Yoga for Beginners: First Steps, What to Expect and How to Choose

Where to begin

Yoga is a group of practices that began in India. The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) says that yoga as practiced in the United States typically emphasizes physical postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation. [1] NCCIH also notes that styles range from gentle to physically demanding, which is why the first choice matters. [1] For the cultural background, see what is yoga. This page is information only and is not medical advice.

Check first if any of these apply

NCCIH advises that pregnant women, older adults and people with health conditions talk with their health care providers and the instructor about their needs. [1] It lists conditions that may call for changes: knee or hip injuries, lumbar spine disease, severe high blood pressure, balance issues and glaucoma. [1] It also says not to use yoga to postpone seeing a provider about a medical problem. [1] The page on who should check with a clinician before yoga goes through these in more detail.

Choosing a first class

• Read the class description. Yoga Alliance, a U.S. membership organization, groups classes into types such as gentle, flow, alignment-oriented, fitness and hot yoga. It describes gentle yoga as focused on support and relaxation, often with aids such as blocks. [2]
• Think about a slower pace. A yoga therapist quoted by Cleveland Clinic suggests hatha, restorative or yin classes for beginners, because they can feel less intimidating than faster-paced classes. [3] That is one practitioner's view, not a trial result. A gym chain's guide similarly suggests beginner classes, hatha, or titles with words like "gentle" or "flow". [4]
• Avoid heat at first. NCCIH says hot yoga has special risks related to overheating and dehydration. [1] See hot yoga safety.
• Ask about the teacher. NCCIH suggests asking about the instructor's training and experience, and says learning yoga alone without supervision has been associated with increased risks. [1] The sources we read for this page do not describe government licensing of yoga teachers, so ask about training directly. This site does not list or rank teachers; use how to find a yoga class or teacher and questions to ask a yoga teacher.

To compare styles, see yoga styles and how to choose a yoga style.

What newcomers are told to skip

NCCIH advises people new to yoga to avoid extreme practices such as headstands, shoulder stands, the lotus position and forceful breathing. [1] A systematic review of 76 published case reports of yoga-related adverse events found these were the postures and breathing methods most often cited, and its authors advise the same caution. [5] Case reports cannot show how common problems are, only what has been reported. See inversion safety and breath practices in yoga.

A gentle start, as one source describes it

Cleveland Clinic's beginner guide, quoting a yoga therapist, offers general habits rather than a routine:

• Move at your own pace and focus on how you feel. [3]
• Stay consistent: the therapist says a little yoga every day, even 10 minutes, is better than once every few weeks. [3] This is practitioner opinion; see how often and how long to practice for what trials used.
• Pay attention to your breathing, and use props and modifications when a pose does not feel right. [3]

This site gives no pose-by-pose coaching here. For a gentle first set and what to watch for, see yoga poses for beginners and breathing in yoga for beginners.

Stop signs

Another Cleveland Clinic article quotes a yoga specialist: if something does not feel right, stop, and pain in a joint is a red flag. [6] A gym guide says discomfort is normal but pain is not, and suggests switching to a modification or leaving the pose. [4] A Cochrane review found low-certainty evidence that yoga increased adverse events, mainly more back pain, compared with no exercise. [7] If you have pain that lingers or worsens, talk with a clinician. For anything that feels like an emergency, call 911 in the United States. See pain during yoga.

What research shows

All the back pain trials were unblinded and at high risk of bias, because people know whether they are doing yoga. [7] NCCIH notes that much of the research was done in predominantly female, non-Hispanic White, well-educated people with relatively high incomes, so results may not apply to everyone. [1] For more, see does yoga work.