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Countless articles and studies tout the benefits of yoga. It can improve balance, strength, flexibility, digestion and sleep. It can also reduce stress and support mental wellbeing. And yet many people feel like yoga isn’t for them because their bodies don’t look or move a certain way.
“That is how I felt before I started practicing yoga,” says Jessamyn Stanley, who has written two books about yoga and co-founded the yoga app The Underbelly. “I always thought yoga was just for thin, white women,” she says.
Social media posts about yoga often show thin, white influencers in expensive matching workout sets performing acrobatic poses. But experts say this narrow, image-based idea of yoga can obscure the practice’s deep, philosophical underpinnings.
“I define yoga as a tool to come in touch with yourself,” says Rodrigo Souza, an adaptive and accessible yoga teacher with paraplegia who specializes in teaching individuals with disabilities.
Below, what you need to know about how to start yoga.
What is yoga?
Yoga originated in northern India more than 5,000 years ago. The root of the word is the Sanskrit term “yuj”, which means to yoke or to unify – the idea being that yoga was a way of unifying the body and mind, as well as unifying the individual’s soul with the universal soul.
By contrast, the modern wellness industry often treats yoga predominantly as a type of exercise – a way to tone your abs and butt. Some scholars argue that the yoga we see now only originated about a century ago, during the British colonization of India, when westerners stripped the tradition of its spiritual and mental aspects and presented it as a purely physical practice.
Some of the most popular styles of yoga practiced today include: vinyasa yoga, which tends to be more fast-paced and fluid; hatha yoga, with longer-held poses; ashtanga yoga, which flows through a specific sequence of postures; and yin yoga, which is slower and more restorative.
Yoga can be a way of strengthening one’s body, but it also offers much more, says Kassandra Reinhardt, owner of Yoga with Kassandra.
“I like to think of yoga as a practice of transformation that can include yoga poses, meditation, breathwork, chanting, philosophy and more,” she says.
Souza argues that anything that regulates your nervous system, calms you down, and brings you back to your body can be considered yoga.
“Say that you are driving your car and you get very anxious and stressed in traffic,” he says. “If you roll your window down and gaze at the sky, and clear that stress and clutter, that’s yoga. If you start deeply inhaling and exhaling to regulate your system, that’s also yoga.”
Who can practice yoga?
Anyone can do yoga, experts say. But each person will have to explore what feels good to them, what excites them, and which teachers and classes are best for them.
“Yoga is truly accessible to everyone,” says Souza. “What’s not accessible to everyone is the movement. Not everybody has the same type of body, the same type of ability.”
If your first yoga experiences aren’t pleasant – maybe you attempt a style that doesn’t feel right for you, or attend a class with a minimal instruction – don’t give up right away. “Try another class or a different experience, because not all yoga classes are created equal,” says Stanley. “There’s something for everybody, and what didn’t work for you will work for someone else and vice versa.”
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Look for spaces and teachers that adapt poses that work for your body, and not the other way around, says Reinhardt.
Your struggles may not be purely physical. Souza notes that for many people who have experienced severe physical or emotional trauma, connecting to their bodies doesn’t always feel safe.
“Some people cannot be in their bodies because it’s not a comfortable place to be. It reminds you of what you can no longer do,” he says.
Trauma-informed teachers can assist these students. “We guide people gently back to their bodies, but they have the autonomy and agency to come out of the pose anytime,” says Souza. “You know what is good for you. As a yoga teacher, my work is to give you a safe space and the right tools according to what you need in that particular moment.”
How does one start practicing yoga?
“I would start by not spending any money,” says Stanley. “You don’t know if you like it yet.”
Equipment: Despite what influencers and sponsored social media posts may suggest, there’s not much you need to start practicing yoga. Wear clothes that feel comfortable and will allow movement. If you don’t have a yoga mat, substitute a towel or blanket – you just need a surface that will provide some softness and grip.
Instruction: YouTube is full of free yoga videos. So before you drop $35 on a boutique class, try a few free videos at home and see what kinds of practices you find fun and enjoyable.
Reinhardt suggests starting with short videos – 10 to 20 minutes. “I have a ‘less is more’ philosophy when it comes to this practice, especially when first starting out,” says Reinhardt, arguing that a few minutes of yoga every day is more beneficial than one long practice once a week.
How should yoga feel?
Physically, different styles of yoga will feel different. Yin yoga is gentle and relaxing, for instance, while vinyasa flows may be more energizing and elevate the heart rate more.
Beginners can expect a range of physical sensations. But experts say part of growing in yoga is learning to identify what is a healthy challenge and what is pushing your body too far.
“There is a difference between discomfort and pain. At no point should a yoga pose feel painful or prevent you from being able to take full, deep breaths,” says Reinhardt. While some soreness or muscle fatigue can be expected in more strenuous classes, Reinhardt says that overall, yoga should leave people feeling “expansive and comfortable in their bodies”.
Mentally, if yoga doesn’t leave you feeling calm and serene, you haven’t done anything wrong. Indeed, crying on your mat is not unheard of.
“Things will come up when you switch down the volume of distractions,” says Souza. These could be painful memories or emotions. The key is not to push these away, but to be able to sit with these difficult feelings and treat yourself with compassion. “When you enter that space, you can become a better person,” Souza says.
