Basic Yoga Actions

When women choose to exercise, they usually choose yoga because yoga is an aerobic exercise that was introduced to China from India. Yoga can effectively relax the body and mind, and make the body more flexible and the body lines more obvious. However, yoga also has different difficulty levels. Beginners should learn the basic yoga movements. The following will explain to you what the basic yoga movements are.

Which type of yoga should beginners learn?

Yoga suitable for beginners includes Hatha Yoga, Hot Yoga and Iyengar Yoga.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga, also known as traditional yoga, was founded by Swami Sivanada, a modern Indian yoga master.

In the word Hatha, 'ha' means sun and 'tha' means moon. It represents the balance of male and female, day and night, yin and yang, hot and cold, and any other opposites that complement each other.

Hatha Yoga asana practice includes 24 asanas, which mainly practice how to control the body and breathing. The deeper effect is to make the body's functions run in an orderly manner, so that the mind can gain tranquility and become peaceful.

Hatha Yoga is best suited for beginners. It does not require perfection nor is it a competitive practice. Instead, it emphasizes the feeling of each pose.

Hatha Yoga in China mainly focuses on postures and breathing exercises, supplemented by meditation and bandha methods. This is the system taught in most yoga studios.

Hot Yoga

Hot Yoga, also known as high-temperature yoga or thermal yoga, is yoga performed in a high temperature environment of 38 to 40 degrees.

The high temperature environment consists of 26 stretching movements, which are flexibility exercises that can improve the flexibility of the spine and are suitable for office workers.

In addition, the high temperature environment of hot yoga can make you sweat quickly, help improve migraines, back pain, make people feel younger, and delay aging. It can also directly stimulate the neuromuscular system, thereby reducing weight.

Many celebrities rely on hot yoga to lose weight, such as Gao Yuanyuan, Fan Bingbing, Carina Lau, Lady Gaga, etc. However, it is not suitable for people with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga is a unique style of yoga system created and taught by Indian yoga master BKS Iyengar. The asanas practiced come from traditional yoga.

The style of Iyengar Yoga emphasizes the rational combination of human physiological structure and postures, and uses a large number of auxiliary tools for practice, such as bricks, belts, walls, etc.

It is suitable for beginners, people with weak bodies and those with stiff bodies, and also for practitioners who need to improve the quality of their postures.

Twelve basic yoga postures

1. Prayer

How to do it: Stand upright with your feet together. Put your hands together in front of your chest. Relax your whole body. Regulate your breathing.

2. Spread arm style

How to do it: Raise your upper arms above your head, with your arms shoulder-width apart. Tilt your head and upper body back slightly. Breathing: Inhale as you raise your arms.

3. Forward Bend

How to: Bend forward until your hands or fingers can touch either side of your feet, or the ground in front of your feet. Use your forehead to touch your legs, but don't strain. Keep your knees straight. Breathing: Exhale as you bend forward. In the final position, try to contract your abdomen and exhale as much as possible.

4. Lying Butterfly

Method: Sit on the ground, put your feet together, heels close to the base of your thighs, and hold your toes with both hands. Press each knee down so that they touch the ground one at a time, like a butterfly flapping its wings. Then sit quietly, put your body weight on your hips and thighs, and feel the sciatic pain slowly disappear.

5. Eye Snake

Method: Lie on the ground, put your hands slightly forward, and use the strength of your elbows to support your upper body. Use your neck and chin to tilt your head slightly toward your back. Pull your lower abdomen back, as if someone is pulling your arms back. Slowly transfer your body weight from your abdomen to your back. Tilt your head up and relax your face.

6. Pigeon pose

Method: Sit cross-legged, push your right knee forward, stretch your left leg backward, try to bend your front leg 90 degrees, and sit with your head held high. When you exhale, lean your upper body forward, rest your chest on your thighs, and stretch your arms forward.

7. Baby’s Pose

How to do it: Kneel down with your buttocks resting on your heels, toes touching, and knees slightly apart. Bring your chest toward your thighs until your forehead touches the floor. The arms can be extended forward or out to the sides. Take a deep breath and hold this position for as long as you want.

8. Horseback riding (Crescent pose)

How to: Extend your right leg back as far as you can. Bend your left leg at the same time, but keep your right foot in place. Keep your arms straight in place. At the end of the movement, your body weight should be supported by your hands, left foot, right knee, and right toes. In the final position, the head should be tilted back, the back arched, and the gaze upward.

9. Mountain pose (peak pose)

How to do it: Straighten your legs, put your feet together, lie forward with your buttocks raised in the air, and lower your head so that it is between your arms. The body should form the two sides of the triangle. In the final position your legs and arms should be straight, try to keep your heels on the ground in this position.

10. Downward Dog

How to do it: Make your body into an inverted "V" shape. Stretch your hands forward on the floor, stick your buttocks up, and keep your legs hip-width apart. Move forward along the ground with your hands while controlling your breathing. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds.

11. Fish pose

Method: Lie on your back with your toes pointed downward and your legs stretched forward. Put your hands under your hips, support your body with your elbows, and arch your back. Keep your head on the ground, letting your elbows bear your body weight. Take a deep breath and hold it for 15 to 30 seconds.

12. Cat pose

How to do it: Kneel on the ground with your hands on the ground, your arms and feet shoulder-width apart, and your eyes looking at the ground. As you inhale, contract your abdomen like you are yawning, and keep your ribs tense like a cat. As you exhale, arch your back and lift your chest like a cow. Repeat three to five times, focusing on your breathing.