Improving Your Yoga Experience

Improving Your Yoga Experience does not have to be complicated. Just follow these simple and effective tips.

Yoga is more than just a series of poses. It’s also a practice that can help you relax, de-stress, increase your flexibility, balance your mind, build strength, and build stamina. That’s why so many people around the world are incorporating it into their daily routines. If you’re new to the practice or haven’t done it in a while, here are three simple tips that will improve your yoga experience faster than you might think. 

Breathe

Yoga, like most physical activities, is all about breathing. Proper breathing is key to maintaining a healthy heart, keeping your body temperature regulated, and allowing your muscles to relax and rebuild. The most common yoga breathing pattern is pranayama, where you breathe through your nose and mouth simultaneously, expanding your lungs and collecting oxygen to fuel your muscles. When you’re first starting out, you may notice that your breathing is too rapid or shallow, which can make it difficult to relax completely and actually reap the benefits of yoga. The best thing you can do to help counteract this is to simply slow your breathing down until it matches the pace of your heart, which should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute.

You’ll find that, by breathing properly, not only will the physical aspect of yoga become easier, but you’ll achieve greater mental calmness in the meantime. 

Find your “yoga feet”

Too many beginners focus on the upper body when they begin practicing yoga, and this is where they run into their first problem. When your upper body is out of balance, it can cause your lower body to be under-stabilized and cause injuries. This is why you need to pay close attention to the way you’re standing. 

When your hips are squared and your shoulders are open, you’re ensuring that your spine is properly aligned. If your lower body is too tight, it can create imbalances in your upper body and cause tension in your neck and back muscles, as well as discomfort in your knees and ankles. By maintaining proper “yoga feet” you can ensure that you’re not putting any unnecessary strain on any of your joints and aren’t actually hurting yourself accidentally in the process.

Don’t forget to stretch

This may sound like common sense, but it’s surprising how often beginners forget to stretch out their muscles. Many people find that the best way to start a yoga routine is with a few gentle stretches. It may seem strange to start with stretching before jumping into a tough yoga session, but stretching before and after yoga will help you ensure that your muscles are properly relaxed and at rest. If you’re serious about improving your flexibility, you have to make stretching a part of your daily routine. This will make sure that all of your muscles are adequately oxygenated and can properly bear the brunt of the workout you’re about to put them through.

Take a break and do some core work

Another important thing to remember is that yoga is meant to be a part of your daily routine, not a replacement for all other forms of exercise. Yoga is a great complement to other types of exercise, but if you want to see the most significant gains, you need to mix it up and change things up from session to session. 

If you’ve been practicing yoga for a while but aren’t seeing any results, it could be because you’re doing the same thing over and over again. Switch things up and try adding a few new exercises to your routine. This will keep your muscles from getting too used to the same movements and give you something new to focus on while you’re getting your body ready for a change. The most important muscle group you need to keep an eye on is your core (the muscles surrounding your abdomen) as these will support any yoga moves you make.

Conclusion

Yoga is a great form of exercise that helps you improve your balance, flexibility, strength, and breathing. The best thing you can do to improve your yoga experience is slow your breathing down until it matches the pace of your heart and makes sure to stretch before and after your practice. It also wouldn’t hurt to mix things up a bit by adding a few new exercises to your routine. 

If you’re serious about improving your flexibility, you have to make stretching a part of your daily routine. It’s easy to forget when you’re just starting out, but stretching will pay off in the long run. Good luck and happy yoga-ing!