BEGINNER YOGA WORKOUT

BEGINNER YOGA WORKOUT

You're never too young or too old to reap the health benefits of yoga. Yoga, is the Sanskrit word for "union", and a practice that uses posture (asanas) and breathing techniques to induce relaxation as well as improve strength, flexibility and health benefits.

Many people ask me about the duration of a yoga pose, but there is no specific time to hold one, as it really depends and varies based on different things, like:

• Your mental state
• Your goals
• Your physical condition
• Which posture you are doing

Mental State

Practicing Yoga has an impact on your emotions, so you want to choose a sequence of asanas that will suit your mood each time you practice, along with the most beneficial durations.

If you feel stressed, choosing calming postures such as forward bends will help you feel better. Try to hold forward bend for at least 5 slow and long breaths. I have stated an 8-10 sec. holds in the workout because I find most people can handle that, and the body gets benefit from it. If you can comfortably hold the posture longer, you can keep going. To calm your mind, take enough time to feel your body and your breath, as you deepen the stretch gently.

Now if you perform postures at a faster pace, what I like to call "speed yoga" it will be more invigorating and more refreshing for your mind. If you feel the need to wake-up, try holding your posture for 1 breath, then flow to another posture.

However, in general, holding a posture for 5 deep breaths is a great duration. This is especially common for standing postures. 5 long slow breaths allow enough time to feel and experience the posture. But feel free to continue up to 10 breaths or even more, as long as it feels right for your body.

Physical Condition

How long you hold a yoga pose will largely be determined by your level of fitness. If you can't hold a posture for longer than 1, 2 or 3 breaths at this point, that's ok. Each time you practice yoga, try to slightly increase the duration and get used to a good breathing technique. With consistent practice, you will feel your strength build up rather quickly.

Which Posture You Are Doing

Not all asanas are held for the same duration. A very challenging posture is obviously more difficult to hold for a long time than a gentle and easy one, so it is normal that not all poses last the same amount of time.

Your Goals

In yoga, you can work toward physical goals just like you would at the gym, and you need to choose asanas that target the areas  you want to work on.

1. To improve flexibility, perform longer posture durations. Muscles take a long time to lengthen. Start at around 5 breaths and increase them as you progress. A posture can even be held for several minutes, just make sure to listen to your body and enjoy a nice stretch, not pain.
2. To gain strength, increase the duration of the postures requiring greater muscle effort to longer than 5 long slow breaths.
3. If you are trying to lose weight, flowing more quickly between poses with each breath is a great option. Work to increase the speed of your heart beat by holding the asana for a shorter time, such as 1 or 2 breaths, and come back to it repetitively.

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