Yoga for beginners

Did you ever ask yourself what is the secret to experience enduring health and happines?

According to Sita Chaitanya, Yogi at Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat on Paradise Island, ensuring that you have good health and well-being is a more holistic effort than most people think. It involves body, spirit and mind.

While exercise and strength training is important in taking care of the physical body, many people forget to be just as careful with their internal and mental states. She encourages people who are looking for a holistic approach to health to try yoga.

"Yoga is a practice that is designed to promote health and peace of mind," says Chaitanya. "Through a series of breathing and physical exercises during the classic yoga class you will become  flexible, energized and happy. The breathing exercises are an excellent practice for developing a steady, deep breath, which is rejuvenating and balancing. The physical exercises benefit the whole body, both on the muscular and inner organs level."

The benefits of different positions such as the Sitting Forward Bend include developing a healthier and more flexible lower back, burns abdominal fat and promotes better digestion. The Shoulder Stand is beneficial by stimulating the thyroid glands while strengthening and toning the shoulders and thighs.

Even though you may think you are too old, young, overweight or even not healthy enough, the Yogi says that this is a misconception and yoga is something that can benefit anyone.

"Yoga can be practiced by everybody. Yoga will meet you where you are and allow you a most rewarding practice," says the Yogi.

She suggests beginners start with slower practice and minimum variations. Beginners classes should include moderate to no practice of advanced postures such as the Head Stand. With steady practice, under the guidance of a capable teacher, Chaitanya says the practitioner's abilities will progress, and more postures will become possible to perform as the breath becomes steadier and the body becomes more flexible.