You say meditation, and people think sitting with your legs crossed, breathing deeply, perhaps humming and keeping your eyes closed. That is, perhaps a more stereotypical view of meditation, yes. However, yoga meditation is also a form of meditation. If you haven’t tried it yet, yoga can not only help clear your mind but also loosen up your body, making up more nimble and flexible. Yoga can be for everyone, but you shouldn’t dive in head first until you understand what you’re getting yourself into, and how it may impact you. Below, we look at a few things you should consider first.

Do Your Homework First

First and foremost, you need to speak to a doctor about yoga if you are suffering from a bad back, joints or fragile bones. Showing the doctor a few pictures of what you intend to do with your yoga might help them understand if you can do said poses. Certain yoga poses don’t work for people with high blood pressure, heart diseases and arthritis, amongst other things.

It is also good to do your homework regarding yourself. You will probably want to look for a yoga class (they can teach you everything you need to know), and you need to be able to understand your body. Doing so can ensure that you don’t hurt yourself while doing yoga.

Private Yoga

If being in a classroom with a lot of people makes you nervous, or embarrassed, it can help to hire a professional yoga instructor. Do your research here; there are a lot of quacks and scam artists out there. A teacher can design your own personal program ideally suited to your body and your needs, and this can certainly help you master the basics. Once you’ve done this, you can start thinking about those classes again.

If you need company, but still aren’t sure about going into a class, why not find a friend to help you out. Yoga buddies feed off one another and thus can help you overcome any difficulties you may experience at the same time.

There’s More to Yoga than Posing

You might not think it, but your diet will play an important role in your yoga class. Never practice yoga with a full stomach. It is ideal to do yoga at least 2 hours after eating a meal, or on an empty stomach entirely. You can’t focus if you’re starving, though.

There are yoga tapes and YouTube videos out there which you can use to practice at home, too. If you are the type of person who is shy, then having a look at some of these yoga videos can help you get some idea of what you’re getting yourself into, long before you actually start practising yoga.

Yoga is supposed to a fun way to meditate, not a chore. If you’re not having fun, you’ll quit rapidly. However, if you do find it fun and relaxing, you’ll likely keep on doing it, and thus keep gaining the rewards that yoga brings.