Yoga – getting started at home

The Covid-19 or Coronavirus outbreak has affected households not just up and down the country but around the world, with life as we know it turned upside down as a result. Exercise offers a great way to stay calm, collected and grounded during lockdown, not to mention, fit and healthy. Daily exercise releases endorphins, the feel good hormones that are linked to better sleep, reduced stress and anxiety, and improved memory and cognitive thinking.

Those looking to boost their daily exercise levels at home, needn’t undertake anything high intensity to feel the positive effects of daily exercise. Yoga can hone your body and calm your mind at this stressful time, and better yet, you can get started in the comfort of your own home during lockdown. In this blog post, we unveil the benefits of practising yoga, explore the basic moves every beginner should start with, and reveal the top resources for practising yoga at home.

Why yoga? And why now?

Yoga is an excellent discipline to master due to its many health benefits. Yoga can increase flexibility, build strength, improve posture, enhance joint health, lower blood pressure and boost immunity to name but a few advantages. Your mental health will also be better off thanks to various yoga poses and yogic breathing techniques. Here Yoga Bliss explains more about the powerful impact yoga can have on your mind:

“Yoga is about uniting the mind, body and breath. In doing this it brings you into the present moment. Mindfulness has proven benefits for a whole range of health conditions, and is particularly effective in promoting positive mental health. In particular, mindfulness practices have been shown to strengthen the immune system, improve social relationships and reduce depression, anxiety and neuroticism. The benefits of increased mindfulness through yoga clearly reach far beyond the mat.”

Through yoga and associated mindfulness, you can reduce stress, take control of anxiety and rebalance your mind, three benefits that are certain to come in handy as we continue to live with fear and uncertainty of the Covid-19 outbreak. Yoga will also help you to keep moving and motivated as we strike a new work-life balance at home during lockdown.

Get started with these basic moves

Enjoying yoga and unlocking the many benefits mentioned above couldn’t be easier. Use your time at home to introduce yoga into your everyday life. Minimal equipment is required to start your yoga journey at home. All you need is a yoga mat (or towel) and some comfortable, breathable clothing to practise in.

There are 10 key poses beginners should learn, namely child’s pose, warrior 1, downward dog, triangle pose, cobra, warrior 2, chair pose, tree pose, half forward fold and bridge. When doing each pose (use our helpful video links to see how) be sure to listen to your body, modifying poses if you need to.

Great resources to use at home

With a number of fitness instructors, including those specialising in yoga and pilates, having to diversify and take their workouts online due to the outbreak and gym closures, there is now a wider range of free resources to access at home.

YouTube offers a never-ending supply of great yoga tutorials for people of all abilities. Yoga With Adriene, Boho Beautiful and MadFit are our top picks for those looking to introduce yoga and find strength, balance and peace at home. Want to enjoy yoga and unlock its many benefits as a family? Cosmic Kids Yoga is a must-subscribe for child-friendly yoga, mindfulness and relaxation.

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