Getting Started

This page helps you start your yoga practice.

1. Attending a class is the best way to learn yoga. If you can't afford a class or live in a small community where you don't have access to a teacher, buy (or rent from a public library or video store) a DVD with lots of pictures and video. YouTube also has lots of free video but the quality is wildly uneven. Models on DVDs are almost always young, slim, beautiful/handsome and extremely flexible. They are the 1%. We are the 99%. Most of those instructors practiced an hour or more a day for years to get where they are. Don't get discouraged. We can all get there too. It'll just take us a bit longer.
2. Warm up, start small, go slow, never stretch to the point of pain and only go to just beyond a pleasant fatigue. If you push yourself too hard, you could hurt yourself badly. You will never regret going slow; it will just take you a bit longer to get there. On the other hand, every once in a while, you will bitterly regret trying to go faster or further than your body can. Pushing through the pain is a very, very bad idea. Pay attention to how your body feels. Developing body awareness and patience is part of practicing yoga. We were all stiff in the beginning. With patience and regular practice, you'll get there.
3. We don't have standard bodies; we are all different. One size does not fit all. Depending on our weight, age (younger people are more flexible than older people), gender (women are more flexible than men), the amount and type of physical activity we do, our past injuries and the size and shape of our bones, we may not be able to do specific asanas. For example, our vertebrae has spinous processes (bony projections that arise at right angles (perpendicular) to the midline of the lamina). If ours are particularly long, we won't be able to do intense back bends because our spinous processes will meet when we bend backwards. Another example is the length of the acromion process on our scapulas (shoulder blades). If they are longer than most, we won't be able to raise our arms vertically over our head. If we force it, we will damage our rotator cuff muscles. The key is to become aware of our body and strengthen and lengthen our muscles rather than trying to imitate the human pretzel at the front of the class.
4. Never let anyone (including a teacher) push you into a position you can't get to on your own. You could get badly hurt.
5. Hold each asana for 30 seconds. Repeating each asana three times is worthwhile if you have the time.
6. Do not practice within one hour of eating.
7. If you practice for more than 30 minutes or you are practicing in a hot, dry environment, drink some water.
8. It is pleasant to practice out of doors in the summer but do not do so when it is very hot or in direct, strong sunlight.
9. We are at our most flexible in mid-afternoon but do your practice at a time that suits you. Some people like the morning; others the early evening.
10. Form a strong habit by practicing every day at the same time and in the same place as much as possible.
11. Wear loose, warm, comfortable clothing. Your feet should be bare. A yoga mat is very valuable to prevent slipping.
12. Proper alignment is important. The presence of a teacher is very valuable.
13. Doing 10 minutes of practice a day is more valuable than doing two hours once a week. Think "Every day for the rest of my life."
14. If you are ill, don't push. Do gentle asanas. If you push yourself too hard, you could hurt yourself badly. You will never regret going slow; it will just take you a bit longer to get there. On the other hand, every once in a while, you will bitterly regret trying to go faster or further than your body can. Pushing through the pain is a very, very bad idea.
15. Yoga is as much mental (mindfulness, body awareness) as it is physical. It is a solitary, meditative activity, a journey within. Music and conversation (except with a teacher) are distractions.
16. Your muscles need to be warm to stretch well. Practice in a warm room and do a few minutes of moderate aerobic exercise first. Walking up and down a few flights of stairs is a simple, inexpensive way to get warmed up.
17. Always end your practice with at least five minutes of savasana (10 is better). Most asanas strengthen and stretch your body. Savasana strengthens and stretches your mind.
18. Most people start practicing yoga to look good and get fit but there is far more to yoga than that. Yoga is as much mental (mindfulness, body awareness) as it is physical.