4 Essential Tips For Beginner Yogis

Starting yoga – like anything else new – can be a daunting task. You’re suddenly faced with the certain fact that you’re going to be really bad at something before mastering it.

And who wants that?

I play the violin. And let me tell you, being bad at the violin is MUCH worse than being a ‘bad yogi’.

So I get it. You want to be a yogi. You want to get unstuck, you want more strength, you want to feel less stressed all the damn time. You want to sleep better, improve your lung capacity… I could go on; the benefits are profound and many. But how do you start in the best way possible to get actual, tangible, life-changing results?

Here are my top 4 tips for all beginner yogis:

1. FEEL don’t DO

This one’s interesting, and in part, relies a lot on good instruction. But what I want to hammer home right now is that yoga isn’t a show-and-copy sort of thing. Your teacher has probably been practicing for 10+ years, there’s no way it’s expected of you to look like they do all the time. So, it’s about encouraging the feeling in every pose. How should triangle pose feel? What should you be noticing in your downward dogs? What’s the aim of a side angle pose? What should you be feeling?

And, if you’re feeling weird, pinching, pain – back up. This isn’t bootcamp, this isn’t no-pain-no-gain territory. This is an intelligent way of movement to help us deepen our bodily awareness and gain all the results yoga provides.

So, feel your yoga practice and don’t just attempt to look like your teacher or yogis on the ‘Gram.

2. Breathe like you mean it

Breathing is ubiquitous with yoga. So make sure to prioritise it – most beginner yoga classes don’t give you time or space to think about it. Your breath has the capacity to fundamentally change your nervous system. In yoga, specifically vinyasa yoga, we link our movements to our breath, which encourages that nervous system shift even more. And, if our goal is to intelligently feel our bodies, sensations, emotions, nuances, and capacities (which it should be, as yogis), then the breath is the cornerstone of the whole thing. Watch this mini tutorial I made earlier on ujjayi breath. Learn it and feel better for it.

3. Learn how to make this a habit

Starting and keeping good habits can be challenging. There are an amazing number of books out there to support your good-habit building, but how do we make yoga a good habit? First of all, you’re not hoping to ‘get into yoga’. You’re not ‘getting back into it’ either. You’re a yogi. And what do yogis do? We practice yoga. Start with how you see yourself from the inside first, this can change a lot.

More practically, grab a good yoga mat, find a dedicated space (even hallways or tiny spaces between the bed and the wall work), and take the pressure off. This doesn’t have to be an hour-a-day thing. It doesn’t even have to be an everyday thing. Just get the tools you need, the environment in place (maybe lighting a candle can be a good way to make this a mini ritual), and take 10 minutes. 15 minutes. Anything. Some days you’ll feel like doing more, some days you won’t (and that self-awareness is, like I’ve already mentioned, a bit old part of this yoga practice thing).

4. Learn the right way

Learning yoga is a wonderful journey, but most yoga classes out there don’t really provide you with the whole picture, let alone the three tips I mention above. I know, I’ve been a beginner, too, and I’ve even taught beginner classes and *wished* I had more time with my students. Regular formats were just never enough.

So out of that frustration, I’ve created a framework, a guide, a proven track to walk down (something I never had, which ended up costing me ££££ and WAY too much time).

That’s what I teach in my Couch To Yogi course – my three tips above and SO much more. I call it The Ultimate Yoga Development Course, because it is. It’s everything I’ve learned throughout my career as a yoga teacher and student, navigating life in a way to make it sustainable, joyful, and comforting. Of course, it includes yoga, but this course spans all aspects of being a yogi including breath work, nervous system understandings, and sustainable movement. It’s something I wish I had access to at the start of my journey, and everything I wish I could teach everyone starting yoga.

This is the proven step-by-step learnings you need to finally say “enough is enough” and start getting your health, body, and mind back in the good zone. Learn more here.