Let’s face it: we all do not have the time or money for fancy yoga classes. Luckily, yoga does not have to be expensive, time-consuming, or really all that difficult. I am by no means a professional yogi, but I have been having a lot of fun incorporating yoga into my daily routine and discovering what I love. Completing a yoga routine every morning has left me feeling happier, more grounded, and even more energized throughout my day. The benefits of yoga are endless- so what better time to start, if not in the middle of a pandemic when all of our lives are feeling a little hectic?
Here is a little beginners guide to finding a yoga routine that works for you.
- Prepare Your Space
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Find an area with some open floor space, where you really have room to stretch out and move your body freely. Indoors, outdoors, wherever! It helps to have a yoga mat, but you certainly don’t need one. You should definitely try to avoid rough carpet, because you don’t want to end up with carpet burn as you attempt to slide into cobra pose. Put on some soft music and low lighting if you want to achieve a fully relaxing experience.
- Prepare Yourself
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Comfy, stretchy clothes are a must. You want full mobility of your body, so I recommend sweats or yoga pants. Keep a glass of water nearby- sometimes it gets exhausting!
- Find a Yoga Instructor That Works For You
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To fully enjoy yoga, it’s important that you find someone to follow that really resonates with your style. Yoga is a completely personal experience, and we all have different preferences, as well as different goals that we want to achieve during!
Yoga With Adriene
Viewable on YouTube, YogaWithAdriene produces some really great follow-along yoga videos for beginners. She has tons of videos to choose from, depending on how you’re feeling or what you want to achieve. Whether you want a full body workout or a simple relaxing stretch, she’s got you covered. If you are like me, you will enjoy that she doesn’t spend minutes explaining herself while you practically collapse trying to stay in your pose. Her videos move pretty quickly, allowing you to really feel the rhythm and flow with minimal interruption.
“30 Days Of Yoga To A New You”
Viewable for free with Amazon Prime, Jess challenges beginner yogis to follow along with her every day for thirty days. These videos are really great if you have no experience with yoga and you want to really build a foundation of knowledge and skill. Each video typically gets more challenging with the incorporation of new poses, but she does throw in stretching and breathing days occasionally for a break. While this instructor does an amazing job of explaining how to get into each pose and coaching you through it, she is a bit chatty. I found myself a little fed up with her babbling while she left me stuck in plank pose for three minutes. But, if you have a stronger core than me, have at it! She also ends each video with a mantra and encouragement, which I found to be really uplifting at the end of hard yoga sessions.
Fiji McAlpine on DoYogaWithMe
This instructor is a happy medium between the previous options I have described. Her flows are sure to make your thighs and core burn. She moves quickly and doesn’t chat while you sit in position, but she does coach you through while you move and gives you directions consistently. If you like to relax and focus on music while you do yoga, she might not be the gal for you. But, if you enjoy being corrected and really mastering poses, her coaching is sure to improve your posture and make each routine easier for you!
- Try Out a Yoga App
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If following along with an instructor really isn’t your speed and you want to focus on mastering some basic poses, try out a yoga app!
Pocket Yoga
“Pocket yoga” is a great app to start practicing individual poses, rather than flowing. This app offers detailed instructions and photos for every pose so that you can make sure you are practicing each one correctly!
Down Dog
This app lets you customize exactly what you are looking for in your yoga sesh. You can input your preferred skill level, type of flow, the length, and what you really want to focus on. This is perfect for people that are in a time crunch and want to get some quick yoga in while focusing on a certain part of the body.
- Don’t Be Afraid To Modify
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If you’re just starting out, some yoga poses can seem pretty intimidating. Don’t be afraid to give yourself a break and work your way into the harder stuff. Modifying poses to fit your skill level is perfectly okay.
Whether you are following along with an instructor, practicing some poses, or just freestyling it, remember to have fun with it! There is no wrong place to start, and yoga only becomes more enjoyable and beneficial the more you practice it. Namaste!