Yoga for Beginners

guinevere96

I really want to start yoga as a form of exercise and stress release, also to help get limber and stretch my muscles for runs. However every time I try I just find it difficult and not relaxing at all. I honestly am very overweight and cant stand the pressure on my knees when they are on the floor, and that type of thing, even with cushions and mats.

Can you guys point me in the right direction for poses, videos to watch, guidelines for beginners, etc? Any tips would be nice and im openminded. I attempted to go to a class but they are only scheduled around here during my work hours.

rienese

YouTube has many yoga videos and they are free so if you don't like one, no harm done by skipping. Try Yin yoga, it is more about stretching/releasing muscles than strengthening and you very rarely leave a supine position. Have cushions/strap/blocks handy. You can probably find stuff around the house to substitute if you don't have these props.

As for tips- if it hurts, stop. Discomfort can be ok, pain is not. Yoga is not meant to be a competitive sport. What was easy yesterday may not be easy today and that is absolutely fine. If the instructor offers a modification and it works better, do it. No one is keeping track and it is not cheating. Most of all, do not skip Shavasana (final resting pose), ever. It is a sweet reward for a job well done. Good luck.

Joanna2012B

^^ This for sure ^^

TeaBea

Yoga with Adriene is really popular
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene

I like Sara Ivanhoe DVDs. You might check your local library for her yoga makeover series. These are mostly beginner.

Chieflrg

Don't push yourself to stretch to far.

It's been proven a tense muscle cannot be stretched.

Yoga is a beautiful thing and shouldn't be painful.

guinevere96

rienese wrote: »

Most of all, do not skip Shavasana (final resting pose), ever. It is a sweet reward for a job well done. Good luck.

Ive heard this before, is that where youre just lying on your back for like 5 minutes at the end? Im definitely not one to skip out on lying down lol

jdhcm2006

Yoga With Adriene on Youtube is a great channel. She has yoga for everything, weight loss, cramps, morning, bedtime. She also does 30 day challenges from time to time and she uploads new videos every Wednesdays. It's a great resource.

If you don't have blocks, use books. If you don't have straps, use a dog leash.

lorrpb

I took yoga for awhile until it messed up my neck. I too found extended knee work could be painful. I usually could do short segments. When it got to be too much, I either did an alternative modification from my instructor or just didn't do it or did something else entirely.