Yoga: How to start to practice Now! Yoga History, the Styles, the Benefits for Mind & Body.

YOGA: HOW TO START TO PRACTICE NOW! THE HISTORY, THE STYLES,

THE BENEFITS FOR MIND & BODY.

01. What is Yoga and how was it born?

02. What are the different styles of Yoga?

03. What are the physical and mental benefits of Yoga.

0.4 How to start practicing it right away.

The first time I really understood what Yoga was it was during a lesson.

It was almost 8 pm and I had come from a very busy working day.In that period almost 10 years ago I was very concerted in making a good career and I was putting a lot of energy into it.

The group lesson always began with a little meditation to find some concentration and leave the outside world behind us, after which we proceded with the exercises and then at the end with a more complete meditation.

My teacher was particularly good at guiding us as he was also a psychologist and he knew how to say the right words to bring us into a state of calm and complete relaxation … be present but be light, empty your head but feel your body and above all know how to breathe.

So it was at that point that I realised that I COULD NOT BREATHE, or at least breathe in the correct way … I made a big mess … if I didn’t like an emotion even for not feeling it I lived in apnea, I had a very short breath and above all only in the upper part of my chest. My belly wasn’t breathing with me… my diaphragm was blocked! The diaphragm? Yes, I had also discovered that I had a diaphragm 🙂

So it was while I was lying on that parquet after a busy day I realised that my body was giving me many signals … for those who are passionate about Psychosomatics they already know what I’m talking about …

And Yoga? Yoga and meditation became absolutely the solution to solve those problems, to feel good, to make sure that my body did not absorb and store all the tensions.

10 years later I have not become a Yoga teacher and I don’t do long transcendental meditations but I understand when I’m not breathing, when my muscles scream rest or to do some exercise and the stress levels go up noticeably.

I have seen that if I try to practice more consistently, the benefits are immediate and innumerable both physically, mentally and emotionally, the world immediately appears to be a better place … and I feel better about myself.

If you feel that you need to find that thread between your body and your mind, if you think you are not breathing properly and stress is overloading you then I highly recommend that you take small steps towards this discipline and read this article.

The purpose of my blog is to talk about the pursuit of well-being and I don’t think there is a better discipline to start this wonderful journey!

1. WHAT IS YOGA AND HOW WAS IT BORN?

Yoga is a millenary discipline that has its roots like the Ayurveda in the Indian culture of that time, therefore in a world where our body, our spirit and our mind were seen holistically and then treated in synergy and helped to find the perfect balance.

The meaning of the word Yoga is attributed to the root “Yu” which means union. But also of the noun “Yuga” that is the yoke for the oxen.

So by combining these concepts, yoga is that discipline with the aim of uniting and yoking therefore controlling the senses and consciousness.

The way to direct and calm the fluctuations of the mind, body and spirit.

So we can definitely say it’s a holistic discipline.

Men probably started practicing Yoga many years ago but since the secrets of this discipline were handed down orally and there was nothing written, it is difficult to give a precise date.

In 5.000 BC thanks to depictions on tablets founded in the Indus valley we had the first concrete evidence of Yoga practice.

But we must wait for the first written records at the time of the Vedic scriptures, the Upanisads of 3,000 BC. which are texts of a religious philosophical nature written in Sanskrit where topics such as Prana (vital energy) and Nadis (energy paths) are dealt with in some points.

Further evidence dates back to the 6th century BC. through the Mahabharata treatise which synthesizes various yoga ideas and practices and identifies 3 ways.

Karma Yoga as a way of action.

Bhakti Yoga as a way of devotion

Jnana Yoga as the way of knowledge

The decisive turning point took place around 500 BC. when the knowledge of Yoga was written down through the Sutras which are kind of aphorisms that were written by the Indian philosopher Pantajali.

The collection of all these aphorisms is considered the fundamental text of Yoga.

It was divided into 4 sections called Pada.

1) Samadhi Pada: “The conjunction”

Which sees the use of Yoga to achieve bliss

2) Sadhana Pada: “The realization”

Where the 8 steps of Yoga are explained.

Ashtanga Yoga which literally means the number 8 derives from this text and helps the practitioner through 8 levels to achieve self-awareness.

Yama = Abstinence

Nyama = Fulfillment

Asana = Postures

Pranayama = Breath control

Pratyahara = Control of the senses

Dharana = Concentration

Dhyana = Meditation

Samadhi = Contemplation

3) Vibhuti Pada: “The Powers”

What can be achieved with the correct practice.

4) Kaivalya Pada: “The separation”

Through the Samhadi the separation between spirit and matter is achieved.

Later Tantric Yoga also developed as a series of beliefs and practices of meditation and rituals that until then had been excluded from the spiritual repertoire of Hinduism, in particular the worship of the goddess and sexuality.

The energetic and spiritual approach uses various techniques such as Meditation, Mantras and Pranayama and also implies a devotional approach that emphasises the worship of the god and goddess.

Today it is very often thought that Tantra is synonymous with sex, sexual practices and Kamasutra positions but it is not really so since Tantra Yoga tends to transform everything into sacred rituals with an approach to love and divine sex.

Regarding the development in the West, Yoga did not develop for many years as it was associated with the Hindu religion and therefore was forbidden.

It began in 1800 to spread Yoga again in the West through the masters who, traveling, brought its teachings and attracted curiosity and followers.

A fundamental step took place in 1893 when Sv. Vivekananda spoke about Yoga in the Parliament of World Religions and made it known for its benefits.

In particular, then we owe to Krishnamacharya the opening of the first school of Hatha Yoga around 1924 which in turn instructed 3 disciples who were fundamental for the development of modern Yoga in the West.

– Pattabhi Jois who focused on the diffusion of Ashtanga Yoga.

– Indra Devi who established herself as a leading female exponent and who opened a Yoga school in Hollywood in 1947

– B.K.S Iyengar who gave birth to the current of Iyengar Yoga.

In 2014, the United Nations declared June 21st International Yoga Day.

In 2016, Yoga was declared an Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

2. WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENT YOGA STYLES?

 As we have seen, Yoga is a thousand-year-old discipline that has naturally undergone evolutions and variations over the years thanks to the masters who practiced and taught it and therefore a lot depended on their inclinations and aspirations and what they wanted to achieve through practice.

For this reason we have different styles of Yoga and still today different Yoga schools.

Below there is a list of the best known and most popular Yoga styles but there are many more and depending were you live there could other even more popular, this is suggest an idea of what you can find and forgive if I missing some of them.

Hatha Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga

Kundalini Yoga

Iyengar Yoga

Bikram Yoga

Vinyasa Yoga

Hatha Yoga is also called the Yoga of strength.

Its founder is believed to be Swami Gorakhnath who lived around the twelfth century and is part of the branch of Tantric Yoga.

Hatha Yoga teaches to dominate the cosmic energy present in the human being, through the breath and therefore to try to calm the ever restless human mind.

A class of Hata yoga is usually constituted by the salutation to the sun from positions of the body maintained for a few minutes the Asanas coordinated with breathing exercises Pranayama.

After the more physical part, we end up with a final meditative relaxation to internalize the practice.

Ashtanga Yoga also called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a more dynamic style of Yoga.

As we saw earlier, the term Ashtanga literally means “8 levels”, referring to the 8 levels described in the Yoga Sutra by Patanjali.

In the West it was spread by the master Pattabhi Jois.

The practice of this style is characterized by a continuous movement between one Asana and the other in synchronization with the breath.

Being a very dynamic style, it is preferred to practice it on an empty stomach and starting the practice gradually.

It involves the execution of 6 series of positions in which the asanas follow a very specific order and of which the last ones are at a high level and therefore more at a professional level.

Kundalini Yoga which is also called Yoga of awareness.

Also this style of Yoga has its roots in the Tantric texts according to which Kundalini energy is present in each individual from birth and can be awakened for the well-being of the body and spirit through Asanas, Pranayama, Mantras and Yantras. .

From Sanskrit Kundal means circular, but also wrapped in coils and therefore this energy is generally represented with a snake wrapped in itself in three and a half spirals that sleeps at the base of the spine which is the seat of the first Muladhara chakra.

The Kundalini style that we practice today was popularized by master Yogi Bhajan in the late 70’s in the United States because before it was only handed down by masters to deserving disciples. Bhajan decided that the time had come to disseminate this knowledge to help the world population in the great changes of this era.

Iyengar Yoga comes from master B.K.S. Iyengar, who was a disciple of master Krishnamacharya in Mysore, India.

The approach to this type of Yoga is less dynamic than Ashtanga Yoga because the Asanas are maintained for longer and we also help with blocks, straps, pillows etc.

The same teacher who had experienced health problems as a young man saw that this type of practice could bring great benefits to the body and keep it healthy.

The sequence of positions, typical of Iyengar Yoga, allows you to achieve correct body alignment and develop strength, flexibility, resistance to effort and concentration.

Bikram Yoga which derives from its founder Bikram Choudhury who was born in the 40s from an early age began the practice of Yoga and then became a teacher.

Bikram Yoga is practiced in a room with 40 degrees and includes a series of 26 Asanas that derive from Hatha Yoga and which are repeated 2 times starting with Pranayama breathing which is then repeated. The Asanas are both standing and seated and the practice lasts 90 minutes.

Bikram Yoga is also associated with Hot Yoga but there are several schools that practice Hot Yoga therefore with the temperature of 40 degrees but without following the Bikram Asana sequence.

Parthian is performed with high heat since it is claimed that it can dissolve muscles better and through sweating we can better remove toxins.

Vinyasa Yoga is a style of yoga born in recent times but became very popular first in North America and then all over the world and is currently one of the most popular styles since it does not follow precise asanas but can be customized by the various teachers depending on the needs of the students or the person who practices alone even if generally the central part of the sun salutation is often found in the lessons of this style.

This style was born thanks to the yogi Krishnamacharya who, as we have seen, was fundamental for the spread of Yoga in the West, especially Hatha Yoga, even though in the course of his research he also experimented with this more dynamic style.

The term Vinyasa derives from the Sanskrit from vi, meaning “in a special way” and nyasa, “place / do” so we could translate it as place in a special way.

It is a form of dynamic Yoga where particular attention is given to the transactions between one asana and another that are performed in a specific way and paying particular attention to Pranayama breathing which must be done precisely during an inspiration or an exhalation depending on of the instructions of the teacher.

The fluidity and dynamism of the passages creates a beautiful “flow” of movements from which other variations of this style were also inspired, such as Yoga Vinyasa Flow and Dynamic Yoga.

This style is suitable for those seeking strength, balance, flexibility and agility and looking for something more like fitness than meditative calm.

3. THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BENEFITS OF YOGA.

Regarding the benefits of Yoga, one could be synthetic by writing that Yoga is really good for EVERYTHING or writing very detailed pages and pages but I will try to summarise the main benefits by dividing them into the various systems of our body that are involved but also including what happens on a mental and soul level.

In my opinion, however, the magic of Yoga must be tried to be completely understood, as we say in Italy Try to Believe !!!

Benefits of the skeletal system. Several studies and in particular a study conducted between 2005 and 2015 have shown that the constant practice of Yoga can be a valid ally against osteoporosis since it would help to consolidate bone density and also by improving our balance it helps us to be more agile and flexible and avoid bad falls and consequent fractures.

Muscular system. Yoga helps to strengthen muscles and does it in a very harmonious way then obviously depending on the asanas that you decide to practice you can work more on certain muscles than others.

Both strength and muscle endurance increase with constant practice and flexibility also increases, which as we grow becomes less and less.

The greater flexibility also leads to an improvement in posture and also to all those problems related to back and neck pain.

Cardiovascular system. Performing asanas, positions combined with breathing lower blood pressure and improve circulation.

The heart gets used to working more efficiently and also produces more oxygen and inducing a feeling of well-being and we also lower the stress levels that are enemies of our heart.

Respiratory system. As I indicated at the beginning of this article, it is thanks to Yoga that I realized that I was not breathing correctly and that in many cases I was holding my breath, causing an enormous accumulation of stress and toxins.

In fact, Yoga helps to rebalance our breathing which in cascade brings benefits, as we have seen before, to the circulatory system by improving oxygenation but also strengthening the immune system.

In many cases, it also helps people with asthma manage the stress of respiratory crises.

Digestive system. This system, given its complexity, is the one that most easily gives us problems of various kinds, partly because ‘the diet has changed a lot in recent years and is rich in junk foods, partly because’ we eat quickly and sometimes in good conditions. of stress that slow down our stomach. Yoga therefore becomes a great ally because by acting on a psychosomatic level on our stress load it helps us digest better and better manage anger, which is the one that has the greatest impact on the proper functioning of our liver. It also helps us expel abdominal gas and some asanas act as organ massagers resulting in improved intestinal peristalsis, greater blood flow but also better functioning of the endocrine glands that regulate the supply of glucose.

Integumentary system. Our skin can also benefit from many good benefits from Yoga. As we have seen previously, Yoga acts in a beneficial way on the muscles and therefore even the muscles of the face with certain asanas will be able to regain elasticity day by day and help us fight gravity that with the passage of time and the emptying of tissues tends to ” fall ”even our face.

Furthermore, Yoga acting as we have seen acts on the circulatory system and brings a better amount of oxygen that activates cell regeneration and also acts on the lymphatic system which is the scavenger of our body and therefore helps to drain the lymph and have good solutions even for problems. of acne and pimples and but also bags and dark circles.

Thanks to Fumiku Takasu, a real school of facial yoga has developed that should not be confused with face training since facial yoga also provides for the maintenance of positions and combined breathing.

Benefits on a mental and emotional level. It has been found that those who practice Yoga regularly increase their ability to concentrate because often when they do the asanas and they are held for a while or at the end of the practice, meditation helps us to clear our mind of the thoughts that sometimes they overcrowd and help us make room.

By better controlling the mind we are able to enjoy the here and now without past or future worries.

Awareness leads us to feel our body and to manage irrational situations such as anxiety, fear and panic but also emotional states such as anger, resentment and frustration in a more rational way.

A cleaner and clearer mind also helps us to store more information and to live life with a greater energy charge.

Yoga increases serotonin levels so it has been found that in people who practice it regularly there is a lower incidence of depression.

Improving our mood and self-confidence while also improving interpersonal relationships.

Furthermore and this is very important with Yoga we learn not to download negative emotions onto our body which then create physical tensions, sometimes chronic and therefore not to somatize but to free ourselves from cumbersome emotional loads.

4. HOW TO START PRACTICE NOW.

Yoga compared to other sports or disciplines does not require expensive equipment and in terms of the prices of the lessons, the availability of the teachers and the amount of time to devote to them, it is certainly accessible to many.

My advice to start is first of all to clarify yourself and understand why you are approaching this discipline, if there is a physical or mental goal to be achieved or it is just a curiosity.

This can be useful to then understand the most suitable style for us since ‘as we saw previously there are many variations of Yoga and some very different from each other where the asanas can be held for a very short time or for a long time outlining a more dynamic style or a more static style.

A useful thing could be to watch videos to try to better understand the differences of the different styles.

To start the actual practice there are those who rely on schools with teachers and attend individual lessons and those who prefer to do at home following online lessons that can be pre-recorded or live with the teacher who can correct you equally even remotely.

In my experience I started with the group lessons with the teacher and I have a beautiful memory of those moments because ‘there is a special group energy and in addition the teacher is able to correct you live even by coming to your station. and helping you to do the asana at its best and therefore I recommend it especially for those who are at the beginning.

I then started practicing alone following my limits, I followed online lessons and did live lessons on the computer with the remote teacher according to the needs of my life and my travels between Italy and London.

Once you have identified how you want to proceed, the only two things I recommend as equipment are a good mat and a blanket or towel, as other types of equipment such as blocks, belts etc. they will be suggested by the teachers who will hold the lessons according to what they want you to do.

However, the choice of the Yoga mat is not as trivial as it seems because depending on the style of Yoga that you practice it must have certain characteristics, for example for a more static Yoga you will look for a softer mat while for a more dynamic style a mat that is as non-slip as possible.

The dimensions range from 180cm but there are also from 200cm with a width of 60cm. The thickness instead that I recommend and with which I have always felt good is between 4-6 mm as it helps me not to feel pain.

Instead, I suggest the blanket or towel to cover up during the final meditation. I have noticed both in winter and in summer that when I abandon myself to the final meditation my heart slows down and I start to feel cold, it is a pleasant sensation but I have noticed that having a blanket or a towel distracts me less from freeing my mind.

As for Yoga clothing, the advice I would like to give is to have soft tracksuits and leggings that do not pull and allow movements to flow.

I personally prefer leggings in winter with super-stretching fabrics because I don’t like wearing baggy things and for the summer, on the other hand, I feel good with short shorts and tops and also in this case the top must support but not tighten.

As for the right time to practice in my case the lessons were in the evening while if I practice alone I usually choose the morning but I must say that I am happy in both cases and if I could at an organizational level I would practice morning and evening! In both cases, however, I prefer to practice on an empty stomach since doing asanas like Sarvangasana “the position of the candle” which is one of my favorites, I definitely prefer to have nothing on my stomach!

I keep a bottle of water, maybe water and lemon, but I usually drink it at the end of the practice.

If you practice alone and do not follow any teacher and create your asana path as it sometimes happens to me it is also nice and relaxing to put a playlist of relaxing music that helps the mind to free itself and enter a state of deep relaxation.

Finally, one thing I love to do and I really recommend everyone to do if you practice at home is to look for a place to practice that is not passing through other members of the family and to make it welcoming perhaps with a diffuser-lamp of essential oils that does chromotherapy and spreads the power of essential oils according to what you want to achieve.

During lessons with other people, on the other hand, it may be enough not to invade the space of others to apply a few drops of oil on the wrists or on a handkerchief.

Aromatherapy is a great after to rediscover the connection with ourselves and help our body to relax or regain energy depending on the essential oils you want to use.

You can find more information about Aromatherapy on my article:

Aromatherapy: what it is and how it was born. 7 things you must absolutely know to start using essential oils.