Yoga is a physical, spiritual and mental practice that has been around for many years. Yoga was developed by the Indus Saraswati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago. Since then, it has become a phenomenon that has become popular in Gyms in Riyadh.
Research shows that yoga has many benefits such as stress management, mental/emotional health, promotes healthy eating habits, sleep and balance. If you are brand new to yoga, it can feel intimidating and difficult to know exactly how and where to get started. Yoga is typically performed with bare feet on a yoga mat. Movements often include stretchy clothes that will help you get into yoga positions. The most important step to get started with yoga, is to get into yoga for beginners class.
To get started in yoga class, you need to learn how to breathe, especially when holding your posture. Learning Dirga Pranayama is a good guide to practicing proper breathing. The most important part of the breathing process is to do it through the nose into the belly. The next step be to start with a brief state of meditation and intention. The way to do that is to sit in an easy pose or accomplished pose. Take a few moments to connect to the ground and center yourself. Focus inwards and try to maintain mental silence. Don’t forget to keep breathing slowly, in and out.
Before attempting to bending yourself into a pretzel, make sure to start with beginner-friendly warm-up sequences such as inhaling with fingertips up to the ceiling, and exhaling and twisting to the right, then left side. It is a good idea to gently stretch your entire body and focusing on the neck, shoulders and both together. After that, try the basic yoga poses such as a seated twist, cat cow pose, downward-facing dog pose, dolphin pose and cobra pose.
It’s important to end your yoga class with a Shavasana, also known as the relaxation pose. This pose entails resting on your back and consciously relaxing your body for 5-15 minutes. It’s also recommended to practice meditation after Shavasna to ground yourself and relax.
With all those meditative and power poses, it’s no wonder yoga has become popular in gyms in Saudi Arabia. Aside from that, Saudi Arabia has now opened several yoga-oriented centers and yoga classes such as the Arab Yoga Foundation, Soul Warrior studio, Sukoun Wellness, and Prana Shakti Yoga, all of which can help build resilience, release stress and benefit people, particularly women in Saudi Arabia.
