Basics of Yoga for Beginners: Complete Guide
Nowadays yoga has become very popular. It happened because of various modern society tendencies, development of the internet, and the removing of borders for sharing information, it allowed yoga to become available for everyone.
Let’s find out together: what are the basics of yoga, what are goals of yoga, how yoga understands most of the modern people, what about this self-knowledge science were talking ancient sages, what books about yoga do we still have as a support for practice, and what is important to know for starting this your own path.
Most of the modern people think that yoga – it is effective gymnastics that have health-improving and rejuvenating qualities, a practice that removes stress and gives harmony.
Some people go to fitness centers for yoga classes because they want to get fit, relax after hard work, or heal their backs.
But if we get to know the basics of yoga and read books about yoga that sages from the past left for us, we will find that understanding of yoga is much wider, and the benefits of yoga that modern people are looking for are more a side effect of regular practice.
Philosophy of yoga. Goal of yoga
The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit word “yuj,” which means unity, connection, union.
It means that the goal of yoga is to unite our “I” of this formed personality, which we usually associate with our body, with the higher part of our being.
The highest and wisest part of us in different concepts, cultures, and religions – they call it differently, but its meaning does not change.
It is divine energy, soul, God, Atman, Absolute, Inner Sage, and Universe of Highest Mind. There are a lot of epithets to express this being, but the main thing is one – yoga shows the way that allows you to lead from external to internal, allowing you to better understand absolute laws and your place in them, when you become for real useful to this world.
One of the goals of yoga is the capability to control your mind and use this perfect instrument meaningfully. If the mind is not controlled, it makes us egoistic full of fears and anxiety does not give us the possibility to be happy, calm, and harmonious.
Basics of yoga are described in books that were left to us from the past.
Some of the yoga books that, in our point of view, are the most authoritative and describe the basics of yoga from a practical and theoretical point of view:
1. Patanjali Yoga Sutras with commentaries
2. Hatha-yoga Pradipika
3. Three tomes of Bihar Yoga School books (Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati)
4. Hatha-yoga Dipika (B. K. S. Iyengar)
Philosophy of yoga. Steps of yoga
First and the most famous book about yoga, for sure, is Patanjali Yoga-Sutras. This work was written more than 5000 years back has 196 sutras – short, finished stanzas with deep meaning. Level of those sutras depth – astonishing.
This book about yoga gives the philosophical foundation of ancient science about self-knowledge and it is considered one of the most authoritative sources. In Yoga-Sutras, Patanjali describes the basics of philosophy and yoga as a complete system.
It is not that book that is worth taking for a beginner. It’s not for beginners.
The Yoga-Sutras described philosophy and the basics of yoga for practitioners that have a higher level. In this book are given steps of yoga that everyone, who started practice with a yoga mat should go through. About asanas that are very popular nowadays, in Patanjali Yoga-Sutras, only one sutra says: “Asana – it is a comfortable, stable posture.”
There are eight steps in yoga. Here is a list with names in Sanskrit:
1. Yama
2. Niyama
3. Asana
4. Pranayama
5. Pratyahara
6. Dharana
7. Dhyana
8. Samadhi
In the first two steps (Yama and Niyama) for beginners, it is offered to develop for himself moral and ethical qualities that are oriented to form a conscious personality that is responsible for his actions.
Five Yamas – rules for yoga practitioners about how a person should behave in this world. Non-violence (Ahimsa), Truthfulness (Satya), non-stealing (Asteya), non-hoarding, non-covetousness, self-restraint from sensual pleasures (Brahmacharya).
Fine Niyamas – rules about the inner world of a person who practices. Clean body, speech, and mind (Saucha), self-discipline and askesis (Tapasya), contentment, modesty, and optimistic attitude (Santosha), self-education (Svadhyaya), dedication of your activity to the highest goals, develop of altruism (Ishvara Pranidhana).
You can see that all Yamas and Niyamas – foundation for every human, which we know from childhood and is necessary for adequate interaction with society and himself.
It is important to mention that non-violence (ahimsa) is understood as not making harm to living beings without exceptions, also to yourself.
Main understandings in yoga: karma, reincarnation, askesis and tapas
In order to go to the next steps in yoga while developing the basics of yoga, it is very important to adopt those important understandings: karma, reincarnation, askesis, and tapas.
It is an important foundation to follow Yamas and Niyamas – conditions in order to rise to higher yoga steps.
Karma– it is the law of cause and effect. In folk tradition it is very well known: “You reap what you sow.”
Karma in translation from Sanskrit means “action.” By the way, results in this life we also get from our previous lives.
Budda Shakyamuni said, If you want to see how you were living in the past, look at your present situation, if you want to know how you will live in the future, look at your actions and thoughts now.
Reincarnation– one more important understanding. It is the rebirth process of consciousness from one body to another. Reincarnation reminds us that this body and this life are not the one and only where we accumulated our experience and that in the future there will be many reincarnations.
Out of all experience, wisdom was forming through many previous lives in different bodies and not only in human form.
Because of that, today we are responsible for the future that awaits us and after death. By law of karma today we have results from that. Understanding reincarnation is very important for practitioners of yoga that study the basics of yoga. It puts on responsibility for making actions and gives consciousness for life.
Askesis – conscious getting out from the comfort zone that requires additional effort through developing patience and self-discipline. Without askesis, there is no practice of yoga. Exactly through adequate askesis is possible progress in yoga.
Those of you who realized projects or did hard, fulfilling tasks that required new knowledge, skills, and abilities probably know what askesis is. It is being in controllable discomfort that we take as a necessity to reach results.
Tapas – it is gratitude accumulated by humans that, through askesis, can be converted to universal, free converting energy.
In order to have any amount of tapas, it’s necessary to interact with other people and do services for them, that gives you their gratitude. Then accumulated gratitude, if it will be transformed through askesis, it will work. And the fastest and most effective method of askesis – it is yoga practice!
Why for people who practice yoga it is important to understand? Because yoga practice gives a lot of energy, and in order to use it right, it requires keeping moral and ethical norms (Yama and Niyama) understanding that here and now we don’t need to take everything from life (by remembering reincarnation and responsibility for actions, karma).
Types of yoga
Let’s talk about types of yoga. Do not mix it with styles of yoga that appeared in the last several hundred years. Now there are many styles created by leading modern teachers (Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, Vini yoga, Jivanmukti yoga, Iyengar yoga, and others).
We will talk about big types of yoga that have different approaches and levels of growth, who practices them and chooses one or another type of yoga.
Karma yoga
How we were talking before, “karma” is action. This type of yoga means doing action, especially physical or other active work, without attachment to results.
It develops altruism, removes attachment to the personal “I”, develops consciousness and the ability to be in activity flow. In most of the modern ashrams in India, for people from Europe and western countries, they will offer exactly this method: wash floors in the ashram and help in the kitchen.
Bhakti yoga
It is yoga of selfless devotion. Develop qualities like devotion, service to the divine (Ishvara Pranidhana), ability to sacrifice your wants for the benefit of others, and love for God (Absolute, highest mind). Bhakti yoga practice means reading saint scriptures, repeating (chanting) god names, and singing sacred hymns. I think most of you know it from christian tradition and traditions of other world religions.
Jnana yoga
Yoga means working with the mind and reaching the highest state of consciousness through analytical practices of awareness, concentration of attention, and thinking about spiritual topics.
Jnana – knowledge: this type of practice will be more suitable for people who work hard through a straight and open heart to serve the divine. This type of yoga allows him to grow through humility of conceptual mind and opening new borders for him.
Raja yoga
Royal yoga. It is work with ignorance. Generally this type of yoga can be compared with Patanjali’s eight steps of yoga. The highest step of Raja yoga is connection with the Absolute – reaching samadhi state and liberation.
Basics of Hatha yoga
First four steps of the eight steps of Patanjali – it is Hatha yoga. Yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama. Hatha yoga techniques also include bandhas, kriyas, and mudras.
The word Hatha consists of two roots:
“ha” – aspect of strength, external, man, body beginning,
“tha” – aspect of flexibility, inner, women, intuitive.
Hatha yoga – it is a practice that harmonizes strength and flexibility, dynamic and static, active and inner aspects. Hatha yoga is full of techniques that work with the body, consciousness, and breathing.
Bandhas – energetic locks. Kriyas – cleansing techniques.
Mudra – seal, sign. It is a special position of the hands and body that has various effects on the mental and physical body.
Recommendations to begin your way in yoga
– Day mode. Getting up early and following a daily routine. It is the first and the most important requirement to reach results in yoga practice.
– Diet. Light, healthy food. No meet in the beginning is not required, but after it becomes a need for correct and regular yoga practice.
– Reading. Read books about the basics of yoga, philosophy and principles, and biographies of the greatest teachers yogis of past and present. It is wonderful motivation and support in yoga practice.
– Information diet. Not using TV is very important. Focus on information that allows you to grow.
– Regular practice of Hatha yoga together with activity of service. It will allow you to reach much bigger results in yoga in the same period. For a beginner, it’s recommended to start by himself with one of the recommended books or online practices. Also, you can try to find yoga teachers with experience in your city.
– The best way to practice yoga is on an empty stomach. If there is no strength, before class you can drink a cup of warm water, herbal tea, juice, or milk.
– After light food, for example, fruit, before beginning asanas, must wait a minimum of 1 hour. If it was a full lunch, it’s recommended to wait no less than four or five hours. You’re allowed to start eating 30 minutes after finishing Hatha yoga class.
– It is better and more comfortable to practice yoga without socks, then feet will not slide on the mat and will provide a very good grip.
– All comfortable clothes will be good for yoga practice. Preferably from natural fabric and does not restrict movements.
Some types of effective and trauma-safe asanas for beginners
The safest and most effective asanas for beginners that everybody can add to their daily practice are standing asanas. They are very well described in Iyengar Yoga Basic Practices. Also, it’s important to know that every body is different, and every person can make asanas according to his physical possibilities.
Warrior pose and Trikonasana variations:
1. Virabhadrasana 1
2. Virabhadrasana 2
3. Virabhadrasana 3
4. Trikonasana
5. Parivrita Trikonasana
Also balance asanas that trains our focus, calm down mind, makes us more stable and balanced:
1. Vrikshasana
2. Garudasana
3. Utthita hasta padangusthasana
For morning practice and warm-up complexes, Surya Namaskar – Sun Salutation practice.
Good luck in your practice!
Om!
Author: Maria Evseeva
Translated from yoga club OUM.RU
