{"id":3802,"date":"2012-04-01T19:49:22","date_gmt":"2012-04-01T19:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/beginner-yoga-basics\/"},"modified":"2025-05-12T22:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T22:19:11","slug":"beginner-yoga-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goldsgym.com\/blog\/beginner-yoga-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner Yoga Basics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When yoga mats first rolled out on U.S. floors, many thought the practice was reserved for pony-tailed hippies and New Age commune dwellers. Now this ancient practice has svelte celebrities flocking to ashrams and medical researchers studying the positive effects of meditation. The votes are in: Yoga is a yes.<\/p>\n

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So if you think \u201cdown dog\u201d is merely a puppy-training command or feel mystified by the term \u201cchaturanga\u201d\u2014it might be time to look into yoga. To help you out, we did reconnaissance and spoke to four certified yoga teachers to dispel a few of the most common newbie fears and give you solid tips for how to get started as a beginner. Plus, you can check out an illustrated guide to one of the most common yoga series: Sun Salutations.<\/p>\n

Now breathe deep and repeat after us: \u201cOmmmm.\u201d<\/p>\n

To start, let\u2019s dispel a couple of the most common fears<\/strong> of beginning yoga students.<\/p>\n

You do not need to be a contortionist<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

\u201cSure, flexibility is a plus, but it isn\u2019t necessary,\u201d explains Elsie Escobar, creator of the highly rated free podcast Elsie\u2019s Yoga Class, whose students include 60-year-olds with arthritis. If you can\u2019t touch your toes, there are tools to assist you. Sitting on a block can help you keep your back straight during seated poses, and using a strap or towel when you stretch your arms or reach for your toes can ease you in to deeper stretches.<\/p>\n

You will not look silly<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

Remember that your classmates were once young yogis too. \u201cEvery single person in the room, including the teacher, had to overcome their fear and step on a mat,\u201d says Stacy Shepherd, a Gold\u2019s Gym yoga instructor. Plus, there isn\u2019t a peanut gallery there to judge you. \u201cIn yoga, we help hold each other up with our practice; there is no competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, here are a few tips for those just dipping their toes into asanas:<\/p>\n

Even if you can run a marathon and rock a Zumba class, a yoga newbie should try out a beginner class first. \u201cPeople who are very physically fit will go to intermediate and advanced classes because they think yoga looks easy,\u201d says Jennifer Rodrigue, senior associate editor at Yoga Journal<\/a><\/em>. \u201cBut that is a surefire way to open yourself up to potential injury.\u201d Beginner classes also help you learn technique, because basic points like where to place your feet, point your hips and hold your arms will be stressed more than they will in intermediate or advanced sessions.<\/p>\n

Teacher, teacher<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

\u201cIf you have questions, ask!\u201d Escobar says. You might feel strange interrupting class, but most teachers don\u2019t mind. \u201cIf we can\u2019t help right then, we\u2019ll let you know and we can figure it out together later.\u201d (Shy beginners can always approach the teacher after class.) And just as with any fitness class, look for a teacher you like and respect. \u201cMake sure it\u2019s a person you don\u2019t mind listening to for 90 minutes and someone who is experienced and you can trust,\u201d Rodrigue advises. If you have any injuries or medical conditions, be sure to approach the instructor before class and fill him or her in on your health concerns.<\/p>\n

Know the safety pose<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re ever experiencing pain or need a break, take child\u2019s pose<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s the time-out pose,\u201d Escobar explains. Place your knees on the mat, then lower your chest on top of your legs and drop your head. You can then stretch your hands out in front of you or drop your arms to your sides.<\/p>\n

Find your style<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good idea to take several different styles of yoga to see what you like best,\u201d says Samantha Martin, a Dallas-based yoga instructor. \u201cThen try a few different teachers before making a judgment.\u201d To get a full experience, try attending two classes per week for a month. \u201cWhen you go to a new grocery store, it\u2019s hard to find anything, even milk, but as you go more often, you remember where the dairy aisle is and you can get to it faster. Then you begin to relax and discover other parts of the store\u2014that\u2019s what yoga feels like at first,\u201d Escobar says. \u201cYou\u2019re moving in new ways and using parts of your body that you haven\u2019t before, so the more often you go, the better you can navigate.\u201d But don\u2019t be afraid to say that yoga is not for you\u2014as Rodrigue explains, \u201cit\u2019s important that you enjoy the process. Yoga is just one method. If you try it and don\u2019t feel it\u2019s for you, don\u2019t force yourself to keep practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last, but not least, here are the great reasons<\/strong> to add yoga to your fitness routine:<\/p>\n

It clears the mental chatter<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

In this Internet and smartphone era, our brains are constantly multitasking and overthinking. \u201cWhen you practice yoga, you put yourself in positions that make you be actively conscious and force you to slow down,\u201d Escobar says. \u201cYou have to focus on breathing, think about where your hands need to go, where your knees should be.\u201d Once you\u2019ve learned how to be present, you can translate that into other parts of your life. As Shepherd explains: \u201cYou learn to focus on your breath coming in and out, so next time you\u2019re in a meeting or listening to a friend, you can keep focused.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like giving yourself a break<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

Above all the other benefits that our practitioners hear about and see, the raves about how relaxed their students feel after class have made the biggest impression. \u201cThey often leave saying that they feel like they just went to a spa,\u201d Martin says. \u201cStudents are so focused on what they\u2019re doing that all of the outside distractions can finally float away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nap time!<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve never heard of savasana\u2014then your life just got better. This is the Sanskrit title for the typically five-minute rest that happens at the end of each class. The lights are lowered and you lie on your back with your palms up and eyes closed to let your body absorb the class. \u201cYoga is the one form of exercise where each class includes time to lie down and rest at the end,\u201d Martin says. \u201cI once heard someone say that nothing in class matters as long as you have a great savasana.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh yeah\u2014a better body and mind<\/strong>.<\/h2>\n

We\u2019ll let Shepherd handle this one on her own. \u201cPeople are typically attracted because of the physical aspects\u2014like they heard it would help their core\u2014and I see people achieve great results: sculpted muscles, a reduction of body fat, increased stamina and, of course, more flexibility. But the people that become regular lifetime practitioners stay committed because of the results they didn\u2019t expect: increased self-confidence, a more authentic way of being, reduced heart rate, a reduction of stress in their lives and healthier eating habits.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Introduction to Basic Yoga Moves<\/h2>\nHere is a guide to a sun salutation\u2014a series of basic poses that appear in most yoga classes. On your first try, hold each of these poses for 10 to 15 seconds then flow into the next. For certain poses we included the Sanskrit titles, which some instructors might use in class.\n\n

High Lunge:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bend your knees, then step your left foot back until your right knee forms a right angle. Lay your torso on your front thigh and place your hands on either side of your right foot. Look forward and keep your neck straight and long.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Plank:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Step your right foot back to meet your left. Hold yourself up in a high push-up stance, your arms perpendicular to the ground, your back straight and your hips up (not sagging toward the floor). If this position is too challenging, you can lower your knees to the ground for extra support.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Half-plank (Chaturanga):<\/strong><\/h3>\n

From the Plank position, lower your torso toward the floor, keeping your elbows tight against your sides until your body is a few inches off the mat. Keep your tailbone firm and your legs active and engaged.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Upward-facing Dog:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lower your body to the floor, then stretch your legs back, pushing the top of your feet into the floor. Spread your palms on the mat, then push your chest off the mat until your arms are straight. Tilt your head up so that your neck is straight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Downward-facing Dog:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Flip from the tops of your toes onto the bottom of your toes, while also pushing your hips up into the air. Your body should form an upside-down \u201cV\u201d with your palms planted on the mat and your fingers spread wide. Push your heels down toward the floor, then widen your shoulder blades and pull them toward your buttocks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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High Lunge:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Step your left leg forward until your left knee forms a right angle. Lay your torso on your front thigh and place your hands on either side of your left foot. Look forward and keep your neck straight and long.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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