This document provides an overview of yoga, including what yoga is, its core components, and benefits. It defines yoga as a physical, mental and spiritual practice originating in India involving breath control, meditation and bodily postures. The core components of yoga outlined are poses, breathing exercises and meditation/relaxation. Ten foundational poses are then described in detail that are suitable for beginners, including downward facing dog, mountain pose, and various standing and seated poses. Benefits of yoga practice are also mentioned but not described.

1.
1. What is Yoga?
2. What are the core components of Yoga?
3. Benefits of Yoga?
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1
YOGA

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§ A physical, mental, and spiritual practice or discipline which originated in India
§ A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple
meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures
§ The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit root "yuj", which means "to bind" the spirit and
physical body together
§ Widely practiced for health and relaxation
§ Interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline to unite Body and Soul
§ Evolved over thousands of years to embrace a wide range of styles and disciplines.
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What is Yoga?

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§ Hatha Yoga: A yoga system of physical exercises and breathing control
§ Raja Yoga: A yoga system to achieve control over the mind and emotions
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Most well-known types of yoga

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The core components of hatha yoga and most general yoga classes are:
Poses:
• Yoga poses, also called postures
• A series of movements designed to increase strength and flexibility
• Range from lying on the floor while completely relaxed to difficult postures that may have
you stretching your physical limits
Breathing:
• Controlling your breathing is important part of yoga
• Can help you in controling your body and quiet your mind
Meditation or relaxation
• Meditation may help you learn to be more mindful and aware of the present moment without
judgment
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Core components of Yoga

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1.
Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukah Svanasana
• Beginners often lean too far forward in this posture
making it more like a plank
• Remember to keep your weight mostly in your legs
• Your butt high, and your heels reaching toward the
floor
• Bending your knees a little or a lot is an accepted
modification for people with tight hamstrings
• Eventually, this pose becomes a resting posture.
Believe it!
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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2. Mountain Pose - Tadasana
• May not be as famous as downward facing dog, but
it is every bit as important
• This is a good time to talk about alignment, which is
the way that your body parts are ideally arranged in
each pose
• The alignment in mountain pose draws a straight line
from the crown of your head to your heels, with the
shoulders and pelvis stacked along the line on the
way down.
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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3. Warrior I - Virbhadrasana I
• Hips face forward
• Think of your hip points as headlights. They should
be roughly parallel with the front of your mat
• Sometimes this requires that you move your legs
into a wider stance (towards each side of the mat)
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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4. Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II
• Unlike warrior I, above, in warrior II, the hips face
the side of the mat.
• When moving from warrior I to warrior II, the hips
and shoulders both open to the side.
• This is a movement that is done a lot, and not just in
classes for beginners.
• In both warrior poses, aim to get the front thigh
parallel to the floor.
• You've heard of feeling the burn, right?
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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5. Extended Side Angle - Utthita Parvakonasana
• The accepted modification of extended side angle
pose is to bring your forearm to your thigh instead
of your hand to the floor.
• This allows you to stay open across the shoulders
• If students reach for the floor before they are
ready, it compromises the position of the torso,
meaning that the chest is turned toward the floor
instead of toward the ceiling.
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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6.
Triangle Pose - Utthita Trikonasana
• Triangle can cause the same issues as extended side
angle, so have a yoga block handy for your bottom
hand.
• You can also rest your hand higher up on your leg,
but avoid putting it directly on your knee.
• Familiarize yourself with the microbend and apply it
here, particularly in your front knee.
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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7. Cat-Cow Stretch - Chakravakasana
• Cat-Cow may be the most
important pose you learn when
starting yoga, especially if you
have back pain.
• Even if you never make it to more
than a few yoga classes (no! come
back!), continue doing this stretch
on your own for your spinal health.
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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8. Staff Pose - Dandasana
• Staff pose is the seated equivalent of
mountain pose (above), in that it offers
alignment guidelines for a host of other
seated poses.
• You can (and should) sit on a folded
blanket or two if you have trouble sitting
up straight with your butt flat on the floor.
• Oftentimes this pose leads into a
forward bend.
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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9.
Cobbler's Pose - Baddha Konasana
• It can also be a good idea to sit up on something
like a blanket in cobbler's pose, especially if your
knees are way above your hips in this position
10. Child's Pose - Balasana
• It's the position you can assume any time you need
a break during a yoga class.
• If you feel ever feel light-headed or overly
fatigued, just move into child's pose on your own
and rejoin the class when you are ready.
• Taking child's pose is really up to your discretion,
which happens to introduce one of yoga's best
lessons: being attuned to the signals your body is
giving you and respecting them above any external
directions you may be getting
Ten Foundation postures for beginners
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Yoga Asanas for weight loss
Utkatasana or ‘The chair pose’
1. Stand in Mountain pose. Take a deep breath and raise your arms above your head. You
can put your hands together or apart, palms facing each other.
2. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the ground
3. Take 6-8 breaths and focus on a point in the distance.
4. Exhale and come back in Mountain pose.
Adhomuka Svanasana or ‘The downward facing dog’
1. Place your hands and knees on your yoga mat and look with your face down.
2. Keep your hands on the mat and stretch your legs on shoulder width. Keep your knees
and elbows straight.
3. Take 6-8 deep breaths.
4. Exhale gently and release yourself from the pose. You can repeat as many times as
you want.
Sethu Bandha or ‘The bridge pose’
1. Lie down on your yoga mat, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your pelvis and upper body off the ground.
3. Take 3-5 deep breaths.
4. Exhale and rest your body.

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Yoga poses for beginners – how to get started

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Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) (सूर्य नमस्कार)
• Considered a complete body workout
• 12 sets of Surya Namaskar translates into
doing 288 powerful yoga poses in a span
of 12 to 15 minutes
• Doing at least 12 sets of Sun Salutation,
preferably at sunrise, at a fast pace
provides a good cardiovascular workout
• If done at a slower pace, these postures
help tone the muscles and can be relaxing
and meditative
• Allows you to enjoy the stretch and
makes the body more flexible.

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Breathing: Pranayama is control of Breath
• "Prana" is Breath or vital energy in the body
• Prāṇāyāma (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit
word meaning "
extension of the prāṇa or breath" or "extension of the life
force".
• Bhastrika Pranayam: Bellows Breath
• Bhastrika involves both rapid inhalation as well as
exhalation. This helps to increase the circulation of blood in
the entire body
• Kapalbhati Pranayam: Shining Forehead Breath
• Anulom Vilom Pranayam: Alternate Nostril Breath
• Pranayama is a powerful breathing technique that ensures healthy body and calm mind.
• Breathing exercises decrease the effects of stress on the body, Increases concentration and overall well-being.

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Meditation:
Meditation
• A state of deep peace that occurs when the mind is calm and silent
• Means of transforming the mind
• Meditation practices are techniques that encourage and develop
concentration, clarity and emotional positivity
Om (or Auṃ [əә̃ũ], Sanskrit: ॐ) is a sacred sound and a spiritual icon in
Indian religions. It is also a mantra in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
• Meditation means awareness
• Whatever you do with awareness is meditation
• "Watching your breath" is meditation
• Listening to the birds is meditation
• As long as these activities are free from any other distraction
to the mind, it is effective meditation

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Benefits of Yoga - Physiological Benefits of Yoga
q Improves Posture
q Improves Reaction time
q Improves Balance
q Improves Sleep
q Improves Eye-hand coordination
q Improves Integrated functioning of body parts
q Increases Strength and Resiliency
q Increases Endurance and Energy level
q Increases Immunity
q Increases Breath-holding time
q Increases Cardiovascular and Respiratory efficiency
q Normalizes Gastrointestinal and Endocrine function
q Normalizes Weight
q Decreases Blood Pressure

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Benefits of Yoga
Psychological Benefits of Yoga
q Improves Concentration
q Improves Memory
q Improves Mood
q Improves Attention
q Improves learning efficiency
q Decreases Anxiety and depression
Biochemical Benefits of Yoga
q Increases HDL Cholesterol
q Decreases LDL and total Cholesterol
q Increases Haemoglobin
q Decreases Glucose

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Yoga is not just about working out, it’s
about a healthy lifestyle