To succeed at anything, you must know two things: the ground rules and yourself. Here are ten tips for growing your Yoga practice into a sturdy, fruit-laden tree. If you bear these points in mind, you can expect to reap the benefits of your efforts surprisingly quickly. Although you shouldn’t expect overnight miracles, correct Yoga practice can bring you multiple advantages — physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Understand Yoga
To engage in Yoga successfully, you must first understand what it is and how it works. Sometimes people rush into Yoga practice without knowing anything about it, and then they have to work through a bunch of misconceptions before they can benefit from it.
Traditional Yoga involves study, a key aspect of practice for thousands of years. You can acquaint yourself with the actual literature of Yoga — notably the Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali and the Bhagavad-Gita — through the many translations available today. The Yoga tradition is vast and highly diverse. Discover which approach speaks to you the most.
Be clear (and realistic) about your goals and needs
If you want your Yoga practice to be successful, take the time to consider your personal situation carefully and then set your goals based on your abilities and needs. Ask yourself, “How much free time do I have or want to make available for Yoga? What are my expectations? Do I want to become or stay fit and trim? Do I want to be able to relax more and discover the art of meditation? Do I want to adopt Yoga as a lifestyle or explore the spiritual dimension of life?” When you’re realistic, you’re less likely to experience disappointment or guilt when your schedule seems overwhelming.
If you’re dealing with health issues or physical impediments, make sure you consult your physician before you launch your Yoga practice.
Commit yourself to growth
Even if you don’t choose to practice Yoga as a lifestyle, keep an open mind about Yoga’s involvement in your life. Allow it to transform not only your body but also your mind. Don’t put a ceiling on your own development or assume that you’re incapable of ever achieving a certain Yoga posture or learning how to meditate. Let Yoga gently work with your physical and mental limitations, expand your abilities, help you outgrow useless attitudes and negative thoughts, and discover new horizons.
Stay for the long haul
Spoiled by their consumerist societies, most people expect quick fixes. Although Yoga can work miracles in a short span of time, it’s not like instant coffee. To derive the full benefits from Yoga, you have to apply yourself diligently, which also nicely strengthens your character. The longer you practice Yoga, the more enjoyable and beneficial it becomes. Give Yoga at least a year to prove itself to you. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you may very well come out of that year with a lifelong commitment to growing with Yoga!
Develop good habits from the beginning
Bad habits die hard, so cultivate good Yoga habits from the outset. If possible, take two or three lessons from a qualified Yoga teacher, either in a group class or privately. Or pick up a book (perhaps the aforementioned Yoga For Dummies) and read about specific techniques and movements before trying out the postures and breathing exercises.
Wrong practice can do damage! Protect yourself by proceeding slowly and following the instructions step by step. Err on the cautious side. If in doubt, always consult a teacher or knowledgeable practitioner.
Vary your routine to avoid boredom
After you enjoy the initial wash of enthusiasm, your mind may start playing tricks on you. (Here are some favorite expressions of doubt: “Maybe Yoga doesn’t work.” “It doesn’t work for me.” “I have other more important things to do.” “I don’t feel like practicing today.”) If you’re easily bored, vary your program periodically to keep your interest alive. Slogging through Yoga or any exercise program serves no purpose. Cultivate what the Zen Buddhists call “beginner’s mind”: Approach your Yoga sessions (and, in fact, everything else) with the same intensity and freshness that you brought to your very first session. If you focus on each exercise properly, your mind doesn’t have time to feel bored. Also, the more you involve yourself in the spirit of Yoga, the more centered you become, lessening your likelihood of needing an exercise potpourri.
Make awareness and breath your allies
Yoga practice is so potent because, if you practice it correctly, it combines physical movement with awareness and proper breathing. Awareness and breath are Yoga’s secret weapons. The sooner you catch on to this concept, the more quickly you can enjoy satisfying results. Bringing awareness to your exercise routine also automatically strengthens your overall capacity for concentration and mindfulness. You’re able to work more efficiently and better appreciate your leisure time. In particular, conscious breathing during the exercises greatly enhances the effects of your practice on your body and mind, equipping you with the vitality you need to meet the challenges of a busy life.
Do your best and don’t worry about the rest
People often anxiously watch their progress. Progress isn’t linear; sometimes you seem to take a step back, only to take a big leap forward in due course. Be diligent but relaxed about your Yoga practice. Perfectionism serves no purpose other than to frustrate you and irritate others. In aspiring to reach your goal, be kind to yourself (and others). Don’t worry about what may or may not happen down the line. Focus on practicing now and leave the rest to the power of Yoga, providence, and your good karma.
Allow your body to speak up
Your body is your best friend and counselor, and listening to it is an art well worth cultivating. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Trust your bodily instincts and intuitions not only in your Yoga practice but also in daily life. All too frequently, your body tells you one thing and your mind another. Learn to go with your body.
When practicing Hatha Yoga, be especially careful about letting your desire to achieve quick results get in the way of common sense and bodily wisdom. For instance, if a forward or backward bend feels risky, don’t test your luck. Or if your body tells you that you aren’t ready for the headstand (which isn’t recommended for beginners anyway), don’t fall victim to your own ambition.
Share Yoga
In the beginning, plan to practice Yoga with others until you find your own momentum. Sometimes everyone needs a little encouragement, and a supportive environment is a great bonus. If you don’t go to a regular Yoga class, take the initiative to enlist an interested family member or friend in your Yoga practice. Yoga is a wonderful gift to give to anyone, so offer it with love and tempered enthusiasm.
Fitness Glossary
aeroboxing, kickboxing
A class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music.
Fitness Glossary
anaerobic threshold
The point at which your body switches from using oxygen as its primary source of energy to using stored sugar. When you’re in poor physical shape, you hit your anaerobic threshold while exercising at relatively low levels of exercise.
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barbells
The larger weights (for power lifting in a weight training program) that include a long bar with weights added to each end. You need to use both hands to lift a barbell.
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Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis BIA
A method of measuring your body fat in which you lie on your back while a signal travels from an electrode on your foot to an electrode on your hand. The slower the signal, the more fat you have.
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blood pressure
A measurement of how open your blood vessels are. Low numbers mean that your heart doesn’t have to work very hard to pump the blood through your blood vessels.
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body composition
How much of your body is composed of fat and how much is composed of everything else. Your body composition is also called your body-fat percentage.
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body mass index BMI
A way of relating your height and weight to estimate how fat you are. You can use a simple formula to determine your BMI.
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body sculpting
A non-aerobic, muscle-toning class, usually focused on core strength.
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BOSU
A domed, flexible apparatus that helps to improve balance and can be used in a step aerobics exercise routine. BOSU is an acronym for Both Sides Utilized.
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cardio
A term (short for cardiovascular) that is often used interchangeably with aerobic. Aerobic exercise is any repetitive activity that you do long enough and hard enough to challenge your heart and lungs.
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chi
Otherwise known as "life energy," this is the life force that pulses through your body and keeps you vital. Blocked chi can cause sickness or unhappiness.
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circuit training
A fast-paced class or exercise routine in which you do one exercise for 30 seconds to 5 minutes and then move on to another exercise at the next station. Combines cardio exercise with strength training.
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core
The abdomen, obliques, lower back, butt, and so on, that form the midsection. Many forms of exercise focus on strengthening the body's core.
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core conditioning
A non-aerobic, muscle-toning class, usually focused on core strength.
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cross-training
A method of varying your workouts to take your fitness to the next level by adding new forms of training to your current routine.
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Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry DEXA
A method of measuring your body fat that also determines where the fat is located on your body, a more relevant health indicator.
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dumbbells
Smaller weights (for a weight training program) that you can lift with one hand.
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elliptical trainer
The hottest trend in cardio machines, which is part stair-climber, part treadmill, part stationary cycle. Your legs travel in an elongated circular movement, and, on some models, you pump arm poles back and forth for an upper-body workout.
Fitness Glossary
exercise ball
A large plastic ball that is an excellent tool for doing challenging exercises (with or without weights) that require varying forms of strength and control.
Fitness Glossary
Fartlek
A type of interval training program that doesn't use an exact measure of time or distance. You just do your intervals whenever you feel like it. The term Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish.
Fitness Glossary
fitness walking
A faster and more intense walking technique than casual (lifestyle) walking that burns more calories and helps you lose weight. When you fitness walk, you generally move along at a brisk pace of 3.5 to 4.3 miles an hour, covering a mile in 14 to 17 minutes.
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flexibility
The range of motion or distance you can move a joint through. Stretching is the key to maintaining your flexibility.
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free weights
Portable weights used in a strength training program.
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freestyle
The traditional type of swimming movement that uses the front crawl.
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heart rate
The number of times your heart beats per minute.
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high-impact aerobics
A traditional dance-inspired routine that involves jumping or hopping and moves at a slower pace than low-impact aerobics. High/low combines the two types of routines.
Fitness Glossary
in-line skating; Rollerblading
A type of skating in which you wear skates with urethane wheels that enable you to glide, sprint, curve, turn, and spin.
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interval training
A training technique in which you alternate short, fairly intense spurts of exercise with periods of relatively easy exercise.
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kickboxing; aeroboxing
A class that takes the moves of a kickboxer’s training and choreographs them to music.
Fitness Glossary
lifestyle walking
A casual walking technique that is low to moderate intensity and relatively slow paced. Most lifestyle walkers walk an average of 2.5 to 3.5 miles per hour, which means that they walk about 1 mile every 17 to 24 minutes.
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low-impact aerobics
A traditional dance-inspired routine in which you always have one foot on the floor — you don’t do any jumping or hopping. High/low combines the two types of routines.
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marathon
An organized 26.2-mile race for runners and walkers.
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maximum heart rate
The maximum number of times your heart should beat in a minute without dangerously overexerting yourself.
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meditation
A mental process involving focused attention, or calm awareness, which is also called mindfulness.
Fitness Glossary
mountain bike
A fat-tire outdoors bicycle with upright handlebars that is built to withstand rough terrain.
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multi-gym
A home gym contraption that looks like a bunch of health-club weight machines welded to each other.
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muscular failure
In a strength training program, the point at which your last repetition with weights is so difficult that you cannot perform another repetition.
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orthotics
Fitted shoe inserts designed by a podiatrist that correct weight distribution along the foot.
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periodization
A method of organizing a strength training workout program into several periods, each lasting about four weeks. Each phase has a different emphasis.
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Pilates
A form of exercise that emphasizes correct form using your body’s core. Pilates is named after its inventor, Joseph Pilates, who invented the technique for injured dancers.
Fitness Glossary
plantar fasciitis
An inflammation of the tough fibrous band of tissue that runs the length of the bottom of your foot.
Fitness Glossary
pulse
The number of times your heart beats per minute.
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Qigong
An element of a T'ai Chi practice that covers many different types of movements that involve using and feeling the body's energy.
Fitness Glossary
recumbent bike
A type of stationary bike with a bucket seat that provides back support so that you pedal straight out in front of you.
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repetition rep
One complete motion of an exercise, often used in reference to strength training.
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RICE
An acronym that stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation — common treatment methods prescribed for runners with training injuries.
Fitness Glossary
road bike
The traditional type of outdoor bicycle with curved handlebars that is built for speed.
Fitness Glossary
rolling stair climber
A cardiovascular machine that resembles a section of a department-store escalator. A set of stairs rotates in a circle so that you climb continuously, but never getting anywhere.
Fitness Glossary
rowing machine
A cardiovascular machine that increases stamina, upper body endurance, strength, and flexibility by mimicking a rowing motion. Also called a rower.
Fitness Glossary
set
A group of consecutive repetitions in a strength training program.
Fitness Glossary
Spinning
A popular group studio cycling program invented by ultra-distance cyclist Johnny G. and licensed by Schwinn, which manufactures the bikes used in these classes.
Fitness Glossary
stair-climber
A cardiovascular machine that has two foot plates you pump up and down to mimic the action of climbing stairs. Also called a stepper.
Fitness Glossary
stationary bike
A cardiovascular machine that comes in two styles: upright bikes and recumbent bikes.
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step aerobics
A choreographed routine of stepping up and down on a rectangular, square, or circular platform.
Fitness Glossary
strength training
A type of workout that uses any combination of weight machines and free weights (dumbbells and barbells) to build muscle strength.
Fitness Glossary
stride frequency
The number of strides that a runner takes over a certain time period.
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studio cycling
Group exercise classes that are taught on stationary bicycles.
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T'ai Chi
An ancient martial art focusing on smooth, slow movements that cultivate inward focus and free energy flow. T'ai Chi is properly pronounced tie-jee.
Fitness Glossary
target heart-rate zone
A range that is between 50 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate that can tell you what heart rate to aim for during a workout.
Fitness Glossary
treadmill
A popular choice for a cardiovascular machine in a home gym if you enjoy fitness walking and jogging (or running).
Fitness Glossary
upright bike
The traditional kind of stationary bike, which resembles a regular bicycle.
Fitness Glossary
walk-run
A workout in which you alternate walking and running. By sprinkling running intervals throughout your walking workout, you can spike up exercise intensity and burn more calories.
Fitness Glossary
water aerobics
Aerobics classes that do traditional workouts in waist- to neck-high water in a swimming pool. The resistance of the water makes the workout feel far more intense, while the water cushions you from the impact.
Fitness Glossary
weight machines
Stationary equipment mostly found at gyms that are easy to use and help you to safely and quickly advance through a strength-training workout.
Fitness Glossary
weight-bearing exercise
A type of exercise in which your skeleton is supporting any sort of weight, as it does when you walk, run, or lift weights.
Fitness Glossary
Wushu
The “martial art” or traditional self-defense activities practiced with or without weapons (includes T'ai Chi).
Fitness Glossary
yin and yang
The terms for opposites that are opposing yet complementary. A concept used throughout all of T’ai Chi and Qigong.
Fitness Glossary
yoga
A series of poses (known as asanas) that you hold from a few seconds to several minutes. The moves — a blend of strength, flexibility, and body-awareness exercises — are intended to promote the union of the mind, body, and spirit.
Companion Content from the E-Book Basic Yoga Postures & Series In A Day For Dummies
Fitness Glossary
