YOGA FOR BEGINNERSand which pain takes you away from the practice of ahimsa
and causes harm. Svadhyaya concerns taking responsibility
for your life and contemplating what you need to grow.
ISVARA PRANIDHANA
Isvara pranidhana acknowledges that something “out there”
is bigger than humanity as a whole. This principle empha-
sizes that individuals have no real control over anything,
regardless of their belief systems.
Asana
Asana is the physical practice of yoga. These are the poses,
the Down Dogs and the Up Dogs, and all the stretching
and balancing in between. Later, as you learn more about
the physical practice, asana will help you grasp the other
aspects of yoga.
Pranayama
Pranayama is breath work. There are many types of yogic
breathing out there, but one of the simplest is learning to
breathe slowly and deeply. It is said that most people use
only a small portion of their lungs’ capacity to breathe. Mak-
ing a conscious effort to fill your lungs with air can create a
calming effect that relieves stress.
Pratyahara
Pratyahara is the practice of withdrawing from the senses in
order to focus in on your own thoughts, by being able to look
inward. It’s like sitting at your desk to work and turning off
your phone and the Internet so that you don’t get distracted.