What is Yoga?

Yoga is an ancient practice that incorporates many different aspects of both our physical body and our mentality. The word ‘yoga’ literally means ‘union,’ and so during our practice of yoga, we are aiming simply to unify different areas of our lives and bodies and bring them back into a state of balance.

Why Is it Important?

For many of us, the pressures of today’s world result in unnecessary stress, anxiety, and a variety of other imbalances – these present themselves regularly in the form of both physical and mental illnesses. Even for those who are relatively ‘balanced’ or in a good state of health, with the way the modern world works today it has become increasingly difficult to maintain this state consistently, and also the confidence and energy it requires to go about our daily life. Yoga and meditation simply help us return to this natural state.

Recharging

I like to think of my yoga and meditation practice as a way of re-charging my body and brain. Re-charging, fine-tuning, like a guitar player, re-tunes the strings on the guitar every time they play. And I quickly feel the difference when my day does not start in the more ‘conscious’ way where I take care of body, mind, and soul. You feel even more satisfied when you push through and do your daily practice, no matter how your mind wants to trick you. 

Physical practice

While most people perceive yoga as the obvious – a physical practice that is beneficial for our bodies – depending on your preferred style and practice it can often get too focused on this, and many Western interpretations have completely forsaken the internal, spiritual, and meditative side which is also vital to gain a proper understanding of yoga.

To clarify – yes, yoga is a physical practice that has endless benefits for our bodies and can help to promote a healthier, stronger, leaner, and fitter physique. But it is also so much more, and my goal today is to help you understand the benefits of the WHOLE practice – not just the side you can see on social media.

I’ll start by going through a quick overview of the huge variety of styles of yoga that there are, in case you’re confused about where to start or what you’re getting into when you sign up for one.  I covered just the main ones that you can find on offer in most commercial yoga studios. 

If you want to dig deeper you can read the following article which explores how yoga differentiates from other physical exercises: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27044898/

Vinyasa/Vinyasa Flow & Hatha Yoga 

This is one of the most popular styles of classes, and almost all studios will offer some

form of the ‘flow’ class based on this particular style.

‘Vinyasa’ simply means ‘breath-related movement,’ and so these classes will focus on cultivating an awareness of the breath, and moving the body by this awareness. It can vary in intensity, and a lot of the time it depends on the teacher’s preferences, but you should expect to move your body in a vinyasa class, aiming for fluidity and ease while doing so.

Hatha Yoga

The ‘original’ form of yoga, Hatha Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Ha’ – meaning ‘sun,’ and ‘tha,’ meaning moon. Hatha yoga is what all other forms of yoga are based upon, and a Hatha class will incorporate all the basic postures, often with slightly longer holds to help you find your comfort in them before moving onwards. Hatha classes generally emphasize breathwork (pranayama) too and will serve as a good introduction to basic meditation.

I really like this short vinyasa flow sequence by Yoga with Adriene that is only 24 min long and great to wake up and energize in the morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Ina_WW4Yc

Ashtanga

Ashtanga is based on ancient yoga teachings, but it was popularized and brought to the West by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 1970s. It’s a rigorous style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is similar to vinyasa yoga, as each style links every movement to a breath. The difference is that Ashtanga always performs the same poses in the exact same order. It is usually a sweaty, physically demanding practice, so make sure to bring a towel 😉

Yin

On the other end of the spectrum of physical intensity, Yin yoga is a slow, restorative, and usually, a floor-based practice where asanas (poses) are held for a long time (minimum 3-4 minutes). These long holds focus on softening into ligaments, tendons, internal tissues, and meridian lines rather than muscle-based movements of other styles. Yin will also challenge you mentally, as any thoughts and resistance in the mind arising around the body’s physical positioning as you hold poses cannot be ignored – Yin teachers are skilled in guiding meditations and helping students to notice their thoughts as they arise. The physical postures in Yin are designed to help tune in to this flow of energy.

If you’re a bit reluctant to commit to a Yin practice take a look at this article and read a bit more about why it is worth your while to start! It’s the perfect way to complement a YANG (or faster, flow) practice: https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/10-reasons-make-time-yin-yoga

Iyengar & Restorative 

Iyengar yoga was developed and popularized by B.K.S. Iyengar, and is a very meticulous style of yoga, with huge attention paid to finding proper alignment in poses – expect to spend a while perfecting each one. 

Due to how particular Iyengar is, blocks, blankets, straps, chairs, and bolsters are all used throughout classes to assist you, even if you’re an experienced yogi. There isn’t a lot of jumping around in Iyengar classes so you won’t get your heart rate up, but you’ll be amazed to discover how physically and mentally challenging it is to stay put. If you have an injury or chronic condition, Iyengar is probably your best choice to ensure you get the expert instruction you need.

You can read more on Iyengar himself here: http://www.bksiyengar.com/ 

Restorative

In a similar vein to Yin yoga, restorative yoga does what it says on the tin – it restores our bodies to a state of balance, calm, and alignment. Expect to use a lot of props here again while treating your body and mind to a soothing and relaxing slow practice. It’s common to feel more rejuvenated after a restorative class than after a flow class, and so many studios offer them at the weekend to restore spent energy from a work week.

Yoga Journal is a great resource for all things yoga-related – check this article out on how to start a restorative practice: https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/restorative-yoga

Bikram & Hot Yoga

Bikram Yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury, and classes are held in artificially heated rooms. You will definitely sweat in a Bikram class as you work your way through a series of 26 poses. Like Ashtanga, a Bikram class always follows the same sequence, although a Bikram sequence is different from an ashtanga sequence. Bikram is somewhat controversial, as Choudhury trademarked his sequence and has sued studios who call themselves Bikram, but don’t teach the poses exactly the way he says they should. It’s also wildly popular, making it one of the easiest classes to find. Due to the heated conditions of the studio, don’t forget water and a towel. 

Hot Yoga

‘Hot Yoga’ follows the name given to classes that don’t quite follow the ‘Bikram 26’ sequence, yet are given in a heated room. The easiest way to understand what to expect in a Hot Yoga class is a standard vinyasa flow class in a hot room – don’t be fooled though, you’ll still sweat buckets. 

How to choose?

These are just the main styles of yoga that are most commonly available for regular practitioners – there are numerous other styles and variations on these styles that have emerged over the past number of years. Because of the increasing popularity of yoga, this is something that continues to grow.

Before you choose which style is for you if at all you want to choose just one, I’d recommend literally just TRYING some classes. If you’re not sure if something will suit your body/needs, just try it and see for yourself. Be open and honest about what you’re experiencing, and if you find it’s too much, not enough, or just not exactly what you want – no big deal.

Try another style, studio, or teacher – keep trying until you find something that feels good because yoga is ultimately an extremely PERSONAL practice and you want to be totally honest with yourself and your body to get the most out of it.

Personal Practice and Clarity

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

One thing you should never EVER do in a yoga class is COMPARE yourself.

Comparing ourselves to other people, other bodies and minds and lives, and journeys – this is ultimately where most dissatisfaction and unease with our current situation arises.

Yoga and meditation teach us to sit with ourselves, with whatever problem or troubles we’re experiencing at a given time and allow ourselves and them to just BE. Instead of wishing otherwise or looking for someone or something else to solve our problems, we must sit with our worries and gain a clearer understanding of them.

This clarity, in turn, leads to a more balanced approach to solving problems or implementing strategies to change. All of this combined with the stronger, more mobile body that yoga helps us cultivate is ultimately improving every aspect of how we interact with the world – this is how yoga can be life-changing.

Pranayama – Breathwork

The breath is the ‘life force’ of yoga, or ‘Prana,’ as it’s known in Sanskrit.

Breathing techniques, or Pranayama, form the basis of our entire yoga and meditation practice. No matter what style you’re practicing pranayama is a part of it.

The breath sets the tone for how we move our bodies, and the more you engage with and start to notice your breath the more you’ll begin to become aware of its power to help you:

• move through uncomfortable poses,
• hold positions you never thought possible,
• and work through whatever mental or physical tension you are faced with in a given day.

Many different breathing exercises can be practiced both before, during, and after or independent of your yoga asana practice, and depending on the level and area of focus for the class, your teacher will guide you through accordingly.

Not only does proper breathing allow us to calm down the CNS (central nervous system), but it also has endless other benefits which include:

• Increased blood circulation
• Relaxes muscles
• Releases endorphins
• Improves and aids with the detoxification of blood and cells

If you don’t believe me, check out these articles to learn more about the importance of Pranayama:

• https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-pranayama
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7336946/

Meditation

Another vital aspect of yoga that any good class will include is an introduction to meditation.

Meditation and yoga go hand in hand with one another, as while yoga draws attention and awareness to the body, meditation draws awareness to our thoughts and mind.

Mind and body unify – again, this idea of UNION – to return to a more sustainable state of being, allowing us to function better and achieve tasks to a higher level of productivity than before. Or maybe simply just to do so in a happier state of mind.

Either way, you’ll learn early on in your yoga journey that coining yourself as a ‘yogi’ simply isn’t accurate if you don’t also have a regular practice of meditation.

Many studios today offer introductory classes to meditation for those wishing to delve a bit deeper into the practice, and I’d definitely recommend taking the time to fine-tune and exercise your meditation skills at some point during your early exploration of yoga. 

There are literally many examples of guided meditations on youtube to help you get started, and countless online resources too. Pick the one that calls you the most. 

What to Expect?

Asanas, or poses, are the face of yoga – they are what everyone recognizes. They are the physical forms we move our bodies into when we practice yoga and are most often grouped into the following categories:

• Forward Folds
• Inversions
• Backbends
• Twists
• Standing Poses
• Seated Poses
• Side-angle Poses

In general, vinyasa-based and flow classes will be sequenced around the poses in one of these categories, and depending on your level, the teacher will instruct you into the poses to varying levels of intensity.

Each category of asanas benefits different areas of our bodies and has different energetic effects when practiced correctly. For instance, a class focusing on backbends opens up the chest and heart area and often challenges our sense of security. 

If you want to go deeper into this, a look at the CHAKRA SYSTEM might be of interest to you: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/7-poses-chakras

Physical Health

As we’ve already discussed, regular yoga practice has countless benefits for our physical health.

These include (but are not limited to):

• Increased flexibility
• Increased muscle strength and tone
• Improved respiration, energy, and vitality
• Maintaining a balanced metabolism
• Cardio and circulatory health
• Improved athletic performance
• Protection from injury

Many doctors and health professionals now recommend yoga as part of recovery and physio programs, and of course, this means that yoga has a special place in terms of preventative medicine practices, too.

Various forms of yoga therapy can also be hugely beneficial to anyone suffering specific injuries, whether sports-related or otherwise, and the article I’ve linked below explains some of this: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/avital-scharf/yoga-therapy-the-newest-h_b_11777622.html

This article outlines an osteopathic health professional’s approach to recommending yoga to patients:

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/general-health/Pages/yoga.aspx

Mental Health 

It goes without saying that yoga also has immense healing effects when it comes to our mental health and well-being. Even if you’re not among the 1 in 5 adults today who’ve experienced difficulties regarding their mental health, I’m sure you’ll at least be aware of someone who has.

Yoga and meditation have been proven time and time again to positively impact our mental health, so much so that many psychotherapists and psychologists are prescribing them to combat the symptoms of illnesses such as:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• PTSD
• Bipolar disorder
• ADHD
• Insomnia

Some of the mental health benefits of a regular yoga practice include:

• Increased body awareness
• Relieved stress
• Reduced muscle tension, strain, and inflammation
• Sharpened attention and concentration
• Calmed and centred nervous system
• Mental clarity and improved cognitive function

For more on this see the links below:

• http://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0415/p981.html
• http://www.sonima.com/yoga/yoga-heals/

The Science of Yoga

‘Where the mind goes, energy follows’ – Everett Newell

This is a big one.

When it comes down to it, the mentally invigorating aspect of yoga really is just basic neuroscience.

Yoga helps us in becoming aware of and re-programming our mental tendencies to think or act a certain way. As they deal with the neural pathways in the brain and their relationship with human behavior, neuroscientists study how the energy required to keep certain neural pathways open (or in the everyday sense, our repeated human behaviors) can be re-directed over the course of time.

It’s from this information that they can note changes in the brain when subjects are trying to make large-scale lifestyle changes – breaking old unhealthy habits, recovering from mental illness, embarking on new health regimes, etc. 

It’s fascinating to consider yoga in terms of our brain and what goes on with all the signals and signs we unconsciously process up there. I’ve linked an article below that further explains this, and also a link to an interesting talk by a Neuroscientist who suffered a stroke and because of her awareness and knowledge of the brain was aware of everything that was happening as her brain shut down. It is worth a watch!

Article: https://www.yogauonline.com/yogau-wellness-blog/neuroscience-how-yoga-helps-your-mental-health-part-1-2

Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

What if I have no time?

If you’re a bit overwhelmed by all of this information and are afraid that your yoga practice might require sacrifices in other areas of your life, I want you to stop right there.

Yoga really can be done ANYWHERE.

Once you have the basic knowledge and a little bit of practice behind you, you’ll start to really be able to reap the benefits of it no matter where you find yourself.

There’s always time for a little bit of yoga or meditation – meditation being one of the key limbs of yoga. 

Even 5 or ten minutes in the morning to just sit and focus on your BREATH before your day begins can be beneficial, but it’s all about finding what works for you!

Getting a bit stressed in the office and haven’t got time to nip out to your lunchtime class? There’s yoga for that!

Click here for some easy Yoga in The Office techniques: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/meredith-nordhem/office-yoga-poses_b_5604195.html

8 Limbs of Yoga

The last piece of yoga theory I’ll present you with today before you’re overloaded with yoga insights is that of the 8 Limbs of Yoga.

These aren’t rules, and should never be considered so, yet to really incorporate yoga into our lives these 8 limbs are guidelines that when followed can help us live a healthier, happier, and more balanced life.

• Yamas – values and disciplines
• Niyamas – duties, and observances
• Asana – posture
• Pranayama – breathing
• Pratyahara – sensory withdrawal
• Dharana – Focused concentration
• Dhyana – Meditation
• Samadhi – bliss or enlightenment

You’ll notice that Asana (physical postures) and Pranayama (breathwork), which we’ve already discussed, are two of the 8 limbs. Dhyana is also another word for meditation, so I guess you could say we’ve covered three.

The remaining limbs all refer to various aspects of our everyday values, behaviors, and engagements with the world around us, and to really explore yoga on a deeper level all 8 of the limbs should be observed.

More on the 8 Limbs Here: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6391/8-Limbs-of-Yoga-A-Brief-Overview.html

Yoga as a Lifestyle

Overall, yoga is not just a great way to move and exercise our bodies, and it’s also not just a way to improve our mental health. Yoga is a lifestyle.

In my personal experience, it can honestly change the way you feel about your life, whatever your circumstances or situation, and also helps improve relationships, body image, improve strength, fitness, and more…the list really does go on.

When combined with a healthy, balanced diet and a regular sleeping pattern, yoga will have amazing effects on both your mental and physical health. You’ll be calmer, more productive, have more energy, and above all have the clarity to help make better decisions and start aiming towards goals that maybe seemed impossible at one point. 

Conclusion 

Yoga is an ancient spiritual, meditative, and physical practice that has many interpretations, benefits, and uses in our everyday lives.

While there are many styles to choose from, each which its own pros, cons, and corresponding history and lineage, the practice of yoga is ultimately an incredibly personal thing that can be beneficial on many different levels.

Backed up by science, recommended by healthcare professionals, and steeped in history and cultural background, yoga is definitely a serious contender in the realm of health and wellness trends that we’ve observed a splurge in over recent years.

I’ll leave you with some advice below on how best to start your own practice but hopefully, this article helped a bit too. 

Use what you have:

• Online resources and good beginner sequences on youtube like the ones linked below
• Research local yoga studios
• Try different styles and teachers until you find one you like
• Read books on the practice, the history, the philosophy

Examples of some beginner sequences to help you get started:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7AYKMP6rOE
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBu-pQG6sTY
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_SE2gQwXoo

I’m really happy having you here, reading this article. It is great that you’ve taken the initiative to learn more about yoga. 

If you are interested in reading more mind-body-soul-related articles do subscribe to my newsletter and you will regularly get news and updates. 

If you have embarked on a healing journey and you are exploring different possible ways to help yourself but feel stuck you can always drop me a message and book a free 20-min discovery call where we can how I could help you move forward on your healing journey. You can also read more about my services here. 

Namasté & lots of love,