Whether as a daily routine, Me- Time or as a workout- yoga is versatile and flexible and adapts to you, your body and your needs. You want to find out more about what yoga is & how it works, what types there are, whether every yoga can learn and practice how often you should do yoga and whether you can lose weight with yoga? We talked to Lisa, who is a yoga teacher. As an expert, she gives us exciting insights into the world of yoga. She also has a first yoga unit for you with 5 different yoga exercises so that you can get started directly.
Hi Lisa, would you like to briefly imagine who you are and how you got to yoga?
Hey, I am Lisa, 26 years old and come from the Tuttlingen district (Gosheim). Personality development topics and yoga have been very present through social media in recent years and I have always thought that I would very much like to try yoga. Through my work colleague, who attended a yoga course, I then noticed that yoga is even offered at home-on the Heuberg. I then registered directly for the next beginner course. The whole thing was about 4 years ago and since then I have been practicing yoga regularly. I liked the yoga course so much and I was very enthusiastic that it quickly became clear to me that I would like to go deeper and do an apprenticeship as a yoga teacher. I started this in September 2020 and completed it in April 2021.
Here you can find more information about Lisa and her yoga courses
What is yoga?
I would always like to answer that in one sentence "short & crisp", but I always notice that it is not that easy. You have to go a little further. Yoga is a thousands of ancient Indian philosophical teaching. It is about harmony and unity of body, mind and soul. Yoga is much more than “just sport”. The asanas (physical exercises), which are mostly known under the term "yoga", are only a part of a total of eight areas. Breathing exercises, meditation, deep relaxation, healthy eating, behavioral and faith patterns towards me and others- all of this is part of yoga.
How does yoga work?
The nice thing about yoga is that it can be used individually. Sometimes you need relaxation, want to recharge your batteries and come to rest, then yoga serves as a retreat. Another time we want to powers and move powerfully, then yoga can serve as a source of strength. Yoga is very flexible and we can adapt it by choosing the type of yoga according to our needs.
What kind of yoga are there?
There are many different types of yoga, such as Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Yin Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga. These individual yoga types differ in the way of practice. Some are calming, the others are rather spiritual, some, on the other hand, exhausting and sporty, or a mix of it. I think the most common species of yoga are yin, hatha and vinyasa yoga. So it was at least for me. I knew the yoga species before my training. Yin yoga is very relaxing and meditative, the individual asanas (postures) are kept for several minutes, so that you can get completely relaxing and practice also has an impact on the fascia and internal organs. Hatha/vinyasa yoga is more dynamic, the attitudes flow into each other, are often referred to as "flows" and the type of yoga has a work-out character. You start to sweat, definitely need strength in the body and yes, you can actually get sore muscles from yoga! Like to try it out. Finally, it can be said: There is not a real yoga. Yoga is versatile, flexible and adapts to you, your body and your needs.
Can any yoga learn & practice?
YES! Really everyone can learn and practice yoga. The versatility of yoga makes it so easy for us to select a suitable yoga type in a very individual and according to our physical needs and our well-being. Some think that due to pain or diseases, you cannot practice yoga. But there are also yoga for such areas, even special yoga therapies that make it possible for us to practice yoga and thereby alleviate symptoms.
How often should you do yoga?
Of course, it always depends on your own goals and intentions. What do I want to achieve through yoga? Do I want to become more flexible? More relaxed? Build muscles? Or just take time for me? The more often and longer man yoga, the more intense and long -lasting the results are.
There are different yoga units-from short videos (20-30 minutes) to 45 minutes (more in gyms) to 90 minutes. I think a regular yoga course is great because he can help you integrate yoga into your everyday life and make it an integral part. If you practice a bit or twice a week at home in addition to a regular course, then this is definitely a very good start and who knows, maybe the need for "practicing more and more and more".
How is a yoga lesson built?
There are different procedures here. I know and do it myself so that you start with a short relaxation, then pranayama (breathing exercise) comes. This is followed by a warm-up and the individual asanas (physical exercises). At the end of the hour there is either a guided meditation or a deep relaxation.
Together with Lisa we turned a short yoga session for you so that you can gain a few first yoga experiences. You can find the video and the description of the individual exercises below in the blog post. Great, is not it?
Can you lose weight with yoga?
If you choose the sporty and dynamic execution of yoga, you can lose weight with yoga. The intensity and frequency of yoga units as well as a balanced and healthy diet also play a role. Yoga also helps to increase our body awareness and well -being.
Is yoga suitable during a juice cure?
Funny, I started my juice cure today. So I personally do it that I practice calm and relaxed yoga (towards Yin-Yoga) during the juice cure. My focus is on the relaxation and stretching of my body. As a result, I can support my body well during the juice cure and do not challenge it. Yoga in moderate effort can have a positive effect on a juice cure experience because the cardiovascular system and the metabolism are activated and the reset of the body is optimally supported. Here, too, it shows how flexible yoga can be integrated into our everyday life.
You want to change something and a healthier & more conscious me reach? With a Juice cure If you manage to make your diet healthier in the long term and together with yoga you can start an overall more conscious lifestyle. Get yours now3.5 or 7 days of juice cure.
Yoga unit with Lisa
The exercises:
1. Looking dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Come to the 4-footer and put your tips on your toes
- Make sure that your wrists are under your shoulder joints
- Press your hands firmly into the mat and put your fingers wide
- Make sure that your knees are under the hip
- Then move your buttocks in the direction of the heel and push yourself up into the down dog
- Extend your arms and back and let your head hang up loosely
- Feel free to bend your knees if necessary and feel the stretch in the back of the legs
- Feel in the position of the child, sit on your heels and stretch your arms either relaxed next to your body or forward
2. Warrior I - Virabhadrasana I
- Take your right leg forward and come into a deep failure
- The left leg is stretched
- The pool points forward (put your hands on your hips briefly and check the position)
- Sit deep into the warrior I by pushing your right knee over your right ankle
- Take your arms up over the side and stay in this powerful position for a few deep breaths
- Then come back on the mat with your hands, take your right leg back and run out briefly in the down dog
- Then change the side and come forward with your left foot into the warrior i
3rd rotary seat - Ardha MatSyendrasana
- Sit down on the mat
- Extend your left leg and overturn your right leg over the left leg
- Ich the lower leg
- Make sure your pelvis is straight and your back is long
- Hug your right knee with your left arm and put your right hand relaxed behind you
- The view goes over the right shoulder
- Remain for a few deep breaths in this position and try to win length with each inhalation and to sink a bit deeper into the rotation with each exhalation
- Come back forward with your right arm and change the page: overturn your left leg over your right leg, ...
4. Sphinx - Ardha Bhujangasana
- Come into the prone position via the 4-footed stand
- Press your back of your foot, legs and your pelvis firmly into the mat
- Place your elbows under your shoulders and put your forearms & palms on the mat
- Rear up the inhalation and become wide in the chest, pull your shoulder blades together on your back
- Stay for a few deep breaths in this position
- Then put yourself off and feel the exercise
- If you want, at the end of the exercise you can swing your pelvis a little to the right and left
5. Baum - Vrksasana
- Stand on the mat and shift your weight on your right leg
- Put your left foot either on the ankle, on the calf or on the inside of the thigh
- Press your foot sole and your mainstay for more stability against each other
- Pull your belly button inwards - active middle of the body
- Fix a point in front of you on the floor or on the wall to keep the balance better
- Take your arms up with the inhalation over the side and bring them together with the exhalation in front of the chest
- Stay for a few deep breaths in this position and keep your balance
- Set your left knee with the exhalation from feeling the exercise briefly after
- Then change the page: shift your weight to your left leg, ...
6. Back roll - as a degree to treat the body a small massage
- Sit down on the mat, place your legs and grab your hands into your knees
- Then roll back down your back very slowly
- Make sure that you don't roll over the neck, but only to the shoulder blades
- Come to the seat in the end