If you’re very busy with work and your family, you won’t have time to go to yoga classes several times a week. Can you really learn yoga from a DVD? Yes you certainly can. Provided you take it slowly, learning yoga from a DVD provides you with many benefits.

Here’s how to get started.

1. Start Slowly, Focus on Learning the Basic Yoga Poses

Depending on which DVD you choose, you can be motivated, or completely overwhelmed. Most DVDs come with instructions on the basic yoga poses. Focus on learning the poses first, before you follow any of the workouts.

Only when you’re strong enough to manage the poses should you start on a workout. Learn one new pose each time you practice. There’s no rush.

If you start on the workouts first, you’ll give up.

2. Schedule Your Yoga: Four Times a Week (15 Minute Sessions)

Here’s a tip: when you’re practicing yoga at home, design your own personal yoga classes. When you schedule your classes, you’ll be more likely to practice your yoga several times a week. Aim to practice at least four times a week, starting for just 15 minutes at a time, and progressing to half an hour per session after four weeks.

Although you may be very keen to learn yoga, real life always gets in the way. Therefore treat your yoga practice as you treat any other must do activity. Schedule it.

3. Enjoy the Benefits: More Time, Better Health

When you’ve been practicing yoga for a week, you’ll be amazed that you seem to have more time in your day.

This is because yoga benefits you both mentally and physically. You’ll find that mentally, your concentration and motivation improves. You get more done in less time, so it will seem as though you have more time to spend.

No time you spend in yoga is ever wasted — it multiplies the rest of the time you have available.

You’ll also find that you’re sleeping better. Yoga acts as a perfect sleeping pill, no matter what time of day you do your yoga, you’ll find that you get a restful night sleep that evening.

Your overall health will also improve. No matter what kind of health problem you have, whether it’s chronic or current, yoga will improve it. This is because yoga harmonizes all the different systems of your body and gets them working well together.

You’ll find that minor health issues like hay fever, headaches, and insomnia just go away.

Should you create your own yoga classes at home? Please do. You’ll find it’s the best 15 minutes a day investment in your health you’ve ever made. Enjoy your yoga.

[tags]yoga, yoga classes, yoga DVD, yoga poses, yoga for beginners[/tags]

Intrigued by yoga? This article will help you to discover a new fulfilling life: discover your body’s innate wisdom with some easy yoga exercises that everyone can do.

Here’s an essential point about yoga: it’s much more than exercises. If you think of yoga only in terms of “getting some exercise” you’re missing the point. Yes, yoga IS exercise, but it’s also an entire system of wisdom.

Yoga Helps You to Trust Your Body, because Your Body is Wiser Than Your Mind

Neuroscience is discovering what yogis have known for thousands of years. Your body’s wisdom, that instinctive intelligence Dr Candace Pert described in her book Molecules of Emotion, knows what’s best for you. It’s better than your forebrain in deciding what you should eat, and how you should exercise.

You already trust your body. You know to follow your gut – your instinct.

Let’s look at two simple exercises, which will help you to get in touch with your body’s wisdom. They’re both easy and fun, but don’t treat them lightly.

Mountain Pose – Tadasana – Be Right Where You Are

Stand straight, with your feet hip-width apart, and your arms completely relaxed, as they drop from your shoulders towards the ground.

Push your tailbone down slightly to straighten your pelvis, and feel your spine lift upward.

Press your shoulder blades downwards without straining. This will open your chest.

Breathe normally.

Relax, and be aware of your body, and your breath; maintain the pose for a minute or two.

Easy Post – Sukhasana – Just Sitting and Being

Basically, in Easy Post you’re just sitting cross legged. You’ll need a cushion.

Place your cushion on the floor, and sit toward the front of it so that your hips are higher than your knees. Straighten your legs, and then cross them. Ideally, your knees will be close to the floor; as you continue to practice, your hips will open more, making this easier.

Rest your hands lightly on your knees. As in Mountain Pose, press your shoulder blades downwards to open your chest.

If you can’t achieve this pose with a cushion on the floor, sit on a chair with your feet together on the floor.

Breathe normally, and relax. Be aware of your body, by scanning it with your mind and consciously relaxing those areas which are tight. Stay sitting for a minute or two, or as long as you wish, getting in touch with your body.

Mountain Pose and Easy pose seem simple, and they are. They’re also complex, as you’ll discover, in that they help you to become aware of your body. As your awareness grows, you’ll come to discover your body’s wisdom – this is the gift of yoga.

Enrich your life with yoga today

Read Yoga for the New You and discover everything you need to create a yoga practice right in your own home. Transform your life with yoga.

[tags]yoga,yoga poses,yoga positions,yoga exercises[/tags]

If yoga is new to you, the best way to learn is to find a good yoga teacher. However, the growing popularity of yoga has meant that many instructors look on yoga as just another form of physical exercise – they have no real understanding of yoga, and may even allow students to injure themselves,

“Meditation Expert Offers Advice on Avoiding Bad Yoga Teachers” describes the red flags you should watch out for with a yoga teacher:

“Another red flag is if the teacher expects the class to be able to get into poses without walking and talking students through the steps, or encourages injured students to do poses that will aggravate the pain.

‘Teachers should keep students’ injuries in mind when they are choosing poses,’ Desjardins said. ‘They should choose poses that won’t stress injuries, but will still challenge the uninjured students.’”

So how do you find a good yoga teacher?

The best guide is other students. If friends recommend a teacher, and if you can see that yoga has helped them – they’re kinder, more relaxed, and are less stressed – then this may a sign of a good yoga teacher.

On the other hand, if a yoga teacher is recommended by students who focus solely on how much weight they’ve lost, or how hard the yoga teacher makes them work in class, or have been injured in a yoga class, then this teacher may be one you should avoid.

[tags]learn yoga, yoga teacher[/tags]