The most popular of yoga symbols is Om or Aum. But it could be said that all yoga postures, representing states of human or animal life as they do, are yoga symbols too.

Om or Aum

Om is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Hindu religion, from which the practice of yoga has developed. It is a sound rather than a word. Aum is a more accurate transcription of the sound but we are more used to seeing it written Om.

It appears at the beginning of almost all Hindu texts and is chanted before any reading of Hindu scripture and before all prayers and mantras. It is often chanted at the beginning of a yoga classes, and you can also chant it if you practice alone.

Be seated on the floor if you can, or on a chair, with your back and head straight. If you are are on the floor, cross your legs and place your hands in a mudra on your knees. Relax the breathing. Then make the sound on a single tone, letting your mouth close very slowly to form the vowels Ah, U and then M, holding your Om for the full length of your breath.

The three sounds should run into each other to form one smooth syllable. Let it fade naturally as your lungs empty completely, and then sit for a moment more before beginning your practice. After this long exhalation you should feel very calm and centered.

The visual symbol for Om is written differently according to language but the one that is used for Om in yoga is the Devanagari script. To western eyes it looks like a figure 3 followed by a loop with a curl and dot above.

This symbol can be printed on yoga mats and clothing. Many yoga practitioners also wear it as jewelry, especially in the form of a pendant, or have it as a tattoo.

In Hindu theology it can represent truth, unity, the object of meditation, the deity of deities, or the voice of God.

Yin and Yang Symbol

This is not strictly a yoga symbol because it comes from Chinese rather than Indian spirituality and culture. However, because it represents the joining of two into one it has a yogic meaning for many yoga practitioners.

Yin is the dark element, black in the traditional circular symbol. It can represent the passive, receptive, feminine, downward-seeking, water and earth, night.

Yang is the light element, white in the symbol. It can represent the active, light, masculine, upward-seeking, fire and air, day.

Yin and yang are two halves of one whole: complementary opposites. All beings and forces of nature have both yin and yang energy in constant movement. If something is described as ‘yin’, it can only be ‘yin’ relative to something else, its complement or its opposite, which is ‘yang’. So the feminine is yin compared to the masculine which is yang; but a woman by herself contains both yin and yang energy.

The two small circles in the symbol are also very important. They are the yin within yang, and the yang within yin.

Yoga Postures

Yoga poses are also symbolic. Many of them are named after animals or aspects of human life: Child Pose, Cobra Pose, Downward Facing Dog. In going through a yoga practice session we can see ourselves as symbolically taking on all the forms of life and unifying them by giving them expression in our one body.

All of these symbols are a powerful expression of the philosophy of yoga. Yoga symbols are used or worn in many students’ daily lives to remind them of their yoga practice and how it brings unity to their lives.

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Most yoga poses can be practiced by people at any level, so yoga positions for beginners are not really so different from any other yoga poses. What you will find if you go to a beginners class is that there will be much more explanation of each pose and where all the parts of your body should be every time. The yoga teacher will also spend more time explaining the principles of yoga and making sure that you know how to practice safely.

In a beginner yoga class the instructor will also tell you the English name for each position (e.g. Downward Facing Dog) and not just the Indian name (Adho Mukha Svanasana). This is especially important if you are joining a power yoga class where students move quickly from one pose to another. In an advanced class the instructor may only say the Indian names and you could be completely lost!

If you are beginning yoga at home without an instructor, it is best to buy a beginners yoga DVD or video and watch it closely all through the first time before starting to practice along with it.

Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara)

The sun salutation is a series of positions that flow well in a sequence and give your body some well balanced stretches. Many yoga students perform sun salutations each morning and evening. This is a shortened version which forms a very basic series of yoga poses for beginners.

It is very important to go through the series in time with your breathing. Breathing should be slow and relaxed. Do not stretch so much that your breathing becomes strained.

1. Tadasana - Standing Pose

Begin standing with the outer edges of your feet parallel and big toes together. Hands by your sides. Back straight, neck long, head well back on the shoulders. Practice by a mirror or against a wall at first to be sure you are straight.

2. Inhale - Urdhva Hastasana - Raised Hands Pose

Bring the arms straight out to the sides with palms up, sweeping up until they meet above your head and slightly forward. Look up at your thumbs but keep the back straight. Keep the shoulders down - do not stretch the arms up too high.

3. Exhale - Uttanasana - Forward Bend

Sweep the hands out and down, hinge at the hips keeping the head and back straight as you go forward in a swan dive. At the end of your dive, let the head hang and the back bend so that you flop forward. Touch the floor either side of your feet, bending slightly at the knees if you need to. Place hands flat on the floor if you can do this easily. Relax into this pose. The head should be completely relaxed.

4. Inhale - Flat Back

Roll the spine up to come up to a flat back at right angles to your legs, chin up looking forward, fingertips touching the floor or just above it. Make sure the back is not hollow or bent.

5. Exhale - Return to Uttanansana - Forward Bend

6. Inhale - Return to Urdhva Hastasana - Raised Hands Pose

Reverse the swan dive of #3: roll the spine up to a flat back with arms out to the sides and continuing on up with a flat back, hingeing at the hips, to stand straight with the hands meeting above your head in the Raised Hands Pose.

7. Exhale - Return to Tadasana - Standing Pose

These yoga positions for beginners can be the first step in your yoga practice.

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There is a very wide variety of yoga mats on the market. You will find both synthetic and natural yoga mats, and they come in many different sizes and colors. Which is best?

Natural or synthetic?

There two main types of yoga mat made from natural materials. The first is mats manufactured from natural fibers such as cotton. These can be good if you are in a power yoga class such as ashtanga yoga (or astanga yoga) where you will move quickly from one pose to another. You may be more comfortable on natural fibers if you are sweating. Check that the mat has a non-slip surface on the underside if you will be placing it directly on a hard floor.

You may also see some rubber mats. Rubber is of course a natural material. These will grip well on the floor but can become slippery if your feet and hands are perspiring.

The most popular form of yoga mat today is the sticky yoga mat which is made from synthetic materials. These are designed so that the mat will not slip on the floor while also providing good grip and cushioning for your feet and hands. Sticky yoga mats give good security for balances and stretch poses. They are also lightweight and easy to roll and carry.

Size

Yoga mats come in various sizes but you will want to be sure that it is longer than your height so that you can lie stretched out with both your head and heels on the mat. For most women a 6 ft mat will be long enough but some men will need an extra long size.

The width depends on the poses that you will do and how you use the mat. Usually if the mat is 1.5 times the width of your shoulders, that is fine. Keep in mind that a wider mat will make a longer roll and may be more awkward to carry.

If your yoga style includes a lot of sitting and lying relaxation and breathing exercises, you may want a thicker mat for comfort.

Color

The color may not seem important but it is! Your yoga mat should be a color that you like, that helps you feel calm and relaxed when you are practicing. Avoid very bright colors. Blue or green mats are best for most people. If you always practice in the same room, it is good if the color of your mat harmonizes with the room. Any clash of colors will affect your mood.

Some yoga mats have a grid pattern printed onto them. This can help you check that your feet and hands are correctly positioned in the yoga poses.

Caring for your yoga mat

A yoga mat should be easy to clean and care for. Remember that your mat is used on the floor and often in public spaces, so for hygiene you should wash it regularly. Some mats are machine washable, but keep it at low temperatures and do not spin or tumble dry. Others you can simply wipe down with a mild antiseptic household cleaning product. After cleaning the mat, leave it out to dry thoroughly. Never roll or store yoga mats when they are wet.

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Yoga for men is something that may not come to mind immediately as a great form of exercise for the body, and yet it is. The physical form of yoga was originally developed in India as an exercise for Hindu yogis, who are mainly men.

Yoga can be very helpful for improving bodily strength, which often comes as a surprise to many men. Many yoga poses are great for strengthening the back muscles. Others such as the Crow pose (Bakasana) work on increasing arm strength.

At the same time, yoga increases flexibility of the body which can be helpful if you tend to be stiff and muscle-bound. It also has a very calming effect on the mind. Once you begin to practice yoga and let go of the competitiveness that is associated with so many sport-based forms of exercise, you will find it benefits you through all of your daily activities. Yoga is well known for calming the breath, reducing stress and helping both men and women to become more focused and centered in their lives.

Yoga is a lot more than just a physical workout. Some forms of yoga, for example ashtanga yoga, are very fast-moving and aerobic, and many men are more attracted to this yoga style than the more meditative types of yoga that focus on breathing, slow movement and holding poses. However, the forms of yoga that hold poses for longer do give the body just as much of a workout, so do not avoid these just because they may not seem so masculine.

The yoga discipline, whatever form you choose, aims to combine mind, body and spirit to achieve a unity that promotes both physical and mental wellness. For men it is especially important to learn to relate to the body in this way and stop comparing with others or striving for fast progress. It does not matter if one person can do a pose more or less easily than another. It does not mean that the person is more healthy or fit.

If you are in a mixed class you will find that there are some poses that tend to be easier for women, and others that are easier for men. This does not matter, but if you prefer to concentrate on exercises that are particularly beneficial for the male body, you may want to seek out an all male yoga class.

It is important to enjoy your practice and not to force the body any further than is easy and comfortable. You will probably find that the day after what seemed like an easy yoga class, you can feel the effects with possibly some stiffness in the muscles. So do not push too hard.

Unlike many forms of strength-based exercise, there are no standards or goals to measure yourself against in yoga. Some men find this disconcerting, but once you adapt to it, yoga for men is very liberating.

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The main consideration when purchasing yoga clothing has to be the stretch. Yoga is a series of postures called asanas that come from the Hindu tradition in India and are designed to stretch the body to increase flexibility, strength, and unity of body and mind.

You will not want to wear anything that restricts your body from going as deeply as it can into any pose, so your yoga clothes will need to allow stretching in all directions. This gives you the choice of either very loose clothing that your limbs can move in freely, or clothes made of a stretchable fabric such as spandex. Even with stretch fabric you may still want to buy a size larger than your usual size to allow for easy movement without any constriction.

Although yoga classes are deeply relaxing, they are also very physical and you should be prepared to sweat. How much depends on the style of yoga, but natural fabrics such as cotton are recommended for maximum comfort. Many yoga students select a cotton/spandex mix which provides both stretch and sweat absorption.

Whatever you choose should be soft and comfortable. Generally the legs are covered completely by a pair of pants and the feet are bare. Do not try to practise yoga in a skirt - you will have problems when you want to try an inversion such as a headstand or shoulder stand! For the shoulder stand it is better to have a separate top and pants rather than an all-in-one leotard or body suit. You can tuck in the top at the front so that it does not fall over your face, but leave the back open so that your hands are in direct contact with the skin either side of your spine for a better grip as you support your back in the pose.

Yoga practice improves the circulation of the blood around the body and it is important that your yoga clothing allows this to happen to the max. Do not wear anything that is too tight around the waist - drawstring tie waists on your pants are better than elastic. A sports bra is recommended for women.

Whether you practice alone at home with a DVD on the television or in a class, it is important to feel good and accepting of your body during your yoga session so clothes do matter. Although in most situations you will not need new fashionable yoga wear every season, it is important to wear something you like. Even at home, it is best not to wear something that is so old and worn that you would not let another person see you wearing it!

So do take the time to pick out something suitable that you feel good wearing, either from your wardrobe or from the store. It’s a great idea to practice a few poses in your new outfit before class too. You can do this at home or even in the fitting room of the store. Then you can head for your first or your next yoga class with full confidence in your new yoga clothing.

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