In a typical yoga practice meditation, breath work (called "pranayama") and poses (called "asanas") are combined to offer you a complete workout for your inner and outer body.
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The meditation part will be used, most likely at either the beginning or the end of practice, to calm and center you. In yoga the practitioner always tries to stay "present," that is "in the present moment." In the present moment there are no regrets from the past or worries of the future, you simply "are." In doing this, not only are you promoting a much calmer self, but you are also paying more attention to yourself in the poses in terms of body awareness.
In your yoga practice, breath is everything. Breath or energy (known as "prana") is the only thing that is continuously happening in the present moment and constantly promotes relaxation and centeredness. You become an observer of your breath and as you move from one pose to another you simply follow your breath in a calming flow. In doing this you begin to act versus react the things around you and even when you are working in a pose, you are still maintaining a calm and relaxed breath. Breathing in yoga is typically done through the nose on both the inhale and the exhale, unless otherwise instructed, to keep the body and breath warm.
The poses, or asanas, are used to keep your body supple, strong, healthy, balanced and flexible. They quite often put you into challenging and difficult postures so that you can build your strength, stamina and muscle mass. Yoga is very focused on building core strength which promotes a healthy back body and posture. Sometimes in a class you will flow from one pose to another or you could stay in a pose for anywhere from 3-7 breaths at a time. No matter what class you are in, always know that you are staying present so that you become more self-aware and if you need to come out of a pose earlier then that is what you should do. You do not have to feel the need to hold a posture any longer than physically possible.
What is Yoga?
What are some common Yoga poses?
How Do I Begin a Yoga Practice?
