Guide to Yoga
Strike a pose and find your centre.
What do a cat, a cobra, and a butterfly have in common?
They’re all key postures in yoga - a discipline that has helped people improve their mental, spiritual, and physical well-being for thousands of years. Learn to:
- Breathe correctly to cleanse your system and improve concentration
- Find focus through meditation
- Improve strength and flexibility through a range of yoga postures
Yoga Basics
Yoga is a Sanskrit word that means “to join or bring together.” Today, yoga has become a popular form of exercise based on a combination of poses, called postures or asanas, and breath control, called pranayama.
Yoga Benefits
Yoga students originally practiced yoga to improve their physical ability to remain still while meditating. These days, people practice yoga for many other reasons, such as to:
- Reduce stress
- Improve concentration
- Increase fitness, flexibility, and strength
- Boost energy and vitality
- Improve circulation
- Integrate mind and body
To reap yoga’s many rewards, it’s important to realise that yoga isn’t just an exercise routine—it’s a holistic approach to life that can vastly improve your overall wellness.
The Three Main Elements of Yoga
Yoga focuses on perfecting many facets of life, from respiration to diet and beyond. This guide focuses on yoga’s three most important elements:
- Breathing
- Meditation
- Exercise
There are many types of yoga, each of which applies these three elements in a different way. But all types have the same objective: a healthy mind and body.
Types of Yoga Instruction
Once you’ve chosen a type of yoga to learn, you need to decide where and how you’d like to learn it.
- 1-1 vs. group: Solo yoga sessions (with an instructor) provide personal, one-on-one attention, which is ideal for beginners. Learning in a group does have some advantages: it’s cheaper, and you’re likely to work harder in a motivating group atmosphere.
- Class vs. home: Many yoga students find that combining a home routine with a professional routine (a class or private instruction) works best. If you’ve never done yoga before, avoid home sessions until you’re confident about your skills and physical condition.
- Certified yoga instructor: Regardless of the type of classes you take, you should always learn from a certified yoga instructor. The British Wheel of Yoga is the governing professional body for yoga teachers in England. Attend a session or two with a certified instructor before making an extended commitment to one instructor or class.
