So you’ve decided to try yoga. Awesome! But if you’re standing in front of your computer feeling overwhelmed by the terminology—Sirsasana? Vinyasa? What’s a Chaturanga?—know this: starting yoga should feel more like ordering takeout than mastering a five-course meal. You don’t need to know the recipe yet; you just need to know how to open the box.
Our biggest advice for beginners is simple: treat the practice like any new, valuable relationship. It won’t be smooth immediately, but the relationship only grows if you show up consistently. We’re not aiming for perfection; we’re aiming for repetition.
1. Set Your Appointment Time
Don’t wait for ‘the perfect moment.’ Just like scheduling a coffee date with someone new, pick three 15-minute slots this week and put them in your calendar. If you approach yoga like an optional activity, it will always lose to laundry or email. Make it non-negotiable, even if you just plan to sit quietly for ten minutes.
2. Embrace the Low-Fidelity Approach
Forget the fancy mats and complicated props for now. Think of your practice space as the prep area in a kitchen. Is it clean enough? Do you have the basic tools? All you need is a comfortable, non-slippery surface and enough room to swing your arms without hitting the lamp. Keep the tools simple so the process stays accessible.
3. Allow Yourself to Be Awkward
Here’s the unexpected insight that no one tells you: the first month of yoga feels really, really weird. Your body will shake, you’ll look nothing like the instructor on the screen, and you might get frustrated. This is not failure; it’s just the introductory phase.
When you’re first learning to take a long walk, you don’t sprint up the first hill; you take wobbly, sometimes awkward steps to build endurance. Your first poses are exactly the same. Awkwardness is simply proof that you are trying something new.
Try This Today:
- Take the first five minutes of any beginner video class and then stop. That’s a full practice.
- Lie flat on your back and notice which parts of your body feel heavy and which feel light. There’s no need to change anything.
- Instead of striving for the deepest stretch, move only to the point where you feel 70% effort. Stop before it hurts.
Yoga doesn’t ask you to be an expert; it just asks you to show up for the conversation.