Let us Begin with the Basics of Yoga

How often do we think of practicing Yoga in our everyday lives but don’t know where and how to start from? Well, it’s time to bring the thought into practice. Making Yoga part of your daily routine can help in experiencing a profound sense of harmony within yourself and the surroundings around you. Whether you are young or old, fit or fat, Yoga is for all. Its essence lies in the combination of Physical, Mental, and Spiritual health.

Starting with Yoga practice may seem overwhelming in the first place, but it doesn’t have to be intimidating at all. The focus should be on learning it step-by-step and discovering its beauty. Before starting, here are few pointers to keep in mind to optimize Yoga practice.

1. Getting to know it all- Remove all the Yoga myths before starting the Yoga practice. Being a beginner one’s goal should be calming and strengthening body and mind with easy and effortless exercises. It isn’t advisable to hop onto complicated exercises at the beginning. The whole purpose is to enjoy the process and seamlessly have fun while doing it.

2. Joining beginner level classes- It is best to start learning Yoga by joining Yoga studios or classes to learn the correct way of exercises. Beginner-level classes will help in training from the basics and will in setting up a strong foundation for Yoga practice.

Learning from experts will also reduce the chances of getting an injury and learningthe poses properly. The idea is to have an open approach to witness an enhanced Yoga experience.

3. Dressing up comfortably- There’s nothing worse than practicing Yoga in an uncomfortable piece of clothing. It is advisable to wear easy and comfortable clothes while starting with Yoga practice. Loose clothes offer the right balance of comfort, breathability, and flexibility. One should avoid wearing excessive jewellery or belts as it can hinder Yoga practice.

4. Start with Meditation and intention- A yoga practice should have an intention or goal attached in order to it to make it more holistic. Intentions can be any sentence or mantra that resonates with one’s self. While starting a practice, take few minutes to ground, center, and focus inwards with Meditation which will help in keeping up the momentum. The idea is to focus on the present and gain a new perspective on stressful situations.

5. Learning basic Yoga poses- The physical aspect of Yoga practice can be started from learning basic yoga poses. The building blocks of Yoga are the poses and practicing it continuously can benefit physical and mental health. One can start with Postures or Yoga asanas such as Child’s Pose, Downward facing dog, Tree pose or Shavasana, etc.

Each pose should be held for a few, slow breaths before moving on to the next one.

6. Ending the session with Relaxation poses- After completing Yoga asana practice, one should not be in hurry to call it a day off. Always end the practice with relaxing asanas and exercises like Shavasana. Such poses help in relaxing the body, rejuvenating the energy produced through yoga practice, and transitioning back to the world.

It is rightly said that “Yoga adds years to your life and life to your years” as it is an amalgamation of yoga asanas, ancient philosophy, pranayamas (breathing techniques), and meditations, where one participates in deeper spiritual experience. While starting the Yoga Journey, one may feel awkward and uncomfortable in their starting days of practice, but continuous Yoga practice can help in overcoming the phase and enriching the whole experience. Most importantly, one should stay in present, accept the limitations, and patiently wait to get accustomed to the practice.

Nida Zakaria

HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT YOGA TRAINER?

Your journey with yoga is lifelong, and the tutor who leads you on it is an important part of that journey. They will ask you to do things with your body that you have never done before, and you must have complete confidence in their ability to teach you safely while still pushing you outside your comfort zone.

Of course, the concept and criteria of a good teacher can vary from the person to person, but there are a few steps you can take to narrow the area.

Today we will be discussing on some key aspects of finding the best yoga trainer for you:

1)    Research: Today you will come across many yoga schools, and selecting one yoga studio is not much of a difficult task. But finding a good trainer takes a little time. So while searching for your yoga schools also look for the teachers available, go to their website and research a little bit on the list of trainers the school has.

2)    Look for their Qualification: Once you have selected your yoga studio, go and thoroughly check for the trainers’ qualification. You can also get an insight through their social media sites. A little research will definitely have an impact on you while finalizing your trainer. Find out what kind of training he or she went through and if they continue to study with their own teachers. 

3.)  Look for their style: You must be influenced by your yoga teacher's practice in order to really be inspired by them. Of course, as teachers grow older, their bodies may not be able to do the super jazzy poses, but you can tell whether a teacher's practice is inherent or not by looking at their poses. 

4.)  Are you really learning: Do you feel like you're gaining knowledge from them and improving gradually. You want to know that you're making progress toward your goals, whether they're spiritual, physical, or emotional. The ideal teacher for you is one who will accompany you on your journey.

5)   Friendly: Look for a trainer who is approachable. It's important to find a teacher who makes you feel at ease and who makes it simple to approach them with questions. A instructor who arrives early, greets his or her students, and remains a few minutes after class to answer questions demonstrates that he or she cares for his or her students and is willing to assist them. Someone who rushes in right when class begins and rushes out right when it ends may not be the most approachable individual, and you may find that the instructor isn't available to talk about anything or clarify something learned in class.

 6)   Are you satisfied:  Do they tell you the things you want to know? If the teacher you've selected isn't teaching the poses you're interested in, he or she isn't the best fit for you. The bottom line is that if she teaches a vigorous hot yoga class and you adore a soothing restorative class, she isn't the right fit for you. It's important to think about what the instructor does in class. If you're interested in philosophy and chanting but your yoga instructor only offers a 60-minute asana (or posture) session, you should look for another teacher.

7)   Do you feel inspired? Good teachers guide you into the edge — the point where you're challenged but still safe — rather than pushing you over it. They will lead you through your practice so that you leave feeling uplifted, inspired, and happier than when you first arrived.

Don't give up if you haven't yet met a teacher that speaks to you. He or she is just a few steps away. Remember that the best yoga instructor for you is the one with whom you communicate and who you enjoy learning from.

Also, Dragonfly Studio offers some of the best professional, trained and qualified yoga trainers. So what’s holding you back? Just trust your instincts and welcome onboard.

 Nida Zakaria

Everyday Yoga Poses

How to practice yoga when you have no time…..

Consistency is key with yoga, and one of the best ways to skill-up your yoga practice is to build in key poses into your daily routine.

Some days, we’re busier than others - and even with the best intentions, somewhere between the morning coffee, the nine o’clock meeting, the school run, and the mad dash for the train (or the mad boot-up of your laptop at 8:59, if you’re working from home), that forty-five minute slot we had planned for our morning Vinyasa Flow session gets completely lost.

So when you don’t have time for a full session, but you still want a little time and space to be present on your mat, why not have some go-to poses up your sleeve?

Here are some of our favourite poses, which strike the balance between building core strength, improving flexibility, and balancing the mind. As always, we prefer to start the day right with these poses as soon as we wake up in the mornings - but some prefer to switch this up and have an evening yoga session instead. 

Whichever way is best for you, by practising these simple poses at least once a day, you’ll soon be on the path to developing better balance in your Muscle, Movement and Mood.

Pose 1: Downward Dog

A staple, and one of the best poses to start the day with. Downward Dog is an inversion, meaning the head is below the heart in this position - which changes up the direction of blood flow. Increased blood flow to the head stimulates the mind, and kicks the brain into action.Downward Dog will also help you develop flexibility - try pedalling your feet to really work the stretch into your calf muscles.

Our top tip? Spread the fingers wide, and keep the whole palm of your hand pressed to the floor to send the hips up and away from you. 

Pose 2: Pigeon Pose

Pigeon pose is another of our everyday favourites - it’s a seriously effective hip opener and will do wonders for tight glutes. Start in Downward Dog, then raise one leg up and back, before sweeping it directly underneath the chest, with the knee bent beneath your rib cage. You may wish to stay upright at first, then slowly sink the chest towards the bent knee you have underneath your body. For an extra challenge, try gradually sinking all the way down so that your forehead rests on the floor. Stay here for at least two minutes, then repeat with the other leg in front.

This is a slow and steady pose - never rush into it, and make sure your limbs are sufficiently warm from the Downward Dog position first. As well as strengthening the elasticity in the muscles, you’ll also feel a really release of trapped energy and tension - a great endorphin booster.

Pose 3: Forward Fold

After coming back to Downward Dog following your Pigeon Pose on both sides, walk your hands back towards your feet. Once you’ve got your weight firmly back on two feet, remain hanging forward. Sway side to side a little, to stretch out both sides of your waist - you can either keep the hands hand loose, or gently fold the arms. After about one minute, slowly begin to roll the body upward - imagine you are stacking each vertebrae of your spine, one-by-one, until you reach a full standing position. Roll the shoulders back, and let the hands hang loosely at your sides, with your knees soft.

This is a great pose to remind you of your spine alignment - take notice of any points as you roll upward where you wobble slightly, as this can indicate a tendency to lean your weight more on one side than the other. Try to come up as evenly and slowly as you can - control is key for getting the full benefits of this pose.

Breathe through the pose - we often like to take a deep breath in, then breathe out while we roll upward. 

Pose 4: Warrior I

Once standing, step into a lunge, keeping your back leg straight and if you can, your back heel remaining flat on the ground. Take the arms up to reach towards the sky and hold, imagining you are stretching further and further upward. To keep the shoulders and neck in line, it can often help to visualise a piece of silk extended from the crown of your head - like a puppet string - pulling you gently up. Hold this position for a minute, then step the feet together and repeat the pose on the other side.

Warrior I is a great pose for stimulating the blood flow and building core strength. Keeping as still as possible is the challenge here. It’s also a great place to set your intentions of the day from - let your heart smile outward as you take stock of your goals for the day.

Pose 5:’Corpse’ Pose, or Savasana

Finally, come back down to lie on your back, with your palms facing upward and your knees relaxed. You could put a cushion, blanket or yoga block beneath your knees or beneath the small of the back for support here. 

You have stimulated the movement in the body, and begun to consider your intentions for the day. Savasana is that space in which you can consolidate these intentions - it’s the peace and the quiet before the business of the day begins. Allow yourself ten minutes in this pose - and if you often find you struggle to give time for being still, as many of us do in our busy lives, try to see this time as an an investment: to reflect, to listen to your thoughts and your emotions and be aware of your emotional state, to allow ideas and creativity to be renewed - which will only mean you are able to use your time in the day more efficiently. If you invest

this ten minutes now, you’ll save three, four, or five times the minutes later in the day through being more intent on your personal goals, more grateful for what you have already achieved.

We love to double-up Savasana pose with a ten minute guided meditation - try our guided Meditation For Building Trust, or have a look at the meditations available on apps like Calm or Headspace.

What next?

Try to dedicate fifteen minutes for practising these poses, each day. Our top tip? Try to do the poses in the same order each day - this will create a failsafe routine that you can fall back on when times get busy, that’s committed to your muscle memory. Building muscle memory helps the body to carry on the process of strengthening the muscles all on its own - keeping you fit for life. Repeating the poses in the same order will also help you spot and track changes to your strength and comfort each day, as you move through each pose.

And on those days when you do have the time to give yourself more space to practise, why not take a look at our timetable? We have a range of online and in-studio classes, which will help you build your repertoire of poses.