These top yoga practices are extremely helpful, become favorites, and head yoga charts. As popular as they are, preparation for these essentials ease the beginner into yoga in a kinder gentler way. Each of the poses or practices can be quite challenging at first. Tight muscles bring discomfort, a busy mind can create silent frustration, and uneasiness rather than relaxation can make one feel like a failure. So what are the famous five, their benefits, and how to prepare so that they can be enjoyed for a long time to come?

1. Downward Facing Dog

This pose builds stamina and is a great release for muscles in the back of the legs. Those deeper calf muscles that other stretches usually don’t get to, as well as the hamstrings rejoice. There is an overall body sigh. If the upper extremities are weak, they scream in agony. Take the clue, exit the pose, and assume Child’s pose.

Preparation: Stand facing the wall, bend at the hips and press the hands into the wall.

2. Alternate Nostril Breathing

Used on planes, at bed time, to calm the mind, and to rejuvenate. Can be practiced for 1-3 minutes. The challenge is becoming familiar with this subtle practice. There are many variations as well.

Preparation: A simpler method is to breath naturally in and out of the left nostril five times, then in and out of the right nostril 5 times. Then breath through both nostrils 5 times.

3. Warrior Pose

These standing poses build strength and endurance. Psychologically one feels courageous. Warrior 1 can be extremely difficult if shoulders are weak, there are knee problems, and if there is generally overall weakness.

Preparation: Use props like a chair, stool or fitness ball. Place hands on hips. Take a shorter stance.

4. Child’s Pose

Excellent resting pose practiced after back bends, inversions, and Downward Dog. It gives a feeling of safety, stretches the spinal muscles, while rejuvenating the whole body. Tight hips and knees make this pose far from restful.

Preparation: Lie on back with knees to chest to release hips over time. Use blankets, bolsters, or a rolled up towel under the ankles, behind knees, under hips, under chest and head for comfort.

5. Relaxation

“Great” “Aah” “This is what I’ve been waiting for” – some of the comments often heard before lying in stillness on the mat. It removes fatigue. Simple. And when the mind is busy the pose becomes quite challenging.

Preparation: Keep the mind occupied counting with the breath. Count to 10 then back again.

Learn how to adapt yoga poses and practices to your body and mind, and you’ll enjoy yoga and its benefits for a long time.

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Heather Greaves helps practitioners in healing and helping professions learn about therapeutic yoga even though their only teacher is a book. “To learn more about something, teach it.” Since 2005 this Yoga Therapist and owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training has been training teachers in a certified yoga teacher training program.

There are at least 3 voices that speak to us as we practice yoga: the voice of the teacher, the voice of our body, and the voice of our mind.

The yoga instructor or internal teacher gives instructions, and offers suggestions. The body speaks with sensations giving a green light to continue, red light to stop, and amber to proceed with caution. The mind invites to explore more, places doubt or courage, and desire to achieve a pose.  Sometimes if we listen closely all 3 voices can be heard.

When these voices are of one accord, even the breath flows in and out easily. We feel quite stable in the pose, even as we challenge ourselves.  If  one of these voices is in opposition, like the mind being pushy, there’s often the language of uncertainty in the body…. hmmm, not quite ready to do that. If the internal teacher has a voice, it will speak up, give clear instructions, and even have a chat with the overly enthusiastic mind – a little negotiation.

Possible Language of Negotiation – okay today we’ll take this one step at a time.. go slowly, move within safe limits, and definitely extend boundaries with ease and respect.

The language of the body and the wisdom of the internal or external teacher – what a powerful combination!

Heather Greaves helps yoga enthusiasts learn more yoga even though their only teacher is a book. They say, To learn more about something, teach it. Since 2005 this yoga therapist and owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training has been helping yoga students become yoga teachers in a certified program. For more yoga tips and information visit Body Therapies Yoga Training http://www.yogatogo.com  <a href=http://www.yogatogo.com>

While toning spinal nerves, hips and thighs the cat family of yoga poses will also give quite a stretch. On all fours, sitting upright, and even standing, these 3 poses that copy members in the cat family can make bodies slim, agile and powerful; able to move with sharp senses and a quiet step.

Flexibility and Strength

The basic cat pose in yoga flexes the spine and arches the spine like an angry cat. It creates more movement in the shoulder area.  Side to side movements practiced slowly, with great awareness and synchronized with the inhale and exhale makes you more limber like the smallest cat in the cat family.

The strength of the larger cat, the Tiger, is required in the Tiger pose. It is like the cat/cow pose; however it is a 3 legged pose; one knee is raised off the ground. In addition to being off the ground the whole leg moves extending and bending at the knee with the arch and flex of cat/cow. It demands a stronger core to remain stable with complete control of the movement. Can you move with the strength of this huge cat?

The last pose from the cat family is the Lion Pose. Often practiced with a loud roar, this yoga pose can be silent also. A key benefit is learning to sit very still – to keep the body motionless. The lion sneaks up on his victim to be within attack range. Sitting without moving, poised in the grasslands. How long can you sit motionless and focused like this big cat?

If we are copying from the cat family, who knows, we may land on your feet if we fall.

Heather Greaves helps health and wellness enthusiasts learn more therapeutic yoga even though their only teacher is a book. To learn more about something, teach it. Since 2005 this yoga therapist and owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training has been training yoga teachers in a certified program. For more yoga tips and information visit Body Therapies Yoga Training http://www.yogatogo.com

What’s on your mind when you start your day? When is the start of your day? Is it when you are all dressed for the day, or on your way out the door? Is it when you sit to have breakfast, or after you’ve had breakfast? Is it when you get out of bed? Is it when you open your eyes, or is it before you open your eyes?

Yoga suggests ways to deepen, maintain, or create that inner connection with ourselves right at the start of the day.  Here are some ideas to “be” more at that time your “day starts”.

All Dressed And Ready to Go

Intention: What intention could I create that keeps me aligned with my highest ideals?

Breakfast

Gratitude: How many lives are connected to my life through this meal? What does the orange juice taste like today?

Feet to the Floor

Reverence: Am I aware that I am about to step on Mother Earth? How can I bring sacredness into that first step?

Eyes Open

Honoring the Body: How and with what attitude will I acknowledge those senses that are functioning; that allow me to communicate with others and my environment?

Eyes Still Closed

Connection and Continuity: As I transition from there to here, where did I just come from?

Yoga discipline include an early start to the day. Some practices include yoga exercises and practices to keep the body healthy, as well as daily meditation to help us “be” more.

Rounded shoulders and the head forward of shoulders is a fairly common posture. Exaggerate this posture as you read this. How easy is it to breathe? What is the sensation in the back of your neck? Do you feel more or less energetic? Slowly straighten again.

Lengthening the Spine

To learn how to increase height first understand through experience the role of the spinal muscles to hold us erect. This group of 3 sets of muscles run parallel to the vertebral column and are aptly named the erector spinae. Explore the first exercise again. Round shoulders, protrude the chin. Now contract the erector spinae to straighten the spine.

A long flat muscle in the front of the body, the “washboard”, runs from the pubic bone to the bottom of the sternum. It is divided into four. Let’s explore again. While sitting gently contract these muscles. Begin by breathing consciously. Then gently draw the lower abdomen in and up and continue conscious breaths. Relax excess tension. Even more gently draw the solar plexus area in and up, continue breathing consciously.

There is one more muscle to engage. It’s the strap-like muscle located on both sides of the front of the neck from the sternum and clavicle to the skull behind the ear. Draw the chin in not down, and notice the chest lift slightly. Help the ribcage to lift evenly on all four sides. Relax shoulders.

Yoga Exercise

As you enter a yoga pose, lengthen the spine. While holding the pose, lengthen the spine again. Practicing yoga exercises in this way will keep the spine safe and increase your height in and out of the pose. Who would have thought of growing taller with yoga!

Heather Greaves helps enthusiasts of natural healing learn more yoga even though their only teacher is a book. They say, To learn more about something, teach it. Since 2005 this yoga therapist and owner of Body Therapies Yoga Training has been training yoga teachers in a certified program. For more yoga tips and information visit Body Therapies Yoga Training  http://www.yogatogo.com