12 Beginner Yoga Poses Everyone Can Do at Home

Yoga Benefits for Beginners

Yoga poses for Beginners

Yoga Equipment for Beginners Contents

2 INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE: Yoga 4 Benefits

CHAPTER TWO: Yoga 7 Poses for Beginners

CHAPTER THREE: What 20 You’ll Need

USEFUL YOGA 25 RESOURCES

lotusmats.com.au 02 INTRODUCTION

General overview of yoga and its history Yoga is a group of physical, it has a meditative and mental, and spiritual spiritual core practices or disciplines, which originated in ancient On December 1, 2016, yoga India. was listed as UNESCO's Intangible cultural heritage. Yoga gurus from India later introduced yoga to the west There are lots of good in the late 19th and early reasons why people would 20th century. In the 1980s, want to learn and practice yoga became popular as a yoga. Whole body fitness is system of physical exercise probably the top of most across the Western world. people’s list but many people see yoga as a way to Yoga in Indian traditions, develop themselves as a however, is more than better person. physical exercise;. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 3 04 CHAPTER ONE: Yoga Benefits

“Yoga is not about self-improvement, it’s about self-acceptance.” - Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa Other physical benefits of Yoga Benefits yoga include:

for Body • Increased flexibility • Increased muscle strength According to the American and tone Osteopathic Association • Improved respiration, (AOA), the relaxation energy and vitality techniques incorporated in • Maintaining a balanced yoga can lessen chronic metabolism pain, such as lower back • Weight reduction pain, arthritis, headaches and • Cardio and circulatory carpal tunnel syndrome. health Yoga can also lower blood • Improved athletic pressure and reduce performance insomnia. • Protection from injury

© 2020 LOTUSMATS 5 Yoga Benefits Yoga’s incorporation of meditation and breathing for Mind can help improve a person’s Aside from the physical mental well-being. Regular benefits, one of the best yoga practice creates mental benefits of yoga is how it clarity and calmness; helps a person manage increases body awareness; stress. relieves chronic stress Stress can reveal itself in patterns; relaxes the mind; many ways, including back centers attention; and or neck pain, sleeping sharpens concentration. problems, headaches, drug Body- and self-awareness abuse, and an inability to are particularly beneficial, concentrate. Yoga can be because they can help with very effective in developing early detection of physical coping skills and reaching a problems and allow for early more positive outlook on life. preventive action.

Below you will find a set of poses that even a complete beginner can easily do at home. 1. Mountain Pose How to do it: Sanskrit name: • Stand with your feet together Tadasana • Press down all ten toes and spread them open Benefits: • Lift up through your inner thighs • The base for all standing • Draw your abdominals in poses and up and you lift your • Gives you a sense of how chest to feel the earth below you. • Press the tops of the shoulders down • Open your chest by squeezing your shoulder blades together • Breathe deeply in to the torso Hold for 5-8 breaths. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 8 2. Tree How to do it: Sanskrit name: • Start with your feet together Vriksasana • Put your right foot on your inner left upper thigh Benefits: • Press your hands in prayer • Choose a spot in front of • Great for practicing you that you can hold in a standing balance steady gaze • Helps to gain focus and • Don’t lean in to the standing clarity leg • Practice to breathe while • Keep your abdominals standing engaged and shoulders • Keeps the body balanced relaxed on one foot Hold for 8-10 breaths. Then switch sides. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 9 3. Warrior 1 How to do it: Sanskrit name: • Take a giant step back with your left foot coming Virabhadrasana I towards a lunge • Turn your left heel down Benefits: • Angle your left toes forward 75 degrees • Improves stamina • Lift your chest and press • Stretches your hips and your palms up overhead thighs • Builds strength in the entire Hold for 8-10 breaths. lower body (legs, hips, buttocks), core and upper Step forward and repeat on body the opposite leg.

© 2020 LOTUSMATS 10 4. Warrior 2 How to do it: • Stand with your feet one Sanskrit name: leg’s-length apart • Turn your right toes out 90 Virabhadrasana II degrees and your left toes in 45 degrees Benefits: • Bend your right knee until it is directly over your right • Opens up external hip, ankle inner thighs and groin • Keep the torso even between the hips • Great starting point for • Stretch your arms out to many side postures your sides and gaze over your right hand

Hold for 8-10 breaths. Then straighten your right leg and turn your feet to the other side to repeat on left © 2020 LOTUSMATS 11 side. 5. Triangle • Open and stretch your arms to the sides at shoulder Sanskrit name: height • Turn your right foot out 90 Trikonasana degrees and your left toes in about 45 degrees Benefits: • Hinge to the side over your right leg engaging your • Stretches the sides of the quadriceps and abdominals waist • Place your right hand down • Opens up the lungs on your ankle, shin or knee • Strengthens the legs and lift your left arm up to • Tones the entire body the ceiling • Turn your gaze up to the top hand How to do it: Hold for 5-8 breaths. • Stand with your feet one Lift up to stand and repeat leg’s-length apart on the opposite side. 12 © 2020 LOTUSMATS 6. Plank How to do it: Sanskrit name: • From all fours, tuck under your toes and lift your legs Kumbhakasana up • Slide your heels back Benefits: enough until you feel you are one straight line of • Teaches how to balance on energy our hands while using the • Draw your shoulders down entire body to support us and away from the ears, • Strengthens the engaging the lower abdominals abdominals • Teaches to use the breath • Pull your ribs together to help us stay in a challenging pose Hold for 8-10 deep breaths.

© 2017 LOTUSMATS 7. Downward Facing • Tuck under your toes and lift your hips up off the floor Dog as you draw them up at back Sanskrit name: towards your heels • Straighten out your legs Adho mukha svanasana while keeping your hips back • Walk your hands forward to Benefits: give yourself more length if needed Stretches and strengthens • Press firmly through your the entire body palms and rotate the inner elbows towards each other How to do it: • Hollow out the abdominals and keep engaging your legs • Come on to all fours with to keep the torso moving your wrists under your back towards the thighs shoulders and knees under Hold for 5-8 breaths. Then your hips drop back to hands and © 2020 LOTUSMATS knees to rest. 14

© 2017 LOTUSMATS ©© 2017 2017 LOTUSMATS LOTUSMATS 8. Child’s Pose How to do it: Sanskrit name: • Start on all fours then sit your butt back to your heels Balasana and bring your knees and feet together Benefits: • Stretch your arms forward • Lower your forehead to the • Great resting pose for yoga floor (use block or pillow or practitioners of all levels blanket if needed) • Best for need a mental • Let your entire body break and stress relief release

Hold for 8-10 breaths or as long as you need.

© 2020 LOTUSMATS 15 9. Bridge Pose How to do it: Sanskrit name: • Lie down on your back and place your feet hip width Setu bhanda apart • Press firmly on to your feet Benefits: and lift your butt up off the mat • Stretches the front body • Open up your chest even • Strengthens the back body more interlacing your hands together and pressing the fists down to the floor • Engage your hamstrings and imagine dragging your heels on the mat towards your shoulders

Hold for 8-10 breaths then lower your hips down. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 16 10. Seated Forward How to do it: Bend • Start seated with your legs together, feet firmly flexed, Sanskrit name: and your hands by your hips • Lift your chest and start to Paschimottanasana hinge forward from your Benefits: waist • Imagine your belly button • Stretches the hamstrings, moving towards the top of lower and upper back and your thighs and engage your sides lower abdominals • Opens up the body and • Make sure your shoulders, teaches to breathe through head and neck are well uncomfortable positions released • Hit your maximum and stop

Hold for 8-10 breaths. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 17 11. Seated Twist How to do it: Sanskrit name: • Sit in a comfortable cross- legged position Ardha • Place your left hand on your right knee matsyendrasana • Twist to your right reaching Benefits: your right fingertips to the floor behind you • Calms the nervous system • Let your neck follow • Fires up the digestive • Continue to lengthen your system spine as you inhale, and • Stretches the back, gently twist further to the shoulders and neck right as you exhale

Hold for 8-10 breaths. Then reverse the crossing of your legs and repeat on the opposite side. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 18 12. Easy Pose How to do it: Sanskrit name: • When sitting, extend your legs in front of your body Sukhasana and sit up straight • Cross your legs in front of Benefits: you at the shins • Place each foot beneath • Strengthens the back and the opposite knee with your stretches the knees and knees wide ankles • Fold your legs in toward • Opens the hips, groin, and your torso outer thigh muscles • Place your hands on your • Reduces stress and anxiety knees, palms down • Lengthen your spine, but soften your neck • Relax your feet and thighs Hold for up to one minute or for the duration of your © 2020 LOTUSMATS 19 meditation. 20 CHAPTER THREE: What You’ll Need “Clean your mind, get empty. Work hard and share what you have. Go serve for the rest of the day.” - Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa For hundreds or even thousands of years, there was no "yoga equipment." Practicing yoga required only your body, mind, and spirit.

And while that’s still all you need, most modern yoga practitioners feel more comfortable with a few basic items that are easy to obtain.

Wear comfortable, Leggings are trendy for breathable clothing for yoga. women, though looser pants You'll probably want to wear are completely ok. a shirt that is a little form- Men tend to favor shorts but fitting, since in some yoga plenty wear pants as well. poses (forward bends, for You do not need any kind of instance) your head comes studio shoes or socks for below your hips and your class. Yoga is most often shirt can slide down. Any done barefoot. exercise pants or shorts with a bit of stretch will do.

In gyms and yoga studios, it’s This is fine for your first few commonplace to use a yoga classes, but the mat, also called a sticky mat. disadvantage to these mats The mat helps define your is that lots of people use personal space, and, more them and you can't be sure importantly, it creates how often they are being traction for your hands and cleaned. feet so you don’t slip, Additionally, having your especially as you get a little own mat means you can sweaty. The mat also take it anywhere and use it provides a bit of cushioning anytime — a great incentive on a hard floor. to keep up your practice at Most gyms provide mats and home or even on vacation! studios have them for rent, usually for a dollar or two per class. © 2020 LOTUSMATS 23 Wholesale Requirements with Worldwide Delivery. Lotusmats has the buying power to provide Yoga equipment for your store and Yoga Studio.

Contact our sales team as we can help with your Yoga equipment and other accessories for your store or Yoga Studio. [email protected]

Below you will find some useful yoga resources that we used writing this book and that you may find useful. Resources:

1. fitnessmagazine.com 2. doyouyoga.com 3. yogajournal.com 4. osteopathic.org 5. myfitnessnut.com 6.yogaoutlet.com 7. verywell.com 8.freepik.com

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