Yoga - A Complete Guide For Beginners

As we've pointed out (and probably started to bore you with; sorry!), yoga is not a religion. It can be religious if one wants it to be, and it can co-exist with an existing religious belief. But yoga itself is not religious in the sense that it focuses on belief or faith.

Yoga is a science; and indeed, in many places in the world (such as India), it is referred to as a science. This is not mere playing with words; it truly is approached as a science, which means that it is understood in terms of the scientific method.

Yogic science seeks to verify cause and effect, and build principles based upon objective observations. Indeed, in many places in the world, to be a yogic master of any credibility, one must be highly educated in the sciences, including physics and the biological sciences.

This discussion on yoga as science is important for us to have here, because it allows us to sensible ask the question: what are the benefits of yoga? After all, if yoga is a faith or a belief, then asking this question isn't fair; because it's one that yoga cannot answer in terms that we can objectively understand.

Yet (again%u2026sorry!) yoga is a science; as empirical and pragmatic as kinesiology, or exercise science, which seeks to understand how the body acts and reacts to changes in the internal physical environment. And even more simply than any of this: each of us has a right to ask the basic question why should I bother doing this yoga thing? before we should be asked to consider experiencing it for ourselves.

Indeed, while the experience of yoga cannot be reduced to words - just as reading a book on preparing for a marathon isn't going to actually physically prepare you to run a marathon - the goals and principles of yoga can easily be discussed.

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It's funny to look at it this way, but one of the things that has promoted the spread of yoga in the west, is the same thing that can sometimes prevent someone from truly exploring it and therefore experiencing its health benefits. This thing is variety.

Sometimes when there is only one of something - such as one idea, or one language, or one anything - it's hard for that thing to spread outside of those who abide by it, agree with it, or simply want it to continue existing.

Yet when there are multiple ideas and concepts, the chances of it spreading increase; there are just more people out there who will be able to access it, talk about it, and indeed, make it a part of their lives.

What does this have to do with yoga? Well, there are many different types of yoga; and the reason for this, as we initially discussed, is that yoga isn't a religion; it's an approach to being alive. As such, it's very agile and flexible (no pun intended!) and carries well across cultural, country, and religious boundaries.

Thanks to its diversity and different facets and types, yoga has spread very swiftly through the western world over last 110 years or so; and is spreading faster now than ever before (many western companies will now pay for yoga classes as part of an enhanced health benefits program).

Yet this very diversity has led to some confusion; and people who have been exposed to one kind of yoga might accidentally think that they've seen it all. This is more worrisome, of course, when one has been exposed to a kind of yoga that - for whatever reason - they did not like, or perhaps, weren't quite ready for (just as how some people might turn away from a fitness program if they aren't in the right frame of mind to see it through).

So if you've experienced yoga, or seen it on television, read about it in a newspaper, or overheard a friend or colleague talk about it, then please be aware that there's a very good chance that you haven't been exposed to all that there is (which is wonderful, because it means that this next section will be very interesting and informative for you!).

Six Major Types

Yogic scholars Feuerstein and Bodian note seven major types of yoga. In no particular order, they are:
* hatha yoga

* raja yoga

* karma yoga

* bhakti yoga

* jnana yoga

* tantra yoga

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As you now know (if you didn't know it when you started reading, that is!), yoga is a very interesting and ancient approach of uniting the body and the mind. It has proven health benefits, including emotional and physical improvements.

The chances therefore are, if you're on the verge of starting a yoga program (perhaps at a local center or you've purchased a video or DVD and want to try it at home), you're excited, optimistic, and anxious to get going!

Yet it's wise to note that, before going into yoga practice, you should ask yourself some important questions. These questions don't have a right or wrong answer.

They are merely meant to stimulate your own thoughts and give you the mindset that you need in order to succeed as a student of yoga for the long term.

Here are the basic questions that you should ask before starting any yoga program:

* what are my reasons for starting a yoga program? Are they realistic?

* If my yoga program involves some degree of physical strain, such as certain postures in hatha yoga, have I received medical clearance from a qualified and certified health professional to ensure that I don't injure myself?

* Are my goals for pursuing a yoga program (or programs) clear and positive? Do I know what I want to achieve?

* Am I prepared to commit the time necessary to really get the most of out of my yoga experience?

* Are there people around me who might negatively try and talk me out (or mock me out) of pursuing this path of personal development? Should I either avoid such people, or ask them to respect what I'm choosing to do?

Please note that these are just basic questions; and this isn't an exhaustive list. The point here is really that you should be clear and confident about your choice of experiencing yoga.

This concludes our 5 parts on "A Beginner's Guide to Yoga" Please visit my Beginner's Guide to Yoga to discover the rest of the information you've been searching for at: www.TheEndOfObesity.com where you can have a free copy of the Book.

When someone says Namaste' to you, what does it mean?

I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides.

I honor the place in you where lives your love, your life, your truth, your uniqueness and your peace.

I honor the place within you where, if you are in that place within you and I am in that place in me, there is only One of us.

- unknown