Yoga For Beginners

Restorative Yoga - A special kind of yoga for beginners

Beginners in yoga classes always do well with a basic classical hatha yoga session. It flows smoothly and if the postures are not too heavily weighted to build strength a beginner will cope with it easily and feel inspired to do more. However there are some beginners who need something a bit different. These are the people who have been ill or are very highly stressed so that their body is a bit fragile and needs a lot of support rather than a lot of challenge.

People who live with prolonged, chronic stress tend to have bodies that constantly send out signals of distress. Constant headaches, lower back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, poor digestion, candida are all typical conditions that prolonged stress brings about. When a body is as exhausted as that and the person is feeling as if they are struggling to find the energy or enthusiasm to tackle anything - but have a guilty feeling that they should be doing something for their body - then it is the time for beginning a restorative yoga practice.

In this form of yoga the person is taught how to support their body through the use of props and specifically chosen postures so that they never strain or bring pain to their bodies. Once a body has experienced the bliss of being properly supported and held in a posture it sighs with relief and then gets on with the job of healing itself. Most bodies in this state live in a way that keeps the whole system in flight or flight mode and this places huge strain on the immune system. Being so overloaded with adrenaline means that the body cannot heal itself and it has to find a way to return to a balanced condition before it can really get to work. Restorative Yoga enables that balance to happen.

Each posture is held for a period of time, anything up to 20 minutes or more as the beginning yogi starts to get used to this way of working. Students are taught to breath properly and begin to meditate while they are being supported in their different postures. All this brings great benefits to the body. The one that is commented on most is that a completely different quality of sleep starts to happen. Of course during sleep a body does a great deal of repair so this high quality slumber is vital for improved health.

Before you begin taking up a yoga, or if you have been to yoga before but just cant face a normal yoga class because you are so tired, try Restorative Yoga. You will be so pleased. Attend a workshop and learn how to refresh and renew yourself with postures you can do at home.

Find out about Restorative Yoga by attending workshops such as the 'Rising of the Phoenix' and then use it yourself at home as part of your self help regime. You will find it quite amazing in its effects.

Restorative Yoga Workshops and more information about how to use this form of self healing can be found on Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga. The Fifty, Fit and Fabulous programme provides a step by step approach to wellbeing through holistic care and is outlined on these sites.