Flow Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga for Beginners

Flow Yoga for Beginners – Practice Vinyasa Flow Yoga Regularly

Flow yoga is a type of yoga asana in which the yoga practitioner changes the postures dynamically into another pose, using the breath. It is also known as vinyasa. It means to move with the breath which is essentially the core of a vinyasa class. Vinyasa yoga focuses on transitions and movements. Generally, it is considered as a fast and physically challenging practice but it can be soft and gentle. As, when a person does breathing then they slow down the transition with deep inhalation and slow exhalation. By doing this yoga one can find inward focus. Flow yoga looks to have a mixture of breathwork, meditation and it has many energizing movements. It seems to be the most popular yoga in this world. 

While practicing this yoga the people start with the gentler movements to warm up their muscles and body. Then they move into more progressive and challenging flowing sequences. This ends up with deeper, slower, stretches, and floor-based asanas.  Flow yoga helps a person to maximize the positive benefits and it turns to be a moving meditation. Primarily the breath helps in maintaining the rapidity of the sequence. It also helps in preventing the practitioner not to rush while performing the poses. In this way, meditation and breathwork are woven throughout all flow yoga practices. The vinyasa flow yoga helps in developing a more balanced body. It also helps in preventing repetitive motion injuries. The word ‘Vinyasa’ emanated from the ‘Nyasa’ which means ‘to place’ and ‘vi’ means in ‘a special way’. This means that a person is not ‘throwing the bodies around’. It brings awareness to each movement in each moment. 

Vinyasa yoga has many features like it connects one posture to the next one just by using the breath. So, it is also known as flow yoga as it is linked or flows into the postures. It is also helpful in transition which means that one posture is connected to the other. They act as an in-between part. Transitions are considered postures themself. That’s why it is not always appreciated. To be more graceful and be in a connected way, a person should give a lot of time in developing the skills in the transition. As a person who gives more time to asanas. Vinyasa is compatible with the movements. In stillness, it represents the beat of the heart, inhales, and exhale of a breath but moving in and out of postures is the obvious movement. Vinyasa yoga is fun as when a person starts practicing yoga to have a benefit of it. They have to practice yoga regularly. But, people don’t feel joy while practicing yoga. But when a person wants to enjoy yoga they should do vinyasa flow yoga. 

By practicing vinyasa one can generate heat and can add cardiovascular components. It is always present in the forms of a postural practice. Vinyasa can be performed in an advanced and beginner version by the people. For a beginner’s version,  a person can do planks; knees, chest, chin;  cobra, and downward-facing dog poses. For an advanced version, a person can do chaturanga dandasana, plank, downward-facing dog, and upward facing dog. 

Beginner’s Version of Vinyasa Flow Yoga:-

1. Plank- First a person should be in a plank position. For doing this, a person should do jumping or by stepping back from the front of the mat. If a person feels difficulty in performing plank, then they can drop their knees to the floor. After that shoulders should be distracted over the wrists and hips should be in line with the shoulders. The crown of the head should be length forward and heels should be out. 
2. Knees, chest, and chin – First a person should exhale to lower the knees, chest, and chin to the mat. Butt should be stayed high in the air. The elbows should point straight back along with the sides. It’s really a very interesting pose as it acts like a warm-up to the back bends. It also helps to develop the arms strength. 
3. Cobra pose – To do this pose, a person should inhale and slide forward to a low cobra pose. Arms should not be moved. When a person will lower their hips to the floor the chest will come forward and lift up off the ground. Make this lift to come from the strength of the back. One should not use their hands to push down. Don’t put so much weight on the hands while anchor to the pelvis and the tops of the feet to the mat. 
4. Downward facing dog – First a person should exhale and then they should curl their toes under as straight the arms to push back at downward facing dog. Then come through all fours or do a child’s pose in transition. Hands should be shoulder-width apart and feet should be hip-width apart. Spines should be long and press the sit bones towards upward and heels should be towards the floor in downward facing dog position. This was all the beginner’s version pose.

There is also an advanced version pose which is helpful in many ways. In advanced versions, a person should begin with a plank pose. If a practitioner jumps back from uttanasana straight into chaturanga then the plank pose should be skipped. A person should shift forward onto the toes tip to lower from the plank. 

1. Chaturanga dandasana – First exhale and should straight bend the elbows back to lower to chaturanga dandasana. The body should be in a straight line and the shoulders should not be lower than the elbows. A person should use their legs strength to press the back of their knees towards upward and press the ball of their feet to help engage their leg muscles. This is a tough pose as it is very tough to hold the position. So, a person should never rush on to the next pose. 
2. Upward facing dog – First a person should inhale. Then straighten their arms, then release the hips and the toes should be rolled over to the tops of the feet into the upward facing dog. Feet should be flipped once at a time. To keep the thigh lifted off the floor then press into the hands and feet. Shoulders should be kept moving away from the ears. 
3. Downward facing dog – To perform this pose, first, a person should exhale, and then the toes should be rolled over and hips should be up. Then back to the downward-facing dog. Before moving on, one should do the version of the vinyasa in which they are most comfortable with. If a person is very much capable of doing chaturanga, then it is very good as it will help in warming up with a few rounds of knees, chest, and chin at the beginning of a vinyasa session. A person can practice different flow yoga poses. If a person gets tired and if it becomes difficult to perform. So, a person should start with a  ‘beginners’ version of vinyasa or one can skip the vinyasa altogether.  This Chaturanga pose can be felt as a difficult pose. This may cause injury to the body when a person is tired. So, a person should stay in a plank or a downward-facing dog position while resting. 

Vinyasa yoga is one such yoga form that gets the body to break into a sweat as if a person has just come out of a steam bath. When a person starts practicing yoga and changes the pose it feels like the heart is racing. It has a positive effect on the body, soul, and mind. Breathing flow and breathing patterns are the most important components while practicing different postures. Vinyasa’s strength is in its own diversity. If a person likes to have things a little bit loose and unpredictable. If a person likes to keep moving then a person should try flow yoga. There is no single rule book or sequence in vinyasa which the teachers should follow. So,  there’s a lot of choices that the individual can perform according to their personality. So, a person should find a teacher that makes them happy and can make the class enjoyable while flow yoga poses. If a person is not satisfied with the first flow class then a person should try to find different teachers until it makes them feel better while practicing. Vinyasa flow yoga helps in building up strong bones, muscles, and convective tissue. So, that it helps in maintaining a healthy posture,  high metabolism, active and alive body. It also helps in strengthening, balancing, and good functioning of a body to maintain a healthy life for longer years.

In vinyasa yoga, there is also a cardiovascular workout which helps in making the organ strong. It also helps to lower the stress level and anxiety. It is helpful in quitting the habits of smoking. As the challenging yoga poses are done in quick succession. So, it provides strength to the muscles and improves the fitness level. A person should do yoga and attain a healthy lifestyle. It makes people’s life interesting and enjoyable. Yoga helps in bringing life physical and mental discipline. It helps in relaxing the body and mind and also increases flexibility to the body. So do yoga and be calm and patient towards life.