3 Common Mistakes by Yoga Newcomers

  Whenever we start something new we have a certain feeling of trepidation and uncertainty of the unknown and in most cases it is completely unfounded and we get on with things very quickly and easily.  Sometimes it isn't and a simple little thing can cause us to have an entirely negative first impression and perhaps even never want to try that activity or passtime again.  Yoga has so many health benefits, on both a physical and spiritual level, that it would be a tragedy for anyone to miss out on them because they made a silly avoidable mistake on their first day.  With that in mind this article addresses the 3 most common mistakes of new Yogi, and how to make sure they don't happen to you.

Mistake One:  Not knowing what you want from Yoga.

  The reality is that there are numerous different styles and forms of Yoga and each has it's different attractions.  Ask yourself what it was about Yoga in general that attracted you and then you can investigate a style that caters more specifically to that.  You may like to set goals, be they physical, mental or spiritual.  If you do then it's a good idea to discuss them with the instructor of your class before you begin.  Yoga instructors are usually very approachable and happy to talk about their passion.  They will be able to talk to you about your goals for the class and let you know if you are being realistic, aiming too high or too low.  Make sure you goal includes a timeframe so it becomes something that is measurable.

Mistake Two:  Jumping in Feet First.

  Having decided that they will give this Yoga thing a try many people take a running leap and jump in to a 12 month stage by stage class.  These classes are usually an upfront payment arrangement and progress from one level to the next as the weeks progress.  They are a fantastic way of learning Yoga and becoming very good at it, but it's quite possibly you will choose a class that is not ideal for you.
 
  The best way around this is to join a Yoga beginner class, also known as a drop in class.  If you do these classes for a few weeks you will notice a high turnover of students as new people join and old people move on.  These classes are designed to give you a very broad feel for the different types of Yoga.  The level of the students in the class usually varies greatly so you can expect the instructor to keep the classes quite tame.  The other key benefit of doing this is that the classes are pay as you go so there is no big financial outlay for you while you decide the type and style of yoga that best suits you.  You are also not obliged to attend every class.  With the longer courses you can fall behind quickly if you miss a week or two in a row.  With the pay as you go classes you will find that while each class is different the level stays quite low to cater for the newer people joining in.

Mistake Three:  Choosing the wrong teacher.

  Traditionally a Yogi had to be an apprentice to a skilled Guru for many years before he could teach even the simplest of Yoga technique.  Nowadays a 3-day course over a long weekend is considered enough by some people.  There is a big difference in what you will achieve depending on the skills and abilities of the person teaching you.  Yoga is starting to make a regular appearance on the sports injury list and a large reason for this is instructors who have been taught just enough to be dangerous.  A qualified teacher won't necessarily be fantastic and an unqualified teacher won't necessarily be terrible - but the odds are certainly cast in that direction, so it's a good idea to check your instructors background and qualifications before you begin studying with them.





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3 Ways Yoga Can Benefit The Businessperson

Benefit Number One:  Physical Health

  All business-mans ultimate goal is to become wealthy isn't it?  Have you ever heard the saying that your health is your wealth?  Believe me it is true.  No matter how much money you have you cannot benefit from it if you are dead and personal health is often neglected in today's busy corporate world.  But the question is not whether one can afford the time for exercise to become healthy; it is whether they can afford not to.  Health is a shifting scale - you are not either healthy or dead.  It's important to think about how much your level of health affects your work.  A healthy body will allow you to concentrate more, work harder and increase the time you spend productively.
 
  Yoga is the perfect way for a businessman to look after their physical wellbeing.  Because the exercises are so incredibly low impact they can be performed even by the most out of shape person, and the more regularly they are performed the better that person's health will become.  Yoga is a very efficient method of releasing tension and stress.  During a workday certain blockages develop around the body and many of our vital organs do not get the full amount of oxygen and nutrients that they need to function at peak efficiency.  Yoga stretches different muscles groups in certain ways that will lead to these blockages being released and the blood flow bringing the bodies organs all the oxygen and nutrients they need.

  Yoga's health benefits are both immediate and long term.  In the short term blood flow is increased and the body functions better because it is achieving the nutrients it requires.  Tension is also released from muscles and the bodies lymphatic system is able to more effectively deal with waste products.  In the longer term these will be ongoing benefits and the digestive system will also function more efficiently, which has innumerable health benefits.  The general balance, co-ordination and flexibility will also be greatly enhanced.

Benefit Number Two:  Mental Health

  Have you ever considered the importance of a breath?  We know that when someone stops breathing they die, and even this simplistic understanding should tell us how important it is to breath.  But breathing properly is often ignored.  It is vital not only for the numerous health benefits, but also for the strong mental advantages it allows us.

  Yoga sessions will usually begin with a standing, breathing exercise.  The simple process of taking in a deep breath and releasing it slowly is incredibly calming and the basis of the breathing exercises that are a vital backbone to the Yoga discipline.  The key to this breathing is that it draws our attention to the one simple action of breathing.  We become very aware of the life giving benefit of a deep and controlled breathing cycle and are able to achieve a level of calmness that we often don't seek out in our everyday lives.  That calmness itself is a stepping-stone to achieving focus.

  The ability to focus is probably the single most important primary skill in a work environment.  There is always so much going on around us and so much that needs to be done that it is difficult to focus on the single task we are doing because of the multitude of things 'in the back of our mind'.  Regular Yoga teaches techniques to quickly clear the mind of all these other distractions and then focus our mental efforts on a single task.  It is also a great provider of personal discipline.  The self-discipline that is learned from focusing on the body and becoming master of oneself is a key benefit of Yoga.

Benefit Number Three:  Happiness

  Happiness is a goal that is often sacrificed in the short term in exchange for some mystical point in the future when everything will come together and be okay.  Yoga doesn't move you any closer to that mystical time, but because you develop such a strong sense of self and connection with yourself, it is common to become more content with your current situation.  You will find that the more you practise Yoga the more you will be comfortable spending time alone as well as amongst other people.  Your sense of self worth will increase and you will perform better in social situations.  This is perhaps the most important gift that Yoga will give to you.

The lot of a modern businessman is a stressful one and there is always so much to do.  It would take a pretty compelling set of reasons to convince a successful businessman (or even an unsuccessful one) to add something else to an already packed schedule, so why would he even think about regular Yoga classes.  In this article we examine the three main benefits of Yoga and how they apply to the busy businessperson.
           

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4 Secrets To Finding The Right Beginner Yoga Class For You

Secret Number One:  Decide on what you want to achieve before choosing a style.

  The number of different reasons for taking up Yoga is usually at least as high as the number of new people in a Yoga class.  Broadly people will be looking for one of three things - physical health, mental health or spiritual health.  All three are important and all three are realistic goals in a Yoga class.  Whatever it is you are trying to achieve through Yoga there will be a class and style that is suitable for you.  You can research in a library, online or even by asking various Yogi and this will hep you find the Yoga that will get the best result for you.

  It's worth actually setting some solid goals and many newcomers are surprised at how willing a Yoga instructor is to talk over these goals with them and discuss whether they are realistic or an alternative may be better suited.

Secret Number Two:  Join a class-by-class program

  These are sometimes referred to as drop in classes, or pay as you go.  These are a good way of getting a feel for Yoga.  There will be a regular turnover of other students in the classes and the contrasting level will mean the instructor will keep the classes at a relatively mild level and give everyone a taste of many different aspects of Yoga.

  The advantage of this method is of course that you are not committed to an expensive series of classes and you can get a taster for Yoga and see what types of Yoga interest you.  You will also quickly learn whether the goals you set earlier are realistic for you, or even too low and need expanding upon.

  Your next step will be to choose a series of classes in the areas that you found most suitable from the drop in classes.  These classes will build on each other from week to week and you may find yourself behind if you miss a week.

Secret Number Three:  Ensure that you are being taught by someone who knows what they are doing.

Surprisingly enough considering the relatively low intensity and the many physical benefits, Yoga has begun to regularly show up on the statistics for sports injuries.  Two key causes are identified.  Firstly students pushing themselves too fast too soon, and secondly instructors with inadequate training or appreciation of the individual level of their students(large classes are sometimes to blame for this).

  When you are considering a new class don't be embarrassed to ask your Yoga instructor what their qualifications and background are.  Many 'instructors have nothing more than a three day training course in 'gym yoga' and many people put this in the 'enough knowledge to be dangerous category'.  Traditionally a student would train for many years under a guru before they would be considered fit to pass on even the simplest of Yoga techniques to another novice.

  The Yoga Alliance is a United States organisation that features a register of teaches who have completed 'appropriate' training.  This means having completed courses that meet a certain standard.  A nice rule to work by is that less than 200 hours of instruction would mean a part time Yoga education. 

Secret Number Four:  Be aware of hidden costs.

An unpleasant surprise that can put people right off Yoga is turning up to the first class and finding that there are expenses that they haven't allowed for.  Some studio's require each student to have their own mat, a special strap or other props.  Some classes will work through a book which you are obliged to buy and some classes will have a dress code ranging from specific colours to specific articles of clothing.  Being unaware of any of these things and being refused your first class because of them can be very off-putting.

When you are new to Yoga you are probably going to be uncertain as to what to expect when you first enter a beginner Yoga Class on your first day.  Most people are uncertain about what they should even be looking for in a beginner Yoga class, so this article will let you in on the four secrets to finding the right class for you.
          

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An Introduction To Bikram Yoga

  Most people have a passing knowledge with what Yoga is, or think they know about what it sets out to achieve.  But until you have tried Yoga it is impossible to know whether you have the type of personality that can truly excel under it's influence.

Can Yoga Provide A Solution To Soaring Crime Rates?

 We think of criminals as being angry, or at least very active, while Yogi are seen as calm and sedentary.  Really the two are so far apart that it's hard to consider that someone who regularly undertakes Yoga classes could ever become a criminal.  Perhaps Yoga should become compulsory to fight the crime rate?  Here's why:

Common Mistakes and Misunderstandings About Yoga?

  Quite often people have experience with one type of Yoga but not another, and as such they will base their overall impression of Yoga on what they have seen.  It is like people basing their impression on Germans on the most famous German they know - Adolf Hitler, or more recently the portrayal of George Bush internationally as the only example of an American anyone knows.  The truth is that Yoga can be very different depending on who you learn it from and how they perceive Yoga.  This article looks at some of the common misconceptions.

Different Yoga Poses and Asanas

Classical yoga has developed over time to include many different styles for a range of situations, needs and preferences.  However the majority of Yoga styles still fall neatly into either the therapeutic or the meditative category.  Both categories have many hundreds of different Asanas,(poses or positions) and all of these are designed to benefit both the body and the mind.