The Yoga rules

By Kurt Tasche

Many people look at yoga and think it is a difficult thing to master. They envision Indian yogis twisting and contorting their bodies into almost pretzel like shapes. However, those who are able to perform these incredible feats of flexibility have been practicing yoga for many years. There are actually many yoga positions for beginners that are both beneficial to health and wellness, yet easy to perform.

First in our list of yoga positions for beginners is "tadasana" or "mountain position".

To perform tadasana, stand erect with your feet together. Let the heels and the big toes touch each other. Keep the arms straight and well stretched, by the side, with the palms touching the thighs. Look straight. Raise your arms straight to the level of your shoulders, with the palms facing the floor and the fingers pointing forward. Twist your wrists, with the palms turned outwards. Interlock your fingers. Stretch your hands and further lift the arms towards the sky till they are in line with your legs. Raise your heels as much as you can. Stand on your toes, squeeze the thighs and lift the whole body upwards as much as you can. Feel the stretch. Breathe easily. Keep this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then slowly come back to the original position.

Practicing this yoga position for beginners improves posture, increases height (as the spine becomes stronger and able to stay erect), makes the spine flexible and improves stability and balance. This asana is also great therapy to help cure back pain. If you are prone to restlessness, you may find it difficult to practice this asana, as you will need to remain in perfect posture, and on your toes, for up to one minute.

I will continue discussing other yoga positions for beginners in future articles.

Kurt Tasche is a certified yoga instructor, specializing in teaching yoga to beginners. Check out his blog at:http://www.budofit.com/yoga