What You Will Need for Your First Yoga Class

While most studios have mats and props, having your own allows you to pick the ones that will best support you. Many studios buy bulk mats that are cheaper and have less support. Finding a good mat with the right amount of thickness will help you to have better balance and will also take some of the pressure out of your joints. Look for a mat with a good grip as well that is easy to clean to prevent germs from building up within it.

For beginners, it is also recommended to have props. While studios will have these, bringing your own allows you to make sure they are clean and that they are the right size to support you. Some yoga blocks have more support than others and some straps are shorter while some are longer.

Blocks can help you to deepen a pose without hurting yourself. If you were doing a standing forward fold but could not reach your toes, you might use blocks to rest your hands on instead. You might also use a strap to place beneath your feet and hold in your hands. Both of these offer modifications, deepening your practice.

Deciding Whether to Practice Yoga at Home VS In a Studio

The decision of where to practice can differ based on each individual person. You might feel more comfortable practicing in your own space on your own time, or you might prefer to have an instructor there to guide you and walk you through your practice.

Let’s look at some pros and cons of each option.

Pros:

Practicing in a local yoga studio, gym, or ymca for beginners:

• Having an instructor there to guide you
• Longer practices
• Custom modifications for each person
• Adjustments
• Talking to teacher and asking questions

Cons:

• Not having a choice of practice length
• Not being in your own space
• Less choices of which class you want

Practicing at home for beginners:

Pros:

• Being in your own space
• Practicing on your own time
• Picking length of class and pausing or rewinding if needed
• Having a quieter space

Cons:

• Not having a choice of practice length
• Not having custom adjustments and modifications from teacher
• Not being able to ask questions

What To Look for in a Yoga Class as a Beginner?

As a beginner, your practice will be different from those who have been doing yoga for longer. Beginners need more modifications and adjustments as well as explanations of what they are doing and why they are doing it.

You will want to find a class that is labeled as “beginners” or “level 1.” If you are practicing in person, you will want to make sure you are able to ask questions from your instructor before class starts. Do your research to learn about which class makes the most sense for you to be doing. If you want more movement, a vinyasa flow might be best. For a more gentle class on the mat, look into yin or restorative yoga. If you want something more repetitive, ashtanga might be the best bet.

Whichever class you choose, just make sure it is more gentle and aimed for those just starting out so that you can keep up and learn while you practice.

The Benefits of Yoga for Beginners

Yoga is beneficial for everyone, especially beginners who have never practiced before. In general, yoga has so much to offer in order to enhance your life.

You can help with:

1. Increasing Flexibility- The many yoga poses in a class are designed to increase flexibility. While we all have different levels of flexibility to start out with, over time, the more yoga that is practiced, the more flexible you will be. For those who are very inflexible, yoga helps to learn more about your personal levels of flexibility and to work within them. You should never force flexibility, but having a regular yoga practice can give you an increase in both mobility and flexibility. In addition, yoga can stretch out and open up the fascia, giving you more room to move around.

2. Pain Relief- For those who have suffered from injuries, yoga can be helpful in decreasing pain. Many chronic pain sufferers find that yoga helps to reduce discomfort and even, sometimes, help the problem begin to heal better. Past injuries can cause scar tissue which can be broken down and stretched out in a yoga practice. However, if you are unsure whether or not yoga is safe to do with your injury, please ask a doctor beforehand as yoga is never meant to be a replacement for medical treatment. In addition, if you do have an injury, it is best to let your instructor know before practicing so that they can offer you alternative poses and modifications.

3. Correcting Posture- Let’s face it; these days most of us suffer from bad posture. In fact, low back pain affects more people globally than any other disability. (Hoy, et al.) Since we spend so much time looking down at phones and computers, and rounding our backs incorrectly, eventually, our posture will be affected. Yoga promotes correct posture and can relieve back pain.

4. Weight Loss- Yoga can help to lose weight and turn fat into muscle. Just like any other exercise, yoga can burn fat and increase your muscle strength. You will burn calories in a yoga class while increasing your endurance to be able to be more active in the long run.

5. Lowering Blood Pressure- Did you know that yoga can lower blood pressure? Through practices of mindfulness, deep breathing, and meditation, yoga can actually improve your blood pressure. In addition, you can lose weight with yoga and decrease stress, both of which can affect blood pressure.

6. Strengthening Muscles and Endurance- With each pose that you hold, you are working on increasing your endurance while strengthening your muscles. Yoga can build and help define muscles, and it is also great for relieving tension after a strength building workout. Yoga can be used in combination with other exercises or it can be used as the exercise itself. Though yoga will often not have as much cardio, each time that you hold a pose and engage the muscles, you are burning fat and increasing strength.

7. Improving Mental Health- Yoga can help to release stress, anxiety, and depression. Yoga involved mindfulness and meditation as well as breathing techniques. Each of these helps to focus the mind and recenter yourself. This helps to increase focus and let go of thoughts that no longer serve you.

8. Better Sleep- With the mental health benefits of yoga, you might also find that your sleep is improving. Yoga helps to relax you and work the body at the same time, resulting in feeling more ready for bed and sleeping deeper.

9. Increasing Balance- If you struggle with balance, yoga can definitely help you. Many yoga poses involve standing on one foot (though this is always optional) and practicing other methods of balancing. When you hold a pose, you are training your muscles to be able to balance for longer, increasing stability and muscle control.

10. Improving Focus- If you have trouble focusing, yoga is definitely a great practice for you. Focus is just one of the many mental health benefits that a yoga class can offer, and this is actually why many schools are now involving yoga practices in the classrooms.

 

What brings you to yoga? Answer this to help determine which beginners practice is right for you.

Everybody will have a different reason and goal for having a yoga practice. Taking time to define what your goal is can help you decide what your main focus will be in yoga. For some, yoga might be a great way to have a “rest day.” This is helpful for those who are always up and moving, exercising each day, without giving their bodies a break. Yoga can be a more gentle practice, so using yoga during a rest day can be beneficial for you.

In addition, you might be using yoga for weight loss or as an exercise itself. Others might be searching for pain relief or posture correction. Whatever your reason is for starting a practice, there is always a class out there for you. Keep in mind that your goal might differ from someone else’s and that is okay. Yoga is a solo practice, so knowing what you are looking to gain from it can be helpful in ensuring a great practice for you.

Why Yoga is an Effective Tool for Beginners Who are New to Fitness in General

Starting a wellness practice for those who are new to it can be intimidating. Jumping right into an intense exercise is difficult, and often not sustainable. Starting your fitness journey with yoga can be very helpful, especially if you do not have much  prior experience with exercise in general.

Yoga can also get your body ready to do more intense exercises. Let’s say you are looking to start weight-lifting, but maybe you are struggling with endurance. Yoga can help you build strength and increase your endurance, making other ways of exercising easier and more attainable.

Many start exercising by jumping right into weight lifting, walking, and many similar practices. While walking is a good way to get some cardio in, and weight training can be very effective, neither are meant for increasing flexibility and working on your mental health. Both can be good for beginners, but neither will have as many benefits as yoga. If you want to start exercising, but do not know where to begin, yoga can be very helpful for you.

Do You Need to Be Flexible to Practice Yoga?

Did you know that you do not need to be flexible to practice yoga? Yoga is actually a practice meant for learning about your body, and your flexibility, but not about seeing how flexible you can be. Yes, yoga can increase flexibility over time, but the goal of yoga is not to be flexible.

You are meant to learn about yourself in a yoga practice. Sometimes, this means becoming more aware of what you are capable of, and what is too hard for you to do. Having modifications and props can be key in making a practice more accessible to people of all levels of flexibility.

If you are not flexible, that is okay. In fact, some people are less flexible genetically. Other factors that can affect flexibility include, but are not limited to, prior injuries and scar tissue, gender, muscle mass, and even body type.

Considerations Before Starting Yoga as a Beginner

Are you ready to start your yoga practice?

Some considerations to take into account are which type of class you think will best serve you, where to practice (at home or in a studio), finding a teacher that makes you feel comfortable and supported, which props you should get, and so much more.

Do your research and find the studios in your area. See which one(s) make the most sense for you to go to. Which classes are offered for beginners? Does the studio have props (they should) or do you need to bring your own?

If you are practicing at home, setting up your space is important. Find a quiet area where your practice will not be interrupted and make sure you are comfortable.

Do you have the right mat? Does it support you and your practice?

If you are at home, do you have props?

If you have an injury, or a past injury, does your doctor say it is safe to practice?

Just getting yourself prepared is important so that you have everything you need when starting to practice.

 

The Types of Modifications You Dan Do as an Inflexible Beginner

There is a reason that instructors spend so much time being trained and learning modifications for each pose. A yoga practice is meant to suit everybody in the class, and if there are certain things that some can not do, there should always be alternative options.

Modifications are necessary and important. If you struggle with flexibility, then the good news is that there is always a way to modify a practice for you.

If you are practicing at home, having a block and strap can be helpful. Blocks are great for making a stretch more accessible. As we mentioned earlier, if you were trying to touch your toes but could not reach the ground, having blocks can bring the floor closer to you. Let’s say you are trying to come up into Warrior III (which involves leaning forward with the back straight and one leg in the air behind you) but could not easily balance. You would have the option of placing a block or two in front of you to hold onto that would help you balance with the choice to slowly begin to bring your hands away. See how to do this below.

In a chair practice, you will do similar poses, but sitting down. For example, pigeon pose is usually done on the floor with one leg crossed in front of you and the other stretched out behind you. When practicing pigeon pose in a chair, you would simply have your leg crossed over the other thigh with your foot flexed. This allows similar benefits without as intense of a stretch.

Checkout our Yoga for Absolute Beginners With Modifications Using a Chair Below.

If you were using a strap, you might use it to help with reaching. For example, if you were doing Open Face Cow arms (where you have one arm reached up and over and bent down the back and the other arm reaching up and around to join the hands together) it might not be the easiest to touch the hands to one another. In this situation, having a strap can be helpful to hold onto to work the hands closer to each other without strain. Check out this modification below.

Want to learn more tips for modifications in yoga? Click here!

5 Best Yoga Poses for Beginners by Benefit

Hip Flexibility

One of the best hip openers is a seated wide-leg forward fold. This is also great for the lower back and the glutes. To do this pose, you can sit with your legs out to the sides and the feet flexed to protect the hamstrings. If this is too uncomfortable, bring the legs closer in towards one another. From here, on an inhale, bring your arms up, and as you exhale, keep your spine long and begin to fold forwards between the legs. Do not round your back and never force yourself to go further than you are capable of. If you cannot comfortably reach forward, feel free to use a block (or blocks) here to bring your hands to. You can also use a bolster here to lay over. If you want to use straps, you can wrap one around each foot and hold them in your hands to gently pull yourself forwards.

Posture

One of the best poses for posture is cat/cow. This is done by starting on the hands and knees and on the inhale, arching the back and looking up to the sky. On the exhale, round your back, tucking the chin to the chest. Continue at your own pace, working with the breath. If this is too difficult, you can do the same movements sitting in a chair. If your knees are uncomfortable or sore, you can place a pad beneath them or roll the edge of your mat up under them to support you here. Repeat the movement for about ten breaths and then come back to center.

Strength Building

Chair Pose is one of the best for building strength and endurance is chair pose. This pose is done by standing with the feet hip-width distance apart and sitting back as if you are sitting in a chair. From here, you can bring your arms up at a diagonal, reaching to where the wall and ceiling meet. Hold this pose for multiple breaths or as long as you’d like, using your muscles to keep you stable and in place. You can also bring a block between the thighs here for stability. Hold this for at least a few breaths or as long as it feels good for you. The longer you hold it, the more muscle you can build.

Relaxation

One of the best poses for relaxation would be child’s pose. This is done by starting on the hands and knees and pressing the hips back towards the heels as you fold forwards and reach the arms out in front of you. You also have the option to bring the arms down by the sides, and the knees can be beneath you or you can bring them outward to frame the belly. You can always use a pad under the knees or roll the edge of your mat beneath them. If you can’t reach your forehead onto the ground, you can fold your hands beneath it or use a block. It is recommended to stay here for at least a minute or two to gain the full relaxation benefits.

Balance

Tree pose is great for balance and can be done by all levels, and there are also many ways to modify this pose if need be. This pose is done by shifting the weight into one foot and carefully beginning to bring the other foot up to your thigh. If this is not doable, you can also bring your foot to your shin or your heel to your ankle. Your hands can be at heart-center, up above you, or out to the sides for balance. If you cannot easily do this pose, you can use a chair or the wall to hold onto for balance. Hold for a few breaths and then exhale to come back down.

5 Yoga Poses That Can Be Hard for Beginners and How to Modify Them

The poses below tend to be more difficult for beginners. If you choose to try these out, please be careful and use modifications. These are best to do with an instructor present if you have never tried them before.

1. Warrior III- This tough balancing pose is usually done by stepping one foot into the center and beginning to lean forwards to bring the other leg back behind  you. From here, you would bring your arms out in front of you for the full pose, keeping the spine long and your back foot flexed. If this pose was not easily doable, you could use a chair to hold onto for balance. Another option would be to bring one or two blocks to the ground in front of you and start by holding onto them as you gently bring the back leg up. You would then be able to stay here or carefully work your way all the way up into the pose.

2. Side Plank- Side plank is a great pose for strengthening the core, but for some, balancing in this pose can be difficult. To do this pose, you would usually start out in a plank and begin to shift to the side, balancing on one hand and your bottom foot. You would then bring your other foot up and reach the opposite hand to the sky. If this is too difficult, you could bring the lower knee to the ground to help balance here. Make sure to keep the core engaged no matter what version of this pose you choose to do.

4. Crow Pose- This is a pose that involves balancing on your hands. You would start in a squat pose, with your feet out to the sides and the knees bent and the hands together at heart center. From here, you would bring the hands flat to the ground beneath the shoulders and rest your knees on top of your upper arms. Having a slight bend in the elbows helps here. You would then slowly begin to lean forward, trying to lift the feet from the ground. If this is not doable, you could always bring a block in front of you to rest your head on, however if you try this, make sure not to put the pressure in your neck at all. Another option would be to bring two blocks behind you to gently rest your feet on. Be very careful here and take your time. If it takes you extra time to work your way up to the pose, that is okay too. You want to use strength to pull you up here as momentum will not keep you up and balanced.

5. Dancer’s Pose- This challenging balancing pose is usually done by stepping one foot into the center and reaching your other foot up and back behind you, bending the knee as you lift the hand of the same side back to grab onto your foot or ankle. You would then bring the opposite arm out in front of  you. If this was too difficult, you would have the option to use a strap here, wrapping the strap around the back foot, and holding it in your hand for balance. You could also use the wall or a chair in front of you for support here. If you choose to hold onto something, you are still free to use a strap here as well for the back foot.

How Often Should a Beginner Practice Yoga?

The amount you should be practicing will differ person to person. Practicing at least one to two times a week can be useful for beginners, but if you want to do more, you absolutely can. You might choose a more intense practice one day and a more gentle one another day. Switching off between yoga and other exercises is a great way to ensure that you have rest days. You might do yoga once a week just for pain relief and posture correction. The amount that you should practice depends on what you are looking for and what your goals are.

How Quickly Can You See Results With Yoga?

The speed of the results you will see from your yoga practice will depend on how often you are practicing, what type of practice you are doing, where you are starting from, etc. If you are starting out at a heavier weight, then weight loss might be seen faster. If you are looking to become more flexible, after a few classes, you might begin to notice a difference.

When it comes to pain relief, results will often be seen much faster as you begin to ease the strain in your muscles and break down scar tissue.

There really is no one answer to this question, but the results will depend on you and how you are practicing. Where you start out should also be taken into consideration. Either way, the more you practice, the faster you will see results.

Try a Free 30 Day Yoga Challenge On Body By Yoga’s Youtube Channel

Do you want to try a practice with us? Did you know that we offer a 30 day free yoga challenge on our youtube channel? We created a challenge that only involves five minutes (or less) of your time each day. You can check out this challenge here!

For beginners, we recommend trying our Yoga Boost program. With four beginner yoga workouts, this course is aimed for those who have never done yoga before. Check it out here!

For those looking for a more gentle class for beginners, we offer our Yoga Fix program. This course includes a five day system of twenty minute workouts. Checkout this class for absolute beginners here!

For those looking to try out a yoga class but would prefer to have a chair to use, our Yoga Start program would be a great option for you! This program includes chair modifications for those who are not flexible but who are ready to start their practice. Checkout this program here!

Finally, for those looking for more of a power yoga class, you should take a look at our Yoga Sweat 2.0 program. This beginner’s power yoga course is a twenty-five minute class and even includes free access to our Yoga Sweat 1.0. Checkout our Yoga Sweat class here!

We also offer many other programs as well. Check them out here!

If you want to check out some free resources on our website for beginners, click here!

How Does Body By Yoga Compare to Other Types of Yoga

There are many types of yoga out there, so let’s take a look at some of the most popular practices:

Vinyasa Yoga- This practice is probably the most commonly used. It involves linking poses to the breath and flowing from one pose to the next.

Power Yoga- Power yoga is like a more intense vinyasa class, allowing you to hold each pose for a bit longer to really work your muscles. This is a great practice for weight loss and building muscle.

Yin Yoga- Yin yoga involves staying on the mat and doing deep stretches for a longer period of time to increase flexibility and work into the soft tissues of the body.

Restorative Yoga- This practice is similar to yin yoga, but it is more gentle and is made to help restore the body (hence the name). This is a great practice for those healing from injuries.

Ashtanga yoga- This practice is a little bit different and involves a few specific series of poses that are repeated throughout the class.

Now, let’s look at how our classes compare to some of the most popular practices.

Body By Yoga offers unique practices with something for everyone, no matter your level of prior experience. How does our yoga differ from others?

Body By Yoga has designed specific classes that are unique from other yoga practices. We like to think of our yoga as a slow burn power yoga, allowing each pose to be held for longer without holding it so long that it becomes boring. Instead of vinyasa flows, we like to spend more time with each pose. When a pose is held, you are able to gain more of the benefits from it versus when you slide right into the next pose quickly.

We focus less on cardio, encouraging other avenues for cardio such as running instead. Our slow burn power yoga increases muscle and flexibility.

Our classes can be seen as ashtanga without the repetition, or yin that is less boring for those who do not like to sit still in silence.

Our practices are aimed for anyone, whether you are experienced or a beginner.

Instead of choosing one main yoga style, we incorporate many ideas into our practices. 

Slow burn yoga is a combination of yoga and physical therapy. Our classes are also educational, giving you the tools needed to understand why you are practicing each pose and what benefits you are gaining from them.

Are you a beginner?

Are you an athlete?

Are you inflexible?

Are you a mix of these options?

No matter what your answer was to the previous questions, we offer classes for you.