Hatha Flow Yoga- Is It Hard To Do?
Most people who are new to hatha flow yoga get disappointed when they first start practising.
They come to me saying things like, “I don’t get it. It’s so hard!” “It doesn’t seem like there’s any progress at all.” “I don’t see how this is going to get me into shape.” I always tell them that’s normal.
That's part of the process. The very first few days are usually the hardest. But then, the process gets more accessible, and you start to see results.
Is hatha flow yoga hard?
It depends on how you practice. A widespread mistake people make while they begin is that they try and emulate the more advanced practitioners. As a result, they do the more challenging poses and possibly injure themselves.
Realize that it will be challenging at first, but then you'll reap the benefits as your body slowly adapts. Be patient with yourself and your body. Yoga is a fabulous way to improve your strength, flexibility, and fitness level.
The great thing about hatha flow yoga is that it’s a very safe form of exercise. The movements you’ll be doing in practice aren’t dangerous or stressful to the joints or muscles if you don’t push yourself too hard from day one.
The key to improving your practice is to remain consistent. It's plain and simple. Try as hard as you can to make it a habit to work out every once in a while.
If you miss a day, just go the next day even though you might feel like you’re not ready.
When I tell people that they need to exercise at least once or twice per week if they want the best results, I'm not telling them anything new.
But the following advice and thinking on how to get yourself to exercise more often will help you improve significantly:
Saturate yourself with information
Read as many articles about yoga, health, fitness, and lifestyle. Read book after book about, for example, how to get in shape or lose weight.
Lighten up on yourself
Don’t take yourself so seriously. So many people don’t work out because they believe they “should” be able to work out.
Set goals
In an attempt to be more disciplined, I’ve found it’s best to have a definite purpose. You can have a general plan, such as to get in better shape or lose weight, but you should set a specific goal.
For example, if your particular goal is to lose 10 pounds by the end of this year, then you'll know what to work towards and how many calories you need to eat each day to reach that goal.
Consume less food
If you start eating a lot less food, then you’re psychologically more likely to exercise. Forget about “entitlements.”
For example, when I was overweight, I ate two dozen doughnuts every day. Now that I'm in shape, I can't even fit one doughnut into my stomach!
Take little steps
Take it easy on yourself at first. Make small goals and stick with them instead of making big goals right now.
Don’t give up
You may be disappointed and discouraged when you start your routine and see no results, but don’t give up. Stick to it!
Conclusion
Hatha flow yoga is not challenging if you practice with proper breathing, correct alignment, and with the right amount of effort.
You'll feel the burn when you first start, but then it'll become more accessible. Your muscles will adapt to whatever exercise routine you do, so keep practising!
