Yoga tips for beginners: how to start a daily routine?

Discover some Yoga tips for beginners: start your sadhana this week.

The practice of Yoga is currently a very widespread discipline: its physical and mental benefits have been able to attract millions and millions of people. They have all been debutantes at some point; everyone has gone through a process. How is it possible that something that seems so complex is a source of contentment?

The success of Yoga for beginners lies in the understanding : what really is the practice of Yoga and why do we want to incorporate it into our daily routine?

There are people who enter for a physical reason (to gain flexibility, improve body posture, treat an ailment...); there are people who enter for a mental reason (reduce stress, know how to manage anxiety, feel peace and well-being...); there are people who enter for a social reason (all influencers practice it, the best magazines advertise it...); and there are people who enter for a personal reason (to learn something new, out of boredom, for a challenge...).

All the reasons are good : but it is important to understand the reason from the beginning . Even if the reason is: "I don't know why, but this discipline attracts me". That's great.

Being aware of the reason why we started practicing Yoga will be our incentive when pain, frustration, overexertion and dispersion appear. Because yes, they will appear. But they will help us break down our barriers and connect with our full potential.

They are therefore teachers, allies. So we must not underestimate them.

What are the keys when establishing a Yoga practice for beginners?

Here are some secrets that can help you in the process:

• Being patient : this is the first value that every practitioner must learn to incorporate into their Yoga practice. Patience is essential. We live in a society where speed prevails: we have to have the courage to pause that hectic pace in our spiritual practice . The body needs time, space, and correction to open up, expand, and get stronger. The positions are not to be coveted; rather admired. The slower the practice, the more time we have to develop presence and body awareness. This helps us better understand that temple we inhabit. It also reduces the risk of injury . Internal tissues, muscles, joints, and bones are constantly changing and are restored to health if treated with love and gratitude . Thus, the most recommended Yoga practices for beginners are: Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Basic Vinyasa... Don't be in a hurry to want to cover all styles; Delve into each one with curiosity and stealth.

• Have no expectations : this is the second fundamental value to understand the purpose of this spiritual practice. Although from a very young age we have been taught to project, plan, foresee and aspire, in the practice of Yoga we must let go . Giving up, little by little, the desire that prompted us to start helps us enjoy the process. Yoga is union: each little link deserves our full attention. If we start practicing Yoga with the intention of gaining flexibility, we have to be aware that it will not appear when we stipulate it. That requires a process that by nature is unpredictable and secret. So, although there is a subtle intention behind the act of starting Yoga, the practitioner must be aware that it can betray him. This discipline goes beyond cause and effect: this discipline requires the complete abandonment of the one who undertakes it. Only in this way can one glimpse, with time and effort, all that the practice really offers: by letting ourselves go, we learn to truly live .

• Treat yourself with love and practice forgiveness : another vital point is the practice of love. Every day, when starting this routine , one must mentalize body and soul in being an expression of love . Beyond the acrobatics, Yoga is about reconnecting with unconditional love. When a posture does not come out, nothing happens. When a movement hurts you, soften it and feel. When something generates frustration in you, awaken your forgiveness. A thousand self-destructive thoughts will appear, such as: "I am worthless, my body is rigid as a rock", "I feel bad, I am constantly wobbling", "I am not worthy of this, my balance is imperfect"... The important thing is to observe them, Be aware of them, but never give up the practice because of them . You have two options: give up or continue. We invite you to continue, even if it has to be in Balasana (“child's pose”). This will help you maintain perseverance, gain confidence, and realize that self-criticism is unhealthy. It is through thoughts of self-motivation, self-help, and/or self-understanding that one will best practice. Replace "I'm not flexible enough for all this" with "I'm aware of my lack of flexibility, that's why I'm going to practice it regularly."

• Relate to pain from compassion : pain is part of the process , and everyone feels it at some point. It is something normal: our body, over the years, ages, becomes knotted, tense and sick. The postures are not usually given: sacrifice and effort are required . Sacrifice continuous pleasure and strive to deal with pain from acceptance. When you practice Yoga for Beginners, you will find that much of the sequence feels painful. But every day, this feeling calms down. For something to become natural and fluid, it must be felt and lived . For muscles to lengthen, joints to hydrate, and mobility to speed up, we must breathe in all those knots and tensions, all that pain and discomfort. Effort will gradually become non-effort. The pain, will be transformed with time, in contentment. It's like learning to walk: if you don't fall, you'll never get up.

Here are some Yoga tips for beginners . Beyond them, we invite you to simply go to class. That you practice regularly: even if sometimes you only have 5 minutes to dedicate to it. The intention of wanting to learn something new is enough: you will realize that the fundamental thing is to practice. Everything else will come: the body will open, the mind will calm down, the heart will shine. You just have to practice.

Mae Knapnougel

Photos: @its.lavama