I am a great believer in the benefits of yoga however when I’ve tried to convince others I get comments like: “oh it’s too slow for me” or “you don’t get a good workout with yoga”. Yes, yoga isn’t meant to be fast and energetic but trust me, a yoga session can work muscles you never knew you had (but you’ll be well acquainted with them the next day!).
Getting started with yoga is easy as you don’t need a lot of equipment or space. There are masses of You Tube videos, books and websites devoted to yoga. Below I’ve highlighted my 5 favourites but it’s also very beneficial to attend a live class and learn the correct way to do the poses and, just as importantly, the correct way to breathe (haha you thought you knew how to breathe, didn’t you?).
Photo by Jared Rice – Unsplash
For many years I attended yoga classes and I can’t enthuse enough about the benefits of those classes, that took place in the local scouts hall close to my home. Sometimes the weather outside would be wet, windy and cold, but inside it was always peaceful and calm, the perfect remedy for a busy day spent hunched over a computer screen.
At first I didn’t think the small movements would make a difference but, the day after my first session, I was amazed to discover a few sore muscles. Best of all, within a month or two, the back pain and excruciating sciatica I’d been experiencing following an injury, reduced and I was able to stop the strong anti-inflammatory drugs I’d been prescribed.
For more benefits check out this article
If you’re considering yoga I strongly urge to check it out. The web has many subscription websites where for a monthly payment you have access to their classes. This may be a good way to get further practice but for I thought I would share my 5 favourite websites, ones that will give you a good overview without any outlay.
Yoga Health
Yoga Health arranged the classes I used to attend. Sadly Uma, the instructor, moved across the country to Queensland but the classes continued. On the website you’ll find detailed instructions for a number of poses including the one in the video link below which is an amazing shoulder release for people, like me, who work at the computer for long periods. The websites also have yoga sessions you can download and the great thing (in my opinion) about these are that the movements are explained verbally so you don’t have to keep peering at a book or a screen to find out what to do. It makes the whole experience smoother and more relaxing.
We have been doing this for 30 years.
We teach what may be the most gentle but effective yoga yet developed.
We have trained over 150 teachers across Australia.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
Daily Cup of Yoga
Next up is Daily Cup of Yoga this is a great blog full of interesting articles about the benefits of yoga and meditation as well as wellness in general. It began as a personal journey but developed into a I particularly enjoyed the blog about finding your inner joy.
tips, tools, & wisdom on yoga, fitness, & technology
Source: Daily Cup of Yoga
My Free Yoga
A great blog packed packed with interesting articles and tons of free yoga videos
Check out the My Free Yoga home page for Free Yoga Videos which have been categorized to make find the yoga you want easy.
Yoga Journal
Yoga Journal has a range of yoga-related articles on their website such as a sequence to help you navigate tough emotions, a yoga playlist, a “get started” guide to meditation.
Definitely a site you’re guaranteed to want to bookmark!
The ultimate destination for yoga pose how-tos, practice videos, meditation tricks, healthy lifestyle tips and more.
Source: Yoga Journal – Yoga Poses, Classes, Meditation, and Life – On and Off the Mat – Namaste
Yoga Gypsy
Sadly this blog is no longer updated but there’s still loads of information on here so it’s well worth a look. Check out the poses and sequences page.
