A Beginner's Guide to Yoga

Yoga Styles, Props, and Fitness Plans

-- By Nicole Nichols, Fitness Instructor

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Yoga, which comes from the Sanskrit yuj word meaning "union," originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. There are many forms of yoga, but in general, yoga focuses on breathing techniques (pranayama), postures (asanas), flexibility, and meditation (dhyana). It can be very spiritual, linking the mind, body, and spirit.

But you don't have to be a Birkenstock-wearing vegetarian to enjoy or benefit from a regular yoga practice. Yoga offers all practitioners—whether you do it once a week or twice a day—an increased mind-body connection, greater flexibility and strength, improved balance and coordination, and stress relief. Here's what you need to know to start your own yoga practice today.

Styles of Yoga
If you're new to yoga, you might not be sure which class or video to start with. Here are a few of the most common yoga styles that are popular today:

Ashtanga yoga (also referred to as Power yoga) is a fast-paced, intense yoga style. It focuses on constant movement from one pose to the next. However, this system does allow each student to work at her own pace.
Bikram, or Hot yoga, is practiced in an environment where the temperature is 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat promotes intense sweating that will loosen tight muscles and facilitate cleansing of the body.
Hatha yoga is a general term. These workouts usually include basic introductory yoga poses, and move at a gentle and slow pace.
Iyengar yoga may be the most popular style practiced in the United States. With this style, poses are held for a longer duration. The purpose of this is for students to recognize the subtleties of each posture and to pay attention to their musculoskeletal system and body alignment. Using props (blocks, belts, blankets, etc.) to accommodate a variety of fitness levels and special needs is common in Iyengar yoga.
Vinyasa yoga includes more aggressive stretches. These workouts focus on sun salutations and the connection of breath and movement.

Yoga Props
Even if you don't practice yoga regularly, you can really benefit from using yoga props—especially if you are new to the practice of yoga. Here's an introduction to common props and how they are used:

Yoga mats (or "sticky" mats) provide a thinly-cushioned, non-slip surface for yoga practices and work best when used on a smooth floor. Their sticky surface can be easily cleaned, and they roll up for easy storage and toting. Yoga mats are now available in extra-thick varieties as well. A basic yoga mat will run around $20. Extra-thick, as well as "designer" prints and colors will cost more. You can also find eco-friendly yoga mats (made from recycled materials, biodegradable materials, and/or natural and sustainable plant fibers such as hemp and jute) starting around $40.
Yoga blocks (or bricks) allow you to stay in proper form, even if your strength and flexibility levels don't. Blocks are rectangular-shaped, allowing you to use them at three different heights, depending on your needs. One use for a block, for example, would be during a forward bend. If you can't touch the floor, you can place the block accordingly so that you can remain in proper form, resting your hands on the block itself. Since each pair of sides is a different height, you can slowly progress in your poses until you don't need a block at all.
Wedges are triangular shaped, like a door stop, but much wider and softer. They provide extra support and prevent overstretching while sitting (underneath the hips), standing and squatting (underneath heels), and when your weight is in your hands (underneath palm/wrist).
Yoga straps (or belts) are great for beginners or individuals who are less flexible. By holding a strap with both hands, it can help you stay in a pose longer and in better form. They can be used for seated stretches (around the feet in a forward bend) and one-legged standing poses (placing the strap around foot to aid in lifting or reaching your limb). Straps are also great for general flexibility training.

It's easy to incorporate props into your workout in a matter of seconds (when they're within reach). Many yoga studios will have most of these props (and more) available for students to use during classes, but you can also purchase your own to use at home or take with you to the gym.

SparkPeople Yoga Poses
Several of SparkPeople's exercise demonstrations are based on yoga poses. Here are a few that will help you improve your muscular strength, flexibility and coordination:

Airplane Pose: Strengthens the lower back and stretches the hamstrings.
Camel Stretch (Cow Pose): Stretches abs and chest.
Cat Stretch: Stretches back and neck.
Child's Pose: Stretches the hips, thighs, and ankles.
Dolphin Pose: Strengthens arms and stretches hamstrings and calves.
Gluteal & Outer Thigh Stretch (Sage Twist Pose): Stretches the hips and spine.
Groin Butterfly Stretch (Bound Angle Pose): Stretches inner thighs, groin and knees.
Hamstring Stretch (Standing Forward Bend): Strengthens thighs and knees and stretches hamstrings, calves and hips.
Plank Pose: Strengthens abs, arms, wrists and spine
Reverse Plank Pose: Strengthens arms, wrists, shoulders, lower back, abs and hamstrings.
Seated Forward Bend: Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings.
Side Plank Pose: Strengthens arms, abs, legs and wrists and stretches the hamstrings; improves balance and coordination.
T-Stand (Standing Splits): Strengthens shoulders, hamstrings and glutes and stretches groin, inner thighs and hamstrings.
Triangle Pose: Stretches the thighs, knees, ankles, hips, groin, hamstrings, calves; shoulders, chest, and spine.
Upward Dog: Strengthens spine, arms, wrists and stretches chest, shoulders, abs.

Adding Yoga to Your Fitness Program
We often hear questions about where yoga fits into a fitness program. Is it cardio? Strength training? Stretching? Yoga is a unique form of fitness that encompasses some of these principles. A good fitness program includes cardio (at least 20 minutes, three days per week), strength training (for every major muscle group, at least two sessions per week) and flexibility training (ideally every time you exercise or at least three times per week).

Yoga itself cannot provide you with the same benefits as cardio and strength training. However, SparkPeople's experts consider yoga to be a great addition to a well-rounded fitness program. Yoga is great for flexibility (especially if you tend to skip stretching altogether). And while athletic yoga styles (such as Ashtanga) may elevate your heart rate to an aerobic level, the average calorie burn of a yoga class is not comparable to running or other forms of cardio. Consider yoga to be a restorative practice, offering diverse benefits that enhance your overall fitness level and mind-body connection.

The following links will help you begin a yoga practice:

www.YogaFinder.com: The world's largest yoga directory. Find classes, studios and private teachers in your area.
www.YogaJournal.com: The voice of yoga online. Get step-by-step instructions, workouts, articles and more.
www.Gaiam.com: Retailer of various yoga props, kits, books, videos and DVDs for a variety of fitness levels.

You can practice yoga as often as it fits into your schedule, whether once a week or daily. Each session can be as long or as short as you'd like, whether you choose a few poses that you enjoy or take a 90-minute yoga class. No matter how often you do yoga, you will begin to see positive outcomes with consistent practice. Namaste!

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About The Author

Nicole Nichols
Nicole was named "America's Top Personal Trainer to Watch" in 2011. A certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a bachelor's degree in health promotion and education, she loves living a healthy and fit lifestyle and helping others do the same. Her DVDs "Total Body Sculpting" and "28 Day Boot Camp" (a best seller) are available online and in stores nationwide. Read Nicole's full bio and blog posts.

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Member Comments

RINNE811

I Agree some form of yoga def gets the heart going and the sweat pouring. My body feels heated up! One teacher I really like is Sadie Nardini. She has a style which she calls "core strength vinyasa". You can find her on youtube and all the routine I've tried so far have been really great! - 3/18/2013 11:04:48 AM
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CAFEEGIRL

I have never tried yoga, so I think I will add it to some of my work outs during the week. - 1/20/2013 12:54:30 PM
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CHELLI1972

I'm thinking about adding Yoga this year as my company is offering in house Yoga classes for 6 weeks. Since I am new to it, I hope that it will be something that I can enjoy. - 1/1/2013 10:52:47 AM
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CHERYLSBUTT

I plan to add yoga to my fitness routine in 2013 - 8/3/2012 10:32:53 PM
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ELSEEBEE

I noticed you didn't mention yin yoga. I've tried to do yoga several times over the years and due to my weight and lack of flexibility, I always gave up. Then when I was doing physical therapy for back problems, my massage therapist (who teaches yoga and understood my problems) suggested I look into yin yoga. I found some great videos on-line and bought a book the therapist suggested and the results have been wonderful. I am gradually seeing my muscles loosen up and now at age 65 I see the possibilities of trying one of the other yoga styles mentioned in this article! - 7/27/2012 7:33:25 AM
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PIEDPIPER100

I notice this article was written some time ago but I just read it yesterday for the first time. I have some serious issues with the author's descriptions of the different styles of yoga.

Ashtanga yoga is NOT referred to as Power Yoga. These are two very different systems of practice. Ashtanga yoga is the yoga of Pantanjali as laid out in his Yoga Sutras. It is a very traditional form of yoga modernized by Pattabhi Jois. It has a specific set of sequences and is learned in a special way between teacher and student, one-on-one. Ashtanga means "Eight-limbs"; it is an all-encompassing yoga practice far extending the physical asanas (poses).

Power Yoga was pioneered by Beryl Bender Birch. It's a system of yoga based on Ashtanga (as is Vinyasa yoga) but is completely different. Using set sequences, asanas are held longer to develop strength and flexibility. Power Yoga has also been further popularized by Baron Baptiste.

Hatha yoga is not well described as a general term. It refers to raja yoga which means the practice of physical asanas in order for the body to reach a state for meditation to occur. Classically, Hatha follows a set of 6 limbs (or paths) in its practice. However, since it is known as raja yoga, many different systems of yoga can be considered Hatha (like Ashtanga, Power, Bikram, etc...).

Iyengar yoga is not the most popular form of yoga practiced in the United States. Most people have no idea what it is or that it's named after the man who designed the system. It too is a specific form of practice highly focused on alignment.

Vinyasa yoga is probably the most popular form of yoga because it's the one most people have heard of. It does not necessarily focus on more aggressive stretches. It simply means you're moving with your breath in a flow. It can be a gentle flow or if it's an advanced class then it will be more aggressive. It depends on the level of the class. While you may see sun salutations as part of the practice, it is not its defining feature. However, sun salutations are an integral pa... - 2/25/2012 8:38:37 AM
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MISSLISA1973

Ha! Ha! I don't consider myself hippie-ish at all, but I wear Birkenstocks frequently, ate vegetarian for five years and love yoga (even though I rarely do it). It cracked me up to see the teaser that made me sound like a hippie! LOL! Thanks for the laugh! - 2/25/2012 12:28:52 AM
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SANDYLLNY

I would be interested in restorative yoga techniques (while dealing with lumbar stenosis) and yes, yes- videos please - 2/23/2012 1:32:28 PM
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JUANAESBONITA

Thank you Salty for clarifying. All asana practice is Hatha yoga........Iyeng
ar, Ashtanga, Bikram etc are all just adaptations of the Hatha yoga practice. A great book to read to for an educated and entertaining understanding of Yoga is Yoga and the Quest for the True Self by Stephen Cope. - 11/24/2011 10:53:10 AM
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TANRAZZ

I started practicing yoga 11 years ago when I found out it would help with my rock climbing. It's still one of the best decisions I've ever made. I learned things that have benefited every other activity I've tried, from running to weight lifting--how to breathe, focus, line up my body for maximum benefit and safety, have patience during the hardest times--and of course the physical bonuses of increased flexibility and joint strength--those two things alone have enhanced all my other workouts. One caveat: I've seen a lot of great yoga DVDs, but taking a good class was essential to correctly learn the postures and techniques. Positioning of every limb and joint, even how you breathe as you execute the postures, can have minute details DVDs just can't cover, and certaily can't correct if you're doing them incorrectly. Also, my instructors were always able to give modifications if anyone in my classes were coping with an injury or just couldn't do the poses--DVDs also can't give you that. After getting a hang of the basics, I got a lot more out of all the postures in DVD yoga routines even if I hadn't yet learned them in class. - 7/5/2011 11:07:51 AM
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SALTYCHOCOLATE

Just one more thing, Bikram yoga and hot yoga are not the same thing. You must go to a certified Bikram yoga studio to get a true Bikram yoga class. A class labeled as "hot yoga" is not the same and should not be called Bikram. To find a true Bikram yoga studio go to www.bikramyoga.co
m and click on "Class FInder". All certified Bikram studios will be listed there. Now, that's not so say that Hot yoga isn't good, it just should not be called Bikram. - 12/31/2010 8:30:40 AM
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SALTYCHOCOLATE

Actually, all physical yoga is considered Hatha yoga. I like Bikram yoga because it gives you an incredible workout and there is no chanting and NO "spiritual" stuff attached. All to often people try to turn yoga into a religion, which it is not. I don't "salute" the sun. - 12/31/2010 8:24:19 AM
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VISION_QUEST2

Yoga fusion is the only perfect fit for a formerly obese person such as myself. Possibly very MIND-body like Integral, Kundalini I guess, where the effects are spiritual and psychological.

Neither are the styles I'm dealing with now ... the second one comes close ... !

My chip on my shoulder hadn't even been a prerequisite for the relationship I'd had with my first and former yoga studio - NO, they helped create it in me ...

They'd urged me to stay out of the Open Yoga classes, which could have reintroduced me to the CARDIO benefits of the kind of home practice I used to have, because they were more in the business of training budding acrobats...

Not really knowing this very well, I had not passed their"halo effect" test of looking like I nearly minored in modern dance in college. They have recommended Open classes to women in their 40's or 50's-like me-but without seeing first how they move, just because they wore a single digit dress size. I had seen them run out of there asking for their money back. I saw it with my own eyes. And more than once!

I never once asked for my money back (they clearly saw to that ... with attitude I wish on NO ONE). But what's more important is, I got my life back, at another studio without their nose in the air ... ! - 7/4/2010 10:08:29 AM
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BUDGIRLT

DITTO! "I too would love to see some demos on yoga stances and have some set up in a 20 - 20 min exercise routine. If Coach Nicole could do that, that would be awesome!!!!!!"
Even still photos with names and comments of poses would rock!
Maybe a tracker on "Track My Fitness"? I added it to my "other goals".
I have been doing yoga on my Wii, but not allways easy to pry son and husband from it. Cant allways find on tv(LOVE NamasteYoga on FitTV) @ "my" times. would be nice to be able to log on whenever I have the time:)OH PLEASE! email me if any one has found someting like this.. - 1/24/2010 10:38:44 AM
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HATCHER75

I too would love to see some demos on yoga stances and have some set up in a 20 - 20 min exercise routine. If Coach Nicole could do that, that would be awesome!!!!!! - 12/1/2009 7:59:31 AM
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