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The Beginner's Guide to Hatha Yoga, Workout Plan

To follow is a basic workout plan which can be followed step-by-step. For your convenience, the workout plan is broken down into 4 sections:

• Basic Asana
• Relaxation Asana
• Pranayama- Breathing Exercises
• Meditation

1. Basic Asana

Yoga Workout- Mountain Pose Asana

There are two variations to this posture, which should be completed several times as part of a set.  This exercise will help to improve your balance and stability.

Variation #1

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and parallel to each other.  Lengthen your torso, relax your shoulders, and draw your chin slightly inwards to lengthen your neck.
2. While breathing in, move your arms out in front and lift them over your head, while raising your heels up as far as you can.  Balance yourself.  Exhale and return to position 1.

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Variation #2

1. Stand with the inside-edges of your feet touching.  Bring the palm of your hands together in front of your chest, like you are praying.
2. Inhale, while lifting your arms and hands upwards (and holding the palms together), over your head.

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Yoga Workout- Mini Sun Salutation

Now, let's warm up your spine and get energy flowing through your entire body. Coordinate your breathing and movement, without rushing the entire process. To follow are the steps to this sequence of postures, which can be repeated multiple times during your workout.

1. Stand with your feet at hip-width apart and parallel to each other.
2. While breathing in, lift your arms up to the sides until your parms face each other and your arms are straight over your shoulders.
3. While breathing out, bend forward at the waist and use your arms to touch your shins or the floor. Bend your knees if you need to.
4. While breathing in, raise your chest and lengthen your spine as much as you can. Your neck should be in line with your spine and you should be looking forwards.
5. Finally, breath out, relax your torso, and return to position 3.
6. Breath in, and return to position 2.
7. Breath out, and return to position 1.

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Yoga Workout- Warrior Pose

The warrior pose is analogous to a lunge, yogic-style. Use this series of postures to both improve your balance and increase your energy levels.

1. Stand with your feet together and your arms by your sides.
2. While breathing in, turn your right foot slightly outwards and step forward with your left foot. Do not overstep.
3. While breathing out, plant your right heel firmly on the floor and balance your weight evenly between your two feet.
4. While breathing in, bend your left knee while lifting your arms so that your elbows form 90 degree angles.
5. Complete three breaths in this position.
6. On the finale exhalation, relax your arms, straighten your front knee, and return to step 2.
7. Step back to the starting position.

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Yoga Workout- Triangle Pose

The triangle pose is a side stretch that helps to strengthen your legs, strengthen the sides of your torso, and to improve your coordination.

1. Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your left foot 90 degrees outwards, and your right foot slightly inwards.
2. While breathing in, reach out with both arms, and lift them up to shoulder height with your palms facing downwards.
3. While breathing out, rotate your torso to the left. Move your torso sidesways, but not forward. Keep both arms straight, and use your left hand to touch your shin. Lift your right arm so that it is perpendicular to the floor.
4. While breathing in, return yourself to the position in step #1.
5. Repeat for the other side.

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Yoga Workout- Mighty Pose

The mighty pose increases energy levels, with strengthening both your legs and breathing.

1. Stand with your feet together.
2. While breathing in, keep your arms together, and extend then directly over your head, with the palms facing each other.
3. While breathing out, bend your knees and move your hips backward. Support your back using your abdominal muscles.
4. While breathing in, move your hips forward, straighten your legs, and return to the position in step #2.
5. While breathing in, relax your arms and return to the position in step #1.

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2. Relaxation Asana

Yoga Workout- Kneeling Cat-Swan Pose

This exercise is a gentle way to release tension from your spine, clear your head, and calm your nerves. You may want to try these poses with your eyes closed to maximize their effect.

1. Kneel with your hands on your thighs and your eyes closed.
2. While breathing in, gently lift your arms over your head and bring yourself to a raised kneeling position.
3. While breathing out, bring your hands to the floor in front of you and curve your spine upwards.
4. While breathing in, bend your elbows and lift the center of your chest upwards and forward.
5. While breathing out, move your pelvis back and downwards so that your hips are over your heels. Keep your head down, arms out, and curve your spine upwards.
6. Return to step #1.

Yoga Workout- Squatting Pose

Squatting helps us to lengthen our lower backs and to strengthen our knees, ankles, and hips.

1. Turn your feet slightly outward. Bend your knees and adopt a deep squatting position. Place a block under both heels if you have problems squatting. Keep your palms together, and gently press your elbows into the insides of your knees. Hold this position for a few breaths.
2. Clash your hands and lower your forehead so that it rests on your thumbs. Close your eyes and gently rock back and forth for a few minutes. Gradually reduce your movements until you are still again.
3. Lift your head and neck to straighten your back and open your eyes.

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Yoga Workout- Head-To-Knee Pose

The Head-To-Knee Pose stimulates the spine and your internal organs. It allows you to let go both physically and mentally.

1. Sit on the floor or on a small cushion to allow your hips to be slightly elevated. Extend both legs, but bend your right knee so that your right foot touches your left thigh.
2. While breathing in, lift both arms over your head with your palms facing each other. Lengthen your spine.
3. While breathing out, lower your arms and place your hands on the floor on both sides of your left foot. Relax your torso and bend forward towards your left leg.
4. While inhaling, return to the position in step #1. Repeat the entire sequence for the other side.

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Yoga Workout- Relaxing Breathing Sequence

This sequence of arm movements, when combined with steady breathing, is an ideal way to wind-down after a busy day.

1. Lie on your back with your arms by your sides (palms faced down), and your knees raised. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Close your eyes.
2. While breathing in, raise both arms straight up, with your palms facing inwards.
3. While breathing out, relax your shoulders and return your arms to your sides.
4. While breathing in, raise your right arm over your head.
5. While breathing out, return your right arm to your side.
6. While breathing in, raise your left arm over your head.
7. While breathing out, return your left arm to your side.
8. While breathing in, stretch out both arms along the floor and to your sides, at 90 degree angles from your body.
9. While breathing out, return both arms to their original positions.
10. While breathing, raise both arms over your head.
11. While breathing out, relax your shoulders and return your arms to your sides.
12. Relax for a few moments. Ensure that your mind and body are completely still.

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3. Pranayama- Breathing Exercises

Yoga Workout- Full Yogic Breathing

This basic exercise will help you develop awareness of your breathing patterns.

1. Lie down on your back.
2. Close your eyes and breath through your nose.
3. For the next 10 breaths:
   • Visualize each breath moving into the lower abdominal area. Imagine a light filling the abdominal area each time you breath in.
   • Each time you breath out, visualize tensions freeing from your body.
4. For the next 10 breaths:
   • Visualize each breath moving into the area in the middle of your chest (your stomach). Imagine a light filling your stomach each time you breath in.
   • Each time you breath out, visualize tensions freeing from your body.
5. For the next 10 breaths:
   • Visualize each breath moving into the area in the upper part of your body (upper back, collarbones, shoulders, neck, throat and head). Imagine a light filling these areas as you breath in.
   • Each time you breath out, visualize tensions freeing from your body.
6. For the next 10 breaths:
   • Visualize each breath moving into the lower part of your body, followed by the middle-section, followed by the upper section of your body. Link the 3 areas of your body each time you inhale.
   • Each time you breath out, visualize the breath moving from you upper body to the lower body.

Yoga Workout- Ujjayi (Victorious)

This basic exercise will help you develop a controlled, but strong breath that warms your body and increases your inner strength.

1. While keeping your mouth closed, breath in and out through your nose.
2. When breathing in, gently open the muscles in your throat so that you can hear your lungs being filled.
3. When breathing out, gently contract the muscles in your throat to produce a continuous hissing sound.

Yoga Workout- Alternate Nostril Breathing

This basic exercise maniupates the folow of energy through the channels in your body and provides the breather with a balance of stimulation and relaxation.

1. Press your right-handed thumb against your right nostril. This should effectively close the nostril.
2. Breath in through your left nostril.
3. Press your ring and pinky fingers against your left nostril. This should effectively close the nostril.
4. Breath out through your right nostril. Ensure that you inhale and exhale for an equal length of time.

Yoga Workout- Humming Bee Breath

The sound created by this breathing exercise sounds like a humming bee. Humming creates a vibration in your body that is soothing and nurturing. This exercise will calm your nerves and provide an overall sense of well-being.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Focus your attention inward to your breathing.
2. Breath in a long steady breath.
3. While breathing out, hum gently while keeping your jaw relaxed.
4. Continue to hum on every exhalation and allow the vibrations to spread to different areas of your face.
5. After 12 complete breaths, sit quietly and listen to the echos of the vibrations.

Yogic Meditation

Meditation involves turning the attention inward, to the mind itself. Mindfulness meditation and related techniques are intended to train attention for the sake of provoking insight. Think of it as the opposite of attention deficit disorder. A wider, more flexible attention span makes it easier to be aware of a situation, easier to be objective in emotionally or morally difficult situations, and easier to achieve a state of responsive, creative awareness.

For meditation to be effective, it needs to be practised regularly. Meditation should be conducted in an upright position because most people will fall asleep if meditation is conducted laying down. You can sit comfortably in a variety of traditional poses when meditating:

Seated posture

Use any chair, stool, bench, or anything that has a horizontal top, and sit on it. Sit up, with your back straight, and hold your head and spine in alignment. Rest your hands comfortably on your knees or on the arms of the chair. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor and your back should not lean against the back of the chair.

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Cross your legs while seated on the floor (and on a cushion, if this is more comfortable). Sit upright, with your back straight, and with your head and spine in alignment. Your hands may rest in any position.

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Those more skilled at yoga can attempt the half-lotus position:

Sit on the floor and bend your left knee so that the heel of your left foot comes to rest near your groin and and your outer thigh and calf rest on the floor.

The full-lotus is an advanced position which would comprise both knees being bent, and the heel of each foot being rested near your groin.

Kneeling posture

Kneel on the floor with your knees together, buttocks resting on your heels and toes and almost touching. Keep your back straight, head and spine in alignment, and rest your hands on your thighs.

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Yoga Workout- editation on Inner Strength

This meditation exercises focuses on the energy center in our body that connects us to the earth, and brings us a sense of stability.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine. Place your hands palms-down on your knees and close your eyes.
2. Focus on your body. Release any tense muscles and let yourself spread out to your full sitting height and width.
3. Focus on your breathing. With each breath, draw strength from the ground up to your body. While breathing out, envision that you are growing more stable and stronger.
4. Focus on the strength of your inner self. If your thoughts start to drift, refocus your mind by using your breathing.
5. Return the focus on your body. Become aware of the weight of your body. Sit quietly and contemplate your body's weight.
6. Get up and end the meditation session.

Yoga Workout- Meditation on Inner Harmony

This meditation exercises focuses on the heart center, which is associated with peace and loving compassion.

1. Sit in a comfortable position with a straight spine.
2. Bring your index finger and thumb together in an 'O' shape (both hands). Rest your hands on your knees with your palms facing down. This is called the chin mudra.
3. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly and steadily for a few minutes with the victorious breath.
4. Release tension in your lower back by lengthening your spine and relaxing your shoulders. Broaden your chest, release your jaw, drop your chin, and relax your inner thighs.
5. Focus your attention on your heart and the center of your body. Focus on a sense of peace.
6. While breathing in, visualize light radiating out from your heart and dispersing into every cell of your body.
7. While breathing out, visualize light being drawn into your heart through the surface of your skin.
8. Bring your palms together and contemplate your inner harmony.
9. Get up and end the meditation session.

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