General Tips for Yoga Practice

Understanding the Aims of Yoga Practice
Many different types of yoga exist, from very active to very passive and from a focus on physical fitness to a focus on spirituality. But within all the different variations of yoga a common thread exists of at least three fundamental practices: 1) the cultivation of awareness, 2) conscious breathing and 3) relaxation. Awareness is the ability to pay close attention to something, to be consciously present or mindful. Yoga is attention training, teaching you to rein in your attention whenever it strays. Through conscious breathing, awareness is brought to this usually automatic act. This transforms breathing into a powerful tool for training the body and mind. Relaxation is the release of unnecessary tension in the body and is part of every type of yoga practice.  To try out some yoga postures and learn their benefits, visit our Yoga Solutions.

Techniques and Attitudes that will complement any yoga practice
Whatever form of yoga you choose to practice, whether it's the athletic style of Ashtanga, the precision of Iyengar, the chanting and meditation of Kundalini, the flow of Viniyoga, the heat of Bikram, or you choose another style, doing the following will help you get the most out of your practice: 1) Practice at your own pace 2) Focus on attaining health benefits rather than perfecting a pose 3) Let go of competition 4) Listen to your body 5) Picture yourself in the posture 6) Practice function over form with forgiving limbs 7) Stay present in the moment 8) Have fun!

Practice at your own pace
Not every pose is suitable for every body. So it is best to proceed with caution when trying new postures. It's good to experiment and try new things, but take it slowly, so you can notice if a modification would be better for your body.

Focus on attaining health benefits rather than perfecting a pose
You don't have to be a pretzel to experience the health benefits of yoga. The health benefits for many of the most strenuous and unusual poses are the same as the benefits for the 20 or so fundamental postures that can be easily modified to suit most people. Developing a balance and a functional level of flexibility and strength as well as learning how to breathe properly can have wonderful health benefits, and yoga can help you attain those benefits. Beyond that, it doesn't matter so much. Being able to wrap your feet behind your head does not make you healthier.  To learn the health benefits of specific yoga poses, visit our Yoga Solutions.

Stay present in the moment
In any yoga practice, it's important to stay present in the moment to develop your sense of awareness and to feel the full benefits of stress relieve that yoga has to offer. Staying present in the moment and focusing on your breathing or on the movements and feelings of your body, allows your mind to take a break from its usual activities of analyzing, worrying, judging, etc. Just observe, without judgment, what is going on within you and what is happening right now ≠ not 10 minutes ago or 10 minutes from now. You will find few problems in this moment and that sense of peace will help your mind work more efficiently when needed.

Let go of competition
Many of us grew up in a competitive environment. From childhood on, we may have been encouraged to do more, push harder and secure success. Although competition has its place in society, it does not have a place in yoga practice. Yoga is about peace, tranquility and harmony ≠ the opposite of competition. Yoga does not require you to fight against anyone, least of all yourself, or to achieve some goal by force. Rather, in yoga, you are encouraged to be kind to yourself and others and to respect your body, working with it to make gradual progress that is unique to you. You are different from everyone else, so in yoga it's best to simply listen to your own body and respect what it does, rather than compare yourself to anyone else.

Listen to your body
No one knows your body like you do. The more you practice yoga, the better you will become at determining your limitations with each posture. Many teachers use the phrase "going to your edge." The edge is the point of intensity where a posture challenges you but does not cause you pain or unusual discomfort. The idea is to gradually, very slowly and carefully, push that edge farther back and open up new territory. To be able to practice at the edge, you must pay attention to what your body is telling you through its ongoing communication. Signals constantly travel from your muscles, tendons, bones and skin to your brain. Train yourself to become aware of them. Instead of focusing so much on what your mind is saying, focus more on what your body is saying.

Picture yourself in the posture
Use visualization to see yourself entering into the full pose in a calm and steady manner. It may seem like a simple thing to do, but using this technique can help your mind and body learn to work together in your yoga and in other activities for better results in both.

Practice function over form
In yoga, function is more important than form for gaining health benefits. To gain more function, students can use adaptive techniques to do the pose in a way that requires less strength or flexibility. One useful adaptive technique for flexibility is to slightly bend your arms or legs instead of keeping them fully extended. This enables you to move your spine more easily, which is the focus of many postures and the key to a healthy spine. For example, the primary mechanical function of a standing forward bend is to stretch your lower back. If your hamstring muscles are tight, your hands will have trouble reaching the floor and you may strain your lower back. Instead, simply step your feet out hip width apart and bend your knees until you can comfortably reach your hands on the floor. Gradually begin to straighten your legs until you feel a stretch. Over time you will develop your flexibility and you will remain safe.

Have fun!
In yoga, as in life, it's important not to take yourself too seriously. Have fun with your practice and see it as an opportunity to try some new things without any attachment to the results. Balance poses provide great opportunities for not taking yourself too seriously. When I fall out of a balance pose, I like to just smile at myself and try it again, then notice how my body feels better just for trying, rather than perfecting, the pose.