5 tips for starting yoga (from someone who could barely bend at first)
Yoga has been one of my greatest blessings, helping me cultivate a sense of security and home within myself.
For years before I practiced, I assumed that yoga was not for me. I didn’t feel calm enough, grounded enough and definitely not flexible enough.
But real yoga is not about aesthetics. In fact, it wasn’t even originally intended to be a form of physical exercise. Odds are, if you treat it as such, you’re not reaping all the benefits yoga has to offer.
Yoga is incredibly accessible and transformative, allowing you to start exactly where and as you are. Here are five tips for beginner yogis looking to add yoga to their wellness routine.
1. Familiarize yourself with the origins of yoga
Yoga dates back to ancient India and began as a completely different practice from the one practiced by many today.
“The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj,’ meaning to unite or unify,” says Timothy Burgin, founder of YogaBasics.com and an RYT 500 yoga teacher with over 30 years of practice and teaching. “The original goal was not flexibility, fitness, or physical performance. It was the union of the individual self with something greater: awareness, consciousness, or the divine, depending on the tradition.”
When you use yoga for its intended purpose, you unlock its powerful potential to both heal and transform you.
2. Don’t judge your flexibility (or lack thereof)
We all start somewhere – for me it was with a stiff neck and hips so tight that I could barely get myself into beginner yoga poses.
“The most persistent misconception I run into is that you need flexibility to do yoga,” says Burgin. “When I started, I couldn’t touch my toes. I could barely reach my kneecaps! Doing yoga makes you more flexible. It takes time, but it works from where you are right now. The big lesson I learned to help improve my flexibility was how to relax using slow, deep breathing.”
3. Sit with the discomfort
Many people quit yoga simply because they feel uncomfortable being still in their bodies. But if anything, this is more proof to stick with it. Learning to sit with physical discomfort can also help you cope with emotional or mental discomfort.
“Having to be still is another big misconception. Sitting still is difficult, and most beginners find long stretches or sitting meditation quite uncomfortable,” says Burgin. “It’s not a sign that there’s anything wrong. You learn to be still by practicing being still, not by arriving to class already relaxed. If you’re an easily distracted person, try a more movement-focused class like vinyasa flow yoga or a class with a lot of active breathing.”
4. Cultivate a criticism-free zone
Although it can be difficult, try to approach your yoga practice without criticizing yourself or your journey.
“If self-consciousness is holding someone back, it helps to know that a yoga class is probably the last place anyone will see what you’re doing in a pose,” Burgin points out. “Everyone in the room is focused on their own breath, their own body, and their own focus. Plus, everyone has been the new student before, and yoga encourages kindness and empathy toward others.”
If it makes you feel better, you can always use yoga videos at home on YouTube or follow your own flow.
5. Don’t see yoga as exercise
This may seem counterintuitive, but this small shift has changed how I show up for yoga. Earlier, when I saw yoga as a way to lose weight or tone my body, I started treating it as a chore. I rolled out the mat for the wrong reasons, fueling my body image—which is the exact opposite effect yoga is meant to have.
“The benefits of yoga are enormous. Many students start because of a physical problem, but end up sticking with it because of the vitality and peace it brings,” says Burgin. “The path of yoga is broad, and different styles incorporate yogic principles of devotion, mindfulness, community service, and philosophical study.”
“The Yogasutras of Patanjali define yoga as ‘chitta vritti nirodha’: the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind,” adds Burgin. “The physical practice is a door to the deeper work, and the breath is the first tool. Neither requires a specific body type, fitness level or starting disposition.”
