- Start with beginner-friendly poses like child’s pose, downward-facing dog, and cobra to get familiar with the yoga basics—the more you practice, the more poses you’ll learn!
- Elevate your yoga practice by adding meditation to your routine and trying intermediate poses like the crow pose.
- Give yourself enough space and time to do yoga so you won’t be worried about other things while you practice.
Starting Yoga
Find a comfortable place to practice. One of the many beauties of yoga is that you can do it just about anywhere! If you want to start an at-home yoga practice, first make sure you have a quiet place to flow with plenty of space to move around. Remove all distractions, like TVs, radios, phones, and other people. This is your relaxation sanctuary. Test if you have enough room by holding your arms out and spinning around. If you don’t hit anything, you’re good to go! If you hit something, try moving the hit object or switching locations. Practice yoga in your living room or bedroom or try flowing outdoors on a deck or porch. Make sure the temperature of the room is comfortable as well.
Devote a set amount of time to flow. Yoga is all about clearing your mind and focusing on you and your body, and you can’t fully commit to the practice if you don’t schedule it into your day. Make room in your schedule to practice— showing up for even the shortest practice can make a big difference. Silence your phone, turn off screens, and let others in your household know you’re not to be disturbed. The more you practice, the easier it’ll be to devote time to yoga every day. Try scheduling your at-home practices at the beginning of the week, marking in your calendar how long each flow is and when you’ll complete it.
Set a goal for your yoga practice. Before you begin, ask yourself why you want to start doing yoga—what do you want to get out of your practice? Perhaps you want to get stronger, become more flexible, or ease anxiety. This goal will help you find the perfect practice for you. Keep your goal in mind as you practice, especially if you come across a more challenging pose. If you can’t buckle down on one goal, set multiple! One of the many amazing things about yoga is that it’s an ever-evolving practice you can tailor to you.
Choose a yoga style or practice that works best for you. There are many different styles of yoga that stem from various cultures and techniques; however, there are 8 yoga styles most commonly known today. Each style has unique benefits and levels of intensity, so pick the one that sounds the most fun and reflects your goal. Ashtanga yoga (also known as power yoga) is a fast-paced practice where each pose is held for 5 breaths and finished with a sun salutation. Hatha yoga is a gentle practice that bypasses traditional flows to favor familiar stretches. Bikram yoga is a vigorous sequence of 26 poses that stretch, strengthen, and compress your organs. Vinyasa yoga focuses on a state of flow between each pose, working to gently strengthen and stretch the body and mind. Iyengar yoga uses yoga props like blocks, bolsters, and straps and focuses on proper alignment. Bikram yoga (also known as hot yoga) is designed to make you sweat by stretching and strengthening muscles in a heated room. Restorative yoga is a relaxing practice that focuses on healing the mind and body with poses held for 20 minutes. Yin yoga focuses on deep and passive stretches in the hips, pelvis, and lower spine that are held for 1 to 10 minutes.
Follow a guided video to begin your at-home yoga practice. Starting a flow on your own may be difficult if this is your first time doing yoga, and that’s okay! Yoga instructors make follow-along video flows for this very reason. Simply sit down in your comfortable place on a yoga mat or laid-out towel and hit play. Find free beginner yoga practices of any length on YouTube. Yoga with Adriene and Yoga with Zelinda are some of the most popular yoga instructors on the platform with hundreds of flows to choose from. Yoga apps like Down Dog, Daily Yoga, and Gaia offer yoga videos and instructional material for you to follow with a subscription. Make sure you can easily see the video so you can copy the instructor’s movements. The more you practice, the more terminology and poses you’ll learn. EXPERT TIP Sophia Latorre Sophia Latorre wikiHow Staff Writer Sophia Latorre is a Content Manager on the wikiHow team. Before joining wikiHow, Sophia worked as a technical editor and was published in six International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Annual Reports. Now, she writes, edits, and reviews articles for the wikiHow Content Team, working to make the content as helpful as possible for readers worldwide. Sophia holds a BA in English from Colorado State University. Sophia Latorre Sophia Latorre wikiHow Staff Writer “Try Yoga with Kassandra on YouTube! She’ll walk you through how to complete each pose and has tons of videos of various lengths for all experience levels. Her 10-minute morning yoga challenge is a great place to start!”
Practice in a way that’s enjoyable for you. Like any exercise, if you don’t enjoy yoga, you won’t stick to it. Flow with your body, not against it. You’re just starting out, and it’s okay if your pose doesn’t look the same as the instructor’s. Every body is different, so adapt your practice and flow in a way that makes you feel strong and empowered. For instance, if you’re following a video that has a pose that’s uncomfortable in your body, modify it or go back to a previous pose. If you’ve tried one style of yoga and aren’t feeling it, try another to see if a different type of flow is better for you. Mandy Ingber Mandy Ingber, Yoga Influencer Yoga is not about being perfect. It's about being present. It's about accepting yourself, just as you are, in this moment.
Beginner-Friendly Poses
Table top or bharmanasana is a foundational yoga pose that strengthens the entire body. This pose has many variations but is most commonly used to transition between poses during a flow. Spread your fingers wide and come onto your hands and knees. Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Tuck in your stomach slightly, and focus on reaching the crown of your head forward and your tailbone back. Tuck or untuck your toes in this pose—whichever is best for you. Imagine you’re a table in this pose. If someone were to set a glass of water on your back, it wouldn’t spill.
Mountain pose or tadasana is a foundational yoga pose that helps you transition and realign your body between poses. Simply stand up straight with your big toes touching. Roll your shoulders back and lift your knee caps. Imagine a line of energy flowing up along your inner thighs to the crown of your head. Close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Try standing with your feet hip-width apart if that’s more accessible for your body.
Forward fold or uttanasana is a gentle inversion that stretches your lower back and hamstrings. To transition into this pose, start in mountain and hinge your torso forward. Keep your knees straight and continue folding down. Wrap your arms around your legs for a deeper stretch or let them dangle under your head for a “rag doll” variation. If keeping your knees straight is too much on your body, give them a slight bend. Don’t worry if you can’t fold all the way at first—flexibility comes with practice! Use a block or stack of books to help bring the earth up to you.
Child’s pose or balasana is a great restorative pose for any and all yogis. Start in a tabletop pose with your hands under your shoulders and your hips stacked over your knees. Lower your hips to your heels, press your forehead to the floor, and draw your arms back at your sides, curling into a ball-like shape. Try putting your arms out long in front of you in this pose to stretch your upper back. Spread your knees wide if that’s more comfortable for you—just make sure your big toes stay touching. Place a pillow under your forehead or bum for more space.
Downward-facing dog or adho mukha svanasana stretches the entire body in an upside-down position. Start in a tabletop position with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Curl your toes under and pull your hips up, dropping your gaze between your toes. Melt your heart back as your press your hands and heels down toward the earth. Spread your fingers as wide to release pressure off the wrists. Don’t worry if your heels don’t touch the mat—you’ll get there with time!
Upward-facing dog or urdhva muka shvanasana is a powerful backbend that opens the center of your body. Simply lay down on your stomach and press your palms into the earth at your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and push your torso up. Straighten your arms and gaze up to feel a nice stretch from your chin to your pelvis. Keep your shoulders back to avoid pinching your neck and back muscles. If extending all the way is too much at first, that’s alright. Bring yourself up as high as you can right now. You’ll get closer to the full posture the more you practice.
Cobra or bhujangasana is a beginner-friendly backbend that opens up your pectorals while strengthening your arms. Lay down on your stomach, drawing your navel to your spine and keeping your feet hip-width apart. Press your palms into the earth in line with your shoulders and tug your elbows in. On an inhale, lift your chest, neck, and head up, keeping your back as straight as possible. Avoid pinching or crunching your neck by looking straight down at the mat. Keep your shoulders rolled back as you lift up.
Tree pose or vrikshasana has many variations that make it a perfect balancing posture for beginners. All you have to do is stand up tall with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight onto one leg and bring your other leg up. Rest your foot on the inside of your standing leg and pull your knee out to create a figure 4 shape. Hold your hands above your head, in prayer, or out at your sides. Place your foot anywhere on your leg except against your knee, as this can put unhealthy pressure on the joint. Maintain the proper alignment by pushing your supporting leg (the one you’re standing on) against the lifted leg to engage your center. Keep your toes flat on the floor and avoid curling them.
Corpse pose or savasana is a great posture to do after a yoga flow to let your body rest and rejuvenate. Simply lay down on your back and tuck your pelvis in by scooping the tailbone up. Extend your legs out long on either side of your mat. Lay your arms out on either side of your body with your palms face up. Close your eyes and let your body sink into the mat. Surrender to the earth in this pose. The universe has your back (literally and figuratively).
Advancing Your Practice
Invest in yoga mats, blocks, straps, or bolsters to upgrade your practice. You don’t necessarily need equipment to do yoga, but it can make it that much easier and more fun! If yoga is something you think you’ll stick with, consider adding one or more of these popular props to your yoga arsenal: Yoga mats add extra cushion when your practicing and give you a designated space to flow on. They come in a variety of different colors and thicknesses. Yoga blocks bring the ground up to you, helping you test out and ease into poses. Yoga bolsters prop up your body comfortably to deepen stretches. Yoga straps wrap around your feet, legs, or arms to deepen poses and increase flexibility.
Lengthen the time of your flows to increase your stamina. Once you feel comfortable doing yoga, try adding more time to your practice. Hold each pose for another breath, aim to complete a 30-minute flow instead of a 20-minute one, or practice every day instead of every other day. Practice consistently and watch how holding a pose for a longer period of time becomes easier—you’re getting stronger!
Add more strengthening poses to your flow to intensify your practice. As you get more and more comfortable with your at-home yoga routine, you may want to give yourself a bit more of a challenge. Try some of these more intermediate poses the next time you’re feeling brave: Boat pose Bow pose Crow pose Eagle pose Dolphin plank pose Tripod headstand
Start settling into your practice with breathwork. Yogic breathing, or pranayama, is a core skill of any yoga practice, especially as you advance. Focusing on your breath helps you clear your mind and tune in with your body. Sit on the floor or your mat cross-legged and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in through your nose, counting to 4, and blow the air out through your mouth for 2 counts. Do this 4 more times. Keep your back straight and shoulders rolled back as you breathe. Try using Ujjayi breath to deepen your focus and build energy. Breathe in and out of your nose with sealed lips, creating a soft ocean-like sound come from the back of your throat.
Add meditation before or after your yoga flows. Another way to lengthen your practice is by including deep meditations. This extra time on the mat gives you space to be with your body and mind without distractions. Focus on your breath and the present moment, letting all thoughts and worries wash away. Try following a guided meditation on YouTube or a mindfulness app like Calm or Headspace. Meditating before you flow can help calm and ready your mind for yoga, while meditating after a yoga flow can help steady your heart rate and regulate your breathing.
Integrate an intention into your practice. Remember that goal you made earlier? Now it’s time to transform it into something even greater. An intention or mantra is a powerful, motivating statement you whisper over yourself as you flow. Your intention can be a reflection of your initial goal, or it can be something you need to hear in the current moment. Here are some examples: I am grateful. I am strong. I am at peace. I am aware. I am love. I am that I am.
Join an in-person yoga class to meet other yogis. At-home yoga is great, especially when you’re just starting out, but there’s something even more special about flowing with other people. Try signing up for a yoga class at your local gym or yoga studio. Who knows? You may just make a few friends and learn something new! If you’re unsure which class would best fit your skill level, call the studio or instructor and ask what they would suggest based on your experience. If you take a class and don’t like an instructor’s teaching style, that’s okay. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of classes out there to choose from, and you’ll find one that matches your needs—don’t give up!
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