6 Tips for Beginning a Yoga Asana Practice

One of the main reasons I am so passionate about sharing yoga with others is that the practice has been a foundational part of my health, wellbeing and ability to cope with life challenges ever since I began a regular practice over a decade ago. Practiced with the right energy, yoga cultivates a sense of peace, joy, and beauty in life.

One of my friends in teacher training once reflected, “yoga always has my back, no matter what,” and it rings so true. Many people are attracted to yoga by the physical benefits (asana is what we call the practice of physical postures), but may soon realize that to cultivate a personal relationship with yoga is to cultivate a practice where your body, mind, and heart can harmonize, allowing you to be in presence and process whatever is happening in your life.

While the benefits are intriguing, maybe even enticing, starting a practice without any experience may seem daunting.

Here are some tips to help get you started:

Begin with your motivation. When dedicating new energy to anything in your life, especially something that feels important for your wellbeing, staying connected to the why will help keep up the motivation through the inevitable ups and downs of the journey. Are you doing this to cultivate greater peace of mind or focus in your work? To feel more connected to your body? To more fully enjoy spending time with your children? Keep your heart at the center and your mind and body will be more likely to follow.
Practice as an act of self-love. The first of the ethical considerations in Yoga (the yamas) is Ahimsa, or non-harming / universal loving. This especially applies to yourself! Instead of feeling like you have to be perfect or force your body beyond it’s limits, approach the practice with the intention of love, care and curiosity…eventually you will be knocking on doors you didn’t even know existed.
Consistency is more important than duration. Especially if you have few other outlets for personal time, it’s more helpful to do a few poses for 10-20 minutes every day than an hour once or twice a week (however you may soon want to do longer classes online or in a group environment!). It’s not necessary, but having a similar time of day (after waking, mid afternoon, before bed—ideally 2+ hours after eating) and a peaceful place to practice can help establish the routine. The type of asana practice (energizing, grounding, relaxing, etc.) will depend on the time of day / your need at any given time. Ask yourself, what would be balancing for me right now?
Find the teachers that resonate. There are so many great teachers on YouTube that offer free short videos, great for beginners. Yoga with Adrienne and Yoga with Tim Senesi are great options—I recommend checking out their beginner classes / series (these are generally hatha style—setting up poses slowly, with intention and holding them for several breaths. Accessible style for beginners and really good for everyone). Explore the people and styles that resonate with you—finding teachers that speak to you is what will keep you coming back.
Let your breath be your anchor. While practicing asana we breathe in and out, evenly, through the nose (you can work your way up to ujjayi breath, a slight constriction in the back of the throat). Your breath is more important than almost anything else, so use it as an anchor to come back to when your mind wanders. Let your breath guide your movements and if you notice your breath becomes uneven, it’s a sign that you may need to back off or adjust the pose / approach.
Stay playful! Instead of worrying about being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ at something, embrace the process of being a beginner. Laugh at yourself when you fall and celebrate when you make progress. The best way to be ‘good’ at yoga is to meet yourself right where you are in any given moment.

I wish you peace and joy in the process of cultivating your own asana practice, and please feel free to let me know how it goes!

Remember, whatever you practice on the mat is just practice for life—don’t forget to smile 🙂

Photo by Samuel Austin on Unsplash