The Amazing Benefits of Yoga: Beginner Yoga Flow

Yoga is a great way to move and exercise, and it can also have a lot of mental benefits as well.

There are many different types of yoga for all different fitness levels. 

Yoga can range from the slower, meditative styles of yoga like slow flow yoga to the faster-paced, physical yoga like Hatha yoga. 

When you track your yoga routine in the Lose It! app, you can choose from general, hot, aerial, Hatha, Nadi Sodhana, Power, and Surya Namaskar styles of yoga. 

The good news is that there is a style of yoga for everyone. It is noncompetitive but can push you towards the edge of your physical and mental comfort, all while maintaining your breath and focus.

A good yoga program should include working on the postures and poses, breathing, relaxation, and meditation. Your yoga practice should emphasize mindfulness to your body and mind and bring awareness to your body in a non-judgemental way. 

 Some of the many benefits of yoga include:

• Improved flexibility and posture and balance
• Build muscle and bone strength
• Increases blood flow and heart rate and can decrease blood pressure
• Decreases cortisol and stress levels, increases happy feelings and decreases stress
• Drains lymphatic system and helps with immunity
• Improved athletic performance 
• Increases mindful eating. Researchers found that those who practiced yoga were more mindful when eating. One reason might be because yoga teaches you to connect with how your body feels and that this can help pull your awareness to your body when you are eating. 
• It helps with weight maintenance. According to research, a regular yoga practice may prevent the average one pound per year weight gain seen during middle-age (age 45-55) and help promote weight loss for those who are overweight. 

For more on the mental and physical benefits of yoga, be sure to check out our previous post.

Let’s try some yoga together!

We are going to start with some basic yoga moves linked together in a vinyasa or flow. Please use modifications (block, chair, towel, or rope) when needed. 

Individual Pose Breakdown

             

Mountain Pose

Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and with arms at your side with palms facing forward. Your back should be straight. Practice a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth.                                                                                                     

Standing Forward Bend

Bend forward at your hips while maintaining a relaxed neck. Reach your hands down to the floor or as far down your shins as they can go. Try not to lock your knees.

Plank

Your hands and feet should be shoulder-width apart and your fingers spread wide. Try to keep your back straight by drawing your belly towards your spine. You can do this on your feet or your knees.

Chaturanga

Slowly lower your body down to the ground while keeping your elbows near your rib cage. You can do this move on your feet or your knees. 

Extended Cobra

From a flat position on your stomach, lift your chest while extending your elbows. Draw your shoulders away from your ears and keep your head in line with your spine. 

Downward Facing Dog

With your hands placed firmly on the floor, extend your hips into the air while bending at your hips. Your head should be relaxed and between your arms. You can also do a child’s pose as a modification. 

Warrior I

From the plank position, bring one foot between your hands and raise your hands together into the sky while keeping your forward leg bent at a 90-degree angle and your torso facing your front foot. Make your feet strong into the ground with the middle of your back foot perpendicular to the heel of your front foot. 

Warrior II

From the warrior I position, turn your torso sideways while keeping your feet strong into the ground. Stretch each hand out in different directions.

Warrior III

From the warrior II position, put all of your weight on the front-facing foot while pointing both arms forward and your back leg lifted behind you. Your head should be between both arms. 

Extended Triangle

Make your feet strong into the ground with the middle of your back foot perpendicular to the heel of your front foot. Reach down with your forward hand and rest it on a block, shin, or on the floor. Reach for the sky with your back hand while twisting your body to look at it. 

Revolved Triangle

Your feet will be in the same position as the extended triangle, but you will reach the opposite hand down to the floor, shin, or block while twisting your forward hand towards the sky.

The Bottom Line

There are numerous mental and health benefits to a consistent yoga practice. Try a few different styles of yoga and see which ones meet your needs the best. There is a style of yoga for everyone. 

*Disclaimer: I am not a certified yoga instructor. Please talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.