Yoga for beginners: exercises and tips to get started easily
Yoga can be challenging for beginners at first. But at the same time, you might be curious about why yoga is so popular and helps so many people. Especially because yoga is more than just a physical exercise, the vast number of options available can be rather confusing at the beginning. To get you started, we will present here the exercises with the physical body, which are called asanas in yoga. There are forms of yoga that are more suitable for yoga beginners than others. In this article, we will introduce you to the best yoga styles for beginners.
We highly recommend that you try a yoga class at a yoga studio, as learning yoga at home is less suitable for beginners than a holistic experience at a yoga studio. There, you can dive much deeper into the experience of yoga through the peaceful atmosphere, in-person teachers, and practicing with like-minded people. The positive effects can be felt particularly strongly in this way. It is also important that yoga teachers are able to correct you directly if you are not performing the yoga beginner exercises in a way that is completely healthy for your body. If you have the opportunity, we recommend that you start with teachers in-person - whether 1:1 privately or in a group. This way, especially yoga beginners can learn proper alignment in the postures from the very beginning. Nevertheless, we will show you a few very simple exercises at the end, that you can get started with.
Which yoga is best for beginners?
We will introduce you to the many different forms of yoga in detail in an upcoming blog post. For now, we’ll give you an overview of which yoga styles have proven themselves for beginners. Is Hatha Yoga as a classic for beginners the right thing to start with? Here we can answer with a resounding "yes". Ultimately, all body-focused yoga styles have developed from Hatha Yoga. In the original yoga scriptures, Hatha Yoga describes the physical exercises. In addition, there are, for example, exercises with the mind, the heart or the energy. So all western yoga styles with the body have their origin in Hatha Yoga. Even though there are very advanced exercises in Hatha Yoga, you will find it is an a ideal base to begin your yoga journey. You can't go wrong with a Hatha Yoga beginners course. The important thing is that you can do a trial class first. Because whether a yoga style feels right for you can depend a lot on the teacher. Some people only try one yoga class and say afterwards that yoga is not right for them. That's a shame, because yoga is so varied that it's actually suitable for everyone. The important thing is that the chemistry with the teacher is right.
So with hatha yoga, you have a classic. The exercises are held longer, except for the dynamic sun salutation. Which gives you the time you need to get familiar with the exercises as a yoga beginner and learn the exact alignment to get the best benefit from the position.
In addition to Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga is also good for beginners, especially if you want to slow down and reduce your stress. In Yin Yoga, the positions are also held for a long time, just a little different from Hatha Yoga, in that they are less physically strenuous. Here the emphasis is on stretching, flexibility and opening up the body rather than building strength.
If you have spinal discomfort, a special yoga course for backs may be right for you. Vini Yoga focuses on tailoring the exercises to your individual needs. Jivamukti and Anusara Yoga are still very young yoga styles, which are therefore less common, but can also be suitable for beginners. Iyengar Yoga works with many aids such as straps, cushions or blocks. Therefore, this yoga style is also good for learning the positions properly and make yoga possible for people with physical limitations. If you are more of an active type, you might find your home in dynamic styles. Here, vinyasa yoga is very well known and popular. In this form of yoga, the movement sequences have a faster tempo. As a yoga beginner, the exercises can quickly become too demanding. It is better to first learn the correct alignment of the basic postures before stringing them together with smooth transitions and faster sequences. To take your first steps on your yoga path, we now show you our favorite yoga exercises for beginners.
Easy yoga beginner exercises and what you need for them
Which yoga exercises are suitable for beginners depends, of course, on your individual fitness. In general, it is important that you only do what feels OK for you. We want to challenge ourselves in yoga, but not overstrain. In this way, we expand our limits step by step in a loving and gentle way. Also the mindset of doing something good for ourselves and not comparing ourselves with others, is an integral part of the yoga practice. For our simple yoga beginner exercises you need:
- Comfortable clothes in which you have absolute freedom of movement
- A cushion or rolled blanket
- A non-slip surface to stand on
Yoga studios often offer the possibility to use a studio yoga mat for the yoga class. After you've tried a few yoga classes, you may want to buy your own yoga mat. Yoga mats are often more slip-resistant than regular fitness mats and provide you with more support during yoga exercises. At a certain point, the purchase of yoga aids such as a yoga block, bolster or belt can also make sense.
Beginners yoga exercises for at home
Sitting in yoga: A yoga class usually begins lying down or sitting, depending on the style. The senses are thus drawn inward, the mind can come to rest and we create a good basis for the subsequent yoga practice. From the sitting position we then practice breathing exercises, meditations or light movements. Therefore, the first thing we will show you is how to adopt a comfortable sitting posture.
Sitting instructions
Sit cross-legged and rest your hands comfortably on your thighs. Use a cushion or rolled blanket for support. The height of your support depends on how flexible you are in the hips. As a yoga beginner, it may be more comfortable to sit a little higher. When sitting cross-legged, it is good if your knees are in line with your pelvis or if your knees drop lower than pelvic level. If cross-legged sitting is uncomfortable for you, it may help to sit higher or place blankets or pillows under your knees. If it is not possible for you to sit cross-legged, you can try heel sitting as an alternative. This involves placing the tops of your feet on the ground and sitting on your heels. A cushion under your buttocks and between your feet will help support you.
- Sit only on the front third of your seat. This allows your pelvis to tilt forward. This ensures an erect back and facilitates full breathing. Turn your awareness to your base with the bottom of your pelvis, the ischial tuberosities or where your bottom rests on the cushion.
- your bottom rests on the cushion. Move your attention up along your spine and lift your sternum slightly forward and up. In this way you can find inner uprightness.
- The crown of your head pulls towards the sky and your spine lengthens.
- By letting go of your hands and arms from within, your shoulders can sink down in a relaxed manner.
- In this way, while sitting, perceive yourself in your wholeness - from your base to the crown of your head. Try to keep your foundation and spine stable. At the same time, you can consciously try to relax tense areas of your body such as your shoulders, jaw, face or hips.
The breath - a bridge between body and mind: Yoga is also defined as "the quieting of the thoughts in the mind". By connecting to our breath, we bridge the gap between body and mind. Our mind becomes anchored in the body and can no longer wander so easily. This is one of the reasons why there are so many breathing exercises in yoga. At the same time, our life energy depends on our breathing. Full and conscious breathing gives us stamina, presence and serenity for our lives. Therefore, in yoga we direct our breath to increase life energy. Another important point: breathing is a solid anchor for us because it is simply always there. So we can always connect with it. And yoga also wants one thing above all: to create connectedness with ourselves and our environment. When you practice yoga, over time you learn to unite with your breathing in everyday life as well. This helps enormously to be present and able to act in the here and now.
Breathing exercises instructions
- Focus your attention on your nostrils and first simply notice the flow of air through your nose. Inhaling, you can feel the coolness, exhaling, the warmth. Try this for a few breaths.
- Then place a hand on your belly for support. Now try to breathe deeper into your belly. With the inhalation the abdominal wall bulges outwards, with the exhalation the abdominal wall lowers again.
- Try to let the exhalation become a little longer than the inhalation. You can also support yourself by counting. For example, inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 7 seconds.
- Explore where you can easily anchor your attention. In feeling the flow of air at the nose or in the abdomen? In counting the breaths? Try to breathe consciously and deeply in this way for a few minutes. Allow your shoulders, face and pelvis to relax again and again.
Yoga beginner exercise, sitting with connection to your breath: When you have got a feeling for the sitting position and your breathing, we now connect the breathing with a movement, as is usual in yoga. To do this, perhaps come out of your sitting position once and briefly loosen the legs.
Twist instructions:
- Gently fold your hands at the back of your head so that you can gently place the base of your skull and the back of your head in it, as if in a bowl. Thumbs point toward the floor.
- Push your pelvis firmly into the floor and straighten your spine.
- Your elbows push wide apart and your sternum opens forward and upward.
- Breathe consciously into the open front of your body a few times. Keep your shoulders relaxed.
- Inhaling push yourself again lengthwise, exhaling rotate only your upper body to the left.
- Stay here for a few breaths. With each inhalation you can find length in your spine and with each exhalation open more and more to your left side. Practice gently, without tensing.
- Finally, inhaling, find length again, exhaling, come back to center.
- Switch to the other side and then lower your arms again.
- Reflect on the exercise for a moment.
Yoga beginner exercises in standing
Standing in Yoga: Just as sitting and lying down are conscious practices, in yoga we make our standing a practice. The basic standing posture is called Tadasana, which translates as "mountain pose. As the name suggests, it is a strongly grounding posture. A mountain is firmly anchored to the earth and draws stability from it. Through mountain pose, skills such as calmness and serenity can be developed.
Tadasana instructions:
- Your feet are aligned hip-width or hand-width parallel to each other.
- You can start by pulling your toes up and fanning them wide open before deliberately placing them back into the ground.
- Try to push the ball of your big toe and at the same time the outer edges of your heels firmly into the earth.
- Let your attention move up to your knees. Bend them just a little, that you can't see it, but it relaxes the knee joints.
- Continue to your pelvis and pull your pubic bone minimally forward, adding some length to your lower back.
- Find alignment along your spine. Gently push the sternum forward to the top.
- Let your shoulders drop back down, allowing your neck to become long.
- The crown of your head pulls slightly toward the sky.
- Notice yourself in your wholeness, from your feet to the crown of your head.
- Take a few deep breaths, letting the exhalation become longer than the inhalation.
Balance exercise in standing
In yoga, the "tree" is a balancing exercise that can work on different levels. Asanas, in which we stand on one leg, promote our balance and the ability to concentrate. The tree also gives a stable posture and brings strength to the legs and feet. At the same time, the asana strengthens our center and grounds us.
Vrksasana instructions
- Imagine yourself standing with both feet firmly rooted in the earth.
- Bring your attention to your right foot and build stability and grounding here.
- Raise your left leg and place the foot either on the inside of your lower or upper thigh. You can also grab the leg to place it at the thigh. If both options are too much, you can place the left foot with
- the ball of the foot on the ground and the heel above the ankle.
- Inhaling, bring the hands over the sides above the head. Exhaling, place the palms together and bring them in front of your heart. Thumbs and sternum can touch.
- Keeping your standing leg stable, powerfully push your foot and leg into each other.
- Lengthen the spine and roll back and down the shoulders. The neck is long, the crown of your head is reaching up.
- Fixing a point with your eyes in front of you helps to stay stable. And also allow any wobbling to be included in the exercise as well.
- Hold the position for a few deep and conscious breaths. You can stay in the position as long as it feels good. It's best to stay until you feel settled and stable.
- Then disengage from the exercise and change sides.
Yoga for beginners at home
We hope you can take something positive away from our yoga exercises for beginners. Now you would like to get started and expand your experience, but maybe there is no yoga studio near you? To practice yoga exercises for beginners even at home, there are different options. The best would be to attend a yoga retreat. That way, you can practice what you've learned on your own at home afterwards. There are also numerous videos on YouTube or on special yoga platforms, with which you can experience yoga experiences even from yourt from home. However, such videos cannot replace yoga teachers, especially in the beginning. Some yoga teachers also offer online classes where you can practice yoga in a group or even in the form of a private lesson. You can also find a variety of books on the market. A classic that is very suitable as a yoga book for beginners is, for example, "Light on Yoga: The Basic Textbook of Hatha Yoga" by B.K.S. Iyengar. In this book, the yoga postures are described in great detail. If you want to start doing yoga because you have physical ailments, the book "Alleviate Pain with Yoga" could be a source of inspiration. You can also find this title in our store. And the books by the internationally known yoga teacher Wanda Badwal are current bestsellers. So if you don't have a yoga studio nearby, books and videos can serve as support.
May you find your way on the mat again and again, in joy and light - all the best to you!
The Author
Rebekka is continually captivated by how yoga profoundly accompanies her through life on various levels. She shares her love for yoga here on the blog and through teaching yoga. Otherwise, she prefers to spend her time in nature or practicing Thai Yoga massages.