Beginning yoga

danjlittler

Hi there.

I've had a look at the yoga manual on this site, at Carl's recommendation, and I just wanted to ask a couple of questions to maximise the benefit and minimise the chance of putting myself in traction. Most importantly, although I've read through the booklet, I wasn't clear on the best way to proceed with doing it. Obviously, it's down to what works best for each person and all that ("best practice is in the musculature of the practitioner", perhaps?), but being completely new to all this, and not the most active of people...

So, would you recommend I do each one of the nine positions from program one, one after the other, each morning to start off? That seems to be the implied suggestion on the manual, but it's not clear. So far, though, I've got to say I'm feeling some benefit just from having contorted myself into a couple of interesting positions this afternoon.

Carl

Doing just one posture is a good beginning if continued. Do as many as interest (need) permits. There is no rule otherwise. The necessity you truly feel, not the ideal you think/picture, is what actually determines action. As to mishaps: act and be attentive is the only way to avoid most (well, always staying in bed out of harms-way works also ;-) ).

I put another PDF up which covers the basic postures. It may help fill out the picture.

http://www.centertao.org/media/Yoga_Step-by-Step.pdf