastering yoga isn’t challenging if you stay focused and dedicated
- Better breathing and flexibility helps enhance your yoga techniques
- You can take CourseHorse’s in-person, online, and private yoga classes to practice better