Even though the popularity of yoga has grown exponentially over the last few decades, it is actually a 5,000-year-old discipline, which originated in India. This practice was developed to help individuals unite their mind and body. There are several types of yoga, and all of them are based on different kinds of movements, referred to as poses.
The main reason why you should start doing yoga is because it will simply make you feel better. Not only will it improve the health of your body, but it will also have a positive effect on your mental and spiritual well-being.
As far as health benefits go, yoga is known for improving poor blood circulation, reducing headaches and symptoms associated with arthritis, lowering high blood pressure, and decreasing the chance of suffering from depression.
One of the great things about yoga is that it is for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re an amateur or professional athlete, a teenager, a middle-aged mom, a body-builder, or an older gentleman – you’ll definitely experience some great health benefits by signing up for a yoga class.
However, yoga will also have a huge impact on your day-to-day lifestyle. Here are 5 ways this practice can improve your life.
1| Stress Relief
Yoga is not a practice that only affects your physical health. No matter what type of yoga you choose to practice, you’ll always be required to clear your mind and focus on the present moment. By doing yoga, you’ll learn how to let go of your worries, thus allowing yourself to relax properly.
By combating stress, yoga will save you from numerous potential health problems. Stress is currently one of the main causes of major diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
2| Confidence Boost
Through self-awareness, yoga will help give your confidence a significant boost. By engaging in this practice, you will test your bodily boundaries and limits. This will cause you to improve your strength, flexibility, and endurance over time, thus helping you realize what you’re really capable of. Seeing all of these improvements will increase your self-confidence, which is without a doubt one of the keys to happiness and success.
3| Patience
In order to master some of the more difficult yoga poses, you’ll have to work on your patience. Most people today never want to wait for anything; they want everything here and now. However, this type of impatient thinking won’t get you anywhere in life. Being patient will allow you to stay calm and collected whenever you’re facing a challenge.
4| Improved Endurance
Although most people who don’t practice yoga aren’t aware of this, the stationary poses in yoga have a huge impact on your endurance. The main reason why you’ll improve your endurance if you practice yoga is that this practice will emphasize awareness of breath at all times. Awareness of breath is important for all physical activities, although you probably won’t have a chance to practice it in the same way as you can during a yoga class. For example, chances are that you’ll improve the way you breathe more if you practice yoga than if you practice long distance running. Nevertheless, as a long-distance runner, you can greatly benefit from yoga, since you’ll learn how to breathe better when running, thus improving your endurance.
5| Enhanced Focus
One of the most important benefits of yoga is that it will help you focus on the present. Thinking about the past and future will often cause you to have distractions when working on something important. However, by completely focusing on what you’re currently doing, you’ll improve your concentration, problem-solving skills, and memory.
15 Minute Yoga Routine For Beginners
What to expect from this yoga routine
- Improved flexibility
- Improved spine alignment
- A stronger core
- Improved digestion
- Stress relief
- Improved balance
Well, this 15-minute routine will consist of 7 yoga asanas, which are beginner friendly. This routine is purposefully kept simple so that anyone can follow along without too much expertise in yoga, or needing a yoga teacher. The asanas you would need to learn are shown above and below I show you how to hold those poses correctly.
How to build your beginners yoga routine:
- Start with Child pose and start moving clockwise with the asanas, hold every asana for one minute or more if you feel like. Then complete all 7 asanas at a slow pace trying to hold each pose for at least 1 minute.
- If you find any of these 7 asanas too difficult for you or some reason you are not able hold them then skip that asana do not force yourself.
- If need be take small breaks between asanas for about 30-to 60 seconds, or more need be.
- You may repeat the routine once or twice if you are upto it.
- Finish your routine with ‘Yoga Nidra‘
I always start my yoga sessions with a 10-20 meditation, setting my intention to align with the universe. If you do not know how to meditate then try this 12 minute Free Zen Meditation or try guided meditations.
NOTE: You do not need to any kind of warm-up to begin with this yoga routine.
1| Child Pose (Warm Up)
in Sanskrit aka “balasana”
This pose provides a deep but gentle stretch for your glutes, back and ankle muscles while compressing the abdomen and stimulating the digestive system. Child’s pose restores a sense of calm and feelings of rest and rejuvenation. It is an opportunity to take deep breaths, relax tired muscles and access a primal sense of safety.
How to do…
- Front of shoulders drop forward
- Forehead rests on floor
- Arms relaxed by the side
- Knees can be close together or wide apart
- Ankles together
Benefits of child pose
- allows for deep breathing through the rib cage
- relives tension in the neck, back and shoulders
- Stimulates digestive system
- Calms the mind and provides feeling of safety
2| Bridge Pose (Pelvic Tilts)
in Sansakrit aka “setubandha sarvangasana“
This pose is gentle and accessible backbend that can help relieve back pain. The back of the body including the spine and glutes strengthen whilst the front of the body including the chest and thighs lengthen. It is a calming pose, used by many to wind down at the end of practice, or at the end of the day in preparation for sleep.
How to do…
- Breastbone pressed towards chin
- Thighs parallels hips press upwards
- Knees hip distance apart
- Feet hip distance apart, directly underneath knees
- Shoulder squeeze together
Benefits of performing bridge pose:
- calms the mind
- mobilises the spine
- stretches the thighs and hip flexors
- strengths glutes and back
- opens the chest
3| Cat-Cow
Cat Pose
in Sanskrit aka “marjaryasana“
This kneeling pose flexes the spine into the shape of a scared cat, it mobilises the spine, hips and shoulders. Your ribcage is compressed, making it possible to fully exhale. Combining this pose with Cow pose and linking the breath improves your mind-body connection as well as your sense of body awareness.
How to do…
- Shoulder blades are wide apart
- fingers spread and palms pressing down
- hands shoulder distance apart
- knees hip distance apart
- even curve in spine
Benefits of Cat Pose:
- mobilizes the spine
- improves mind body connection
- strengthens the wrists
- strengthens the core
- improves posture
Cow Pose
in Sanskrit aka “bitilasana I“
This kneeling pose is a gentle backbend that mobilises the spine, hips and shoulders. Your ribcage and chest is expanding, making it possible to fully inhale. Combining this pose with Cat pose and linking the breath improves your mind-body connection as well as your sense of body awareness.
How to do…
- Shoulder blades squeeze towards centre
- even curve in neck
- fingers spread and palms pressing down
- hands shoulder distance apart
- knees hip distance apart
- even curve in spine
Benefits of Cow pose:
- improves mind body connection
- opens the chest and releases heart chakra blockages
- strengthen wrists
- improve posture
- mobilize the spine
4| Downward Facing Dog
in Sanskrit aka “adho mukha svanasana”
This pose increases strength and flexibility in your arms and shoulders whilst lengthening the entire back body. Being a forward fold and partial inversion assists the return of blood to the heart and increases blood flow to the brain helping to relieve headaches and fatigue. Downward dog is a core pose in many yoga classes that gives you time to rest and return to your breath.
How to do…
- pelvis and spine neutral
- shoulders rotate outwards
- fingers spread and hand push into floor
- relax head and neck
- heels reach toward the ground
- angle at hips approximately 90 degrees
Benefits of Downward-Facing Dog:
- assists circulatory system
- relieves headaches and fatigue
- strengthens the arms and wrists
- stretches the calf and hamstring
- lengthens the entire back body
5| Standing Forward Bend
in Sanskrit aka “uttanasana”
The standing forward bend/forward fold delivers a deep spinal stretch, which can help to improve back health and reduce back pain. In this pose the back of your whole body is stretching, including your calf muscles, thighs, buttocks, and back muscles. This is a restful pose that can help relieve mental and physical exhaustion.
How to do:
- anterior pelvic tilt
- spine flexes slightly
- release head and neck
- feet hip distance apart
- knees soft not locked
- hips flexed
Benefits of forward fold:
- mobilizes hip
- creates space in the spine
- increases blood flow to the brain
- relieves mental and physical exhaustion
- stretches the back of the legs
6| Warrior 1
in Sanskrit aka “virabidrahsana”
This pose increases strength and flexibility in your feet, legs, and hips while promoting your capacity to focus. The result of a successful Warrior 1 is a greater trust that you can bravely battle with your spiritual enemy, self-ignorance known as avidya, and bring yourself closer to the universal consciousness or divine.
How to do…
- slight extension of the spine
- squeeze thighs together
- lift chin slightly
- knee directly over ankle and press into feet
- feet hip distance apart
Benefits of Warrior 1:
- increases mental strength
- energised the entire body
- develops balance
- strengthens the legs
- opens the chest
- increases mental strength and focus
7| Tree Pose
in Sanskrit aka “urkasana”
This pose builds static balance and strength in the standing leg whilst opening the bent leg’s hip area. In this iconic yoga pose, unsteadiness is completely natural; wobbling means you are strengthening muscles key for joint stabilisation. Tree pose is great for keeping the mind focussed and improving concentration whilst increasing body awareness.
How to do…
- arms can be overhead or at heart center
- neutral spine
- standing foot bears body weight
- knees soft, not locked straight
- knee out to side, hip open
- gaze forward
