Yoga For The Non-Spiritual

By: Unknown on 9:28 PM

For a lot of people the first image that will pop into their head when they think of Yoga is a little old man in a loincloth sitting on top of a stone pillar with his legs crossed and his arms on his knees.  He's probably chanting, humming or got a look of relaxation and serenity on his face.  I'm not a person who likes to sit still and I hate any minute that I feel is wasted so this idea of sitting around doing nothing all day was not something that appealed to me.  I've changed that initial perception quite a lot and in this article I want to tell you about the personal journey that taught me about the benefits of yoga for a very non-spiritual person.

  The first yoga class I ever went to I spend a lot of time sitting in silence with a bored expression on my face and thinking, "This is so dumb".  I listened to the instructor drone on about inner peace and harmony and balance and energy flowing through my body and I was pretty close to never going back again.  Then I got lucky.

  One of the guys in the class was a professor at the local university and it struck me as a little strange that a professor of biology would be doing this spiritual Yoga thing.  I got an opportunity and speak to him briefly.  Actually he singled me out and observed I looked bored.  He explained he had felt the same way when he began and then he translated the instructors talk into biology terms and it was all very sound.

  That hit me like a ton of bricks.  As I thought on it more and more I could see this from a purely scientific point of view.  For instance take the 'energy' that flows through our body.  A lot of people are turned off when they start to hear talk like that, but it's a very core component of Yoga.  I substituted 'blood' for energy and looked at this thought process again.

  I know that blood carries nutrients and oxygen around our body.  I know that if our cells don't receive these nutrients and supplements they become weak and we can become ill.  I know that people can become sick if they have high or low blood pressure.  The regular healthy flow of blood is clearly a very important factor in us staying healthy.  Of course, Yoga was first used many hundreds of years ago and while it would be arrogant to assume that we know everything about circulation and blood flow, we certainly know more than the average Chinese peasant from that time.  "Energy" is just a nice word that anyone can understand for blood flow.  

  Yoga stretches out certain muscle areas and allows our blood to flow more freely and bring the nutrients to all parts of the body which need them.  That is a nice scientific explanation I am quite happy to accept.  You can do the same with the other 'alternative' terminology you don't relate to when you hear the instructor talking about it.  Inner peace, oneness, emotional calm - it's all just a very dressed up way of saying concentrate on one thing - your blood flow and the health it is bringing you, or your breathing and the supply of life giving oxygen it brings you.  Concentrate on that just for this one small part of the day and make being alive and healthy your only goal.  Forget about what's happening at the office because you cannot do it from here.  Forget about what your husband or wife is doing or whether the kids are being bullied at school and just concentrate on being you, being alive and being healthy.

  Now stress has been attributed as a major factor in over 40% of all medical issues.  Stress, in a nutshell is caused by thinking too much.  This practice shows us how to let all those worries be something we can think about later and leaves the brain free to concentrate on doing all it's vital health giving functions.  

  It's strange that as I've done more and more Yoga I have developed a spiritual side that I never had before.  It's not a religious thing but more a case of recognizing that my own health and wellbeing are important and worthy of being made a priority.  Whether the same happens for you is yet to be seen, but if you've been putting off learning Yoga or giving it a try because of all the spiritual talk I can assure you there are scientific reasons behind it and that if you give it a chance you may just be surprised.

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3 Common Mistakes by Yoga Newcomers

By: Unknown on 9:15 PM

Whenever we start something new we have a certain feeling of trepidation and uncertainty of the unknown and in most cases it is completely unfounded and we get on with things very quickly and easily.  Sometimes it isn't and a simple little thing can cause us to have an entirely negative first impression and perhaps even never want to try that activity or passtime again.  Yoga has so many health benefits, on both a physical and spiritual level, that it would be a tragedy for anyone to miss out on them because they made a silly avoidable mistake on their first day.  With that in mind this article addresses the 3 most common mistakes of new Yogi, and how to make sure they don't happen to you.

Mistake One:  Not knowing what you want from Yoga.

  The reality is that there are numerous different styles and forms of Yoga and each has it's different attractions.  Ask yourself what it was about Yoga in general that attracted you and then you can investigate a style that caters more specifically to that.  You may like to set goals, be they physical, mental or spiritual.  If you do then it's a good idea to discuss them with the instructor of your class before you begin.  Yoga instructors are usually very approachable and happy to talk about their passion.  They will be able to talk to you about your goals for the class and let you know if you are being realistic, aiming too high or too low.  Make sure you goal includes a timeframe so it becomes something that is measurable.

Mistake Two:  Jumping in Feet First.

  Having decided that they will give this Yoga thing a try many people take a running leap and jump in to a 12 month stage by stage class.  These classes are usually an upfront payment arrangement and progress from one level to the next as the weeks progress.  They are a fantastic way of learning Yoga and becoming very good at it, but it's quite possibly you will choose a class that is not ideal for you.
  
  The best way around this is to join a Yoga beginner class, also known as a drop in class.  If you do these classes for a few weeks you will notice a high turnover of students as new people join and old people move on.  These classes are designed to give you a very broad feel for the different types of Yoga.  The level of the students in the class usually varies greatly so you can expect the instructor to keep the classes quite tame.  The other key benefit of doing this is that the classes are pay as you go so there is no big financial outlay for you while you decide the type and style of yoga that best suits you.  You are also not obliged to attend every class.  With the longer courses you can fall behind quickly if you miss a week or two in a row.  With the pay as you go classes you will find that while each class is different the level stays quite low to cater for the newer people joining in.

Mistake Three:  Choosing the wrong teacher.

  Traditionally a Yogi had to be an apprentice to a skilled Guru for many years before he could teach even the simplest of Yoga technique.  Nowadays a 3-day course over a long weekend is considered enough by some people.  There is a big difference in what you will achieve depending on the skills and abilities of the person teaching you.  Yoga is starting to make a regular appearance on the sports injury list and a large reason for this is instructors who have been taught just enough to be dangerous.  A qualified teacher won't necessarily be fantastic and an unqualified teacher won't necessarily be terrible - but the odds are certainly cast in that direction, so it's a good idea to check your instructors background and qualifications before you begin studying with them.

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