If you’re just starting out in yoga, it can be a daunting thought to begin with. You wouldn’t be alone for worrying that you’re too inflexible, or that your hamstrings are too tight. ‘But I can’t even touch my toes!’ – sound familiar?
I can give you 3 wonderful bits of advice when it comes to starting yoga, things I hope might help you find the commitment to not give up! And hopefully discover a love of practicing yoga.
Number one is to get to a class (obviously)! And then another, and maybe another. Try a few different ones out! Not only are there many different styles of yoga (ashtanga, vinyasa, hatha to name a few), there are also countless different teaching styles and it may take you a couple of times to find a yoga teacher you truly click with. And believe me, it makes a difference! It could be their style of teaching you like, their encouragement and manner, or even just down to their personality. I know so many people that can thank their love of yoga because of finding that one yoga teacher perfect for them in the beginning.
The second bit of advice to remember in the beginning is to seek explanation. It may look like people are just upside down with their bums in the air, but actually the specific tensing and aligning of particular muscles is the most important element of any pose, and these will need describing to you. It’s more beneficial to you to be correctly aligned in a yoga pose, rather than trying to stretch as far as you can just because it looks good. Take your time. Ask your yoga teacher to really break it down for you so you can be conscious that you are focusing on every correct tweak of your joints and muscles. You may be going slower than everybody else this way, but you’ll soon find it all very natural as your muscles learn the way the pose is supposed to feel.

Downward dog is not just being upside down - here the back is too curved, the shouders not engaged and the feet too close to the hands
Downward dog is not just being upside down – here the back is too curved, the shouders not engaged and the feet too close to the hands

Here, the shoulders are down the back, the arms are rotating away from each other and the feet are far enough spaced from the hands
Here, the shoulders are down the back, the arms are rotating away from each other and the feet are far enough spaced from the hands

The final thing to remember when taking up yoga is to be patient and stick with it! Adapting your body to any new exercise should be a slow and gradual process, but particularly with yoga as you stretch and strengthen your whole body. Just trust that you are making improvements every time you practice, even if you don’t feel like it! I remember the first time I was asked to lower down from plank into chadaranga and thinking ‘well this is impossible!’, but after a few classes I was able to do it (just!)! Once I knew I could do it, I gradually got stronger and better at it until it became totally normal. And that’s the beauty of yoga – seeing yourself improve, being able to do something you couldn’t last week, it spurs you on and becomes its own reward. Soon, you’ll be looking forward to your hour of yoga just to challenge yourself.
The classic Chaturanga pose
The classic Chaturanga pose

I hope this helps you get past the initial few weeks of maybe feeling nervous about starting yoga. Just remember that it may take time, but you will quickly improve, and it all just gets better from there!