Last updated on August 23rd, 2023.
It is easy to become involved in yoga. There are many online resources that can help you get started. You may think of yoga as difficult or mystic, but there are practices that can benefit even the beginner. Yoga can be fun if you give it a try!
What are the best online yoga resources for beginners? YouTube has several offerings for beginners. There are countless classes and videos online that can help the beginner learn how to meditate and how to begin to work through the yoga poses.
There are also websites that compile some of the best yoga videos all in one place, and podcasts for people who would rather listen to an instructor.
The mental and physical benefits to doing yoga are immense, including helping to rid you of stress and anxiety. It is a healthy and natural alternative to seeking medication, and you don’t have to join a gym to get started! There are plenty of resources available online to help you learn how to do yoga from the comfort of your own home.
It is important that you choose the form of yoga and the instructor that best suits you. There are diverse ways to practice yoga, and you will enjoy it more if you take the time to find the practice that best fits your needs and suits your lifestyle. You should be comfortable while doing yoga.
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Online Yoga Resources For Beginners
There are many online resources for yoga for beginners. Some of the best trainers have developed YouTube channels to help others begin to practice yoga at home.
Here are a few of these online resources:
- Do yoga with me
- Yoga with Adriene
- Yoga Yak
- Kino Yoga
- Ekhart Yoga
- Do you yoga
- Fightmaster yoga
- My free yoga
- Melissa West
- Elsie’s yoga class
Detailed Info: Online Resources for Yoga Beginners
Do Yoga with Me produces hundreds of instructional videos to help the beginner learn hatha yoga poses and techniques for relaxation. This is a perfect site for the beginner, because the instructions are easy, and begin with the simplest poses. This is a free resource, which was developed in 2006.
Yoga With Adriene is a fun YouTube channel with over 859,000 subscribers. Adriene Mishley encourages people to find the most comfortable yoga positions for themselves. Adjust the positions if necessary.
Adriene is all about helping you find the best way to practice yoga for you! She includes a thirty day sequence for beginners wanting to build up their yoga skills.
Yoga Yak includes relaxing music and meditation techniques in their videos. They promote a restful, soothing type of yoga for the beginner. Their channel can also be found on YouTube.
Kino Yoga, named after Kino Macgregor offers several tutorials for the beginner on their YouTube channel. The channel has over 292,700 subscribers. It focuses on using correct posture in the yoga positions and making positive lifestyle choices.
There are over 500 free videos on the Ekhart Yoga channel. This site has over 226,000 subscribers, and the instructor is Esther Eckhart. This channel can introduce the beginner to several different types of yoga, allowing you to get a feel for what yoga has to offer and choose the type of yoga that suits you best.
Do You Yoga posts weekly free videos and challenges to help the beginner get motivated. This channel has over 174,000 subscribers and also teaches relaxation techniques that help with anxiety and depression. There are specific videos just for men on this channel.
Fightmaster Yoga posts one new class per week. They specialize in classes for weight loss, pregnant women, and meditation. Fightmaster Yoga takes a slow approach, to help the beginner learn how to do the yoga poses correctly and how to incorporate relaxation into their yoga sessions.
My Free Yoga compiles the best yoga videos from all over the internet. The site has 54,700 members. This is a great site to scan if you are trying to narrow down which type of yoga you are interested in or which instructor you wish to follow.
Dr. Melissa West claims to promote “real yoga for real people.” Her channel incorporates relaxing music, and is translated into Italian and Spanish. Dr. West promotes yoga for emotional health. Her classes are easy to follow and great for the beginner. This is great music to play in the background while you’re studying to be a yoga therapist!
Elsie’s yoga class is a podcast that you can download on your phone. Elsie Escobar gives instructions and specializes on proper alignment for beginners. If you prefer to listen to instructions, rather than watching and following a video, this is a good resource for you.
What Is The Easiest Yoga For Beginners?
Perhaps the easiest and first aspect a beginner at yoga should learn is relaxation technique. This will slow down your breathing and benefit you as you begin to engage in the more difficult aspects of yoga. If you are new to yoga, you may want to begin by learning how to meditate.
The following are the seven best forms of meditation to prepare you for yoga:
- Transcendental meditation
- Zen meditation
- Kundalini yoga
- Breath awareness meditation
- Mindfulness meditation
- Body scan meditation
- Loving-kindness meditation
Transcendental meditation is a form of spiritual meditation. The participant should choose a mantra on which they will focus during meditation. For this type of meditation, you are to be seated with your eyes closed. Block everything else out of your mind, and slowly repeat your mantra, until that is all you are concentrating on.
The purpose of this type of meditation is to “transcend” your current reality and become a better version of yourself. The mantra you choose may have to do with something you are working on overcoming.
It may be something such as, “I do not smoke”. Transcendental meditation will help you, as you begin to forget the stressors of the day and prepare for yoga.
Zen meditation is completed under the direction of a teacher. The teacher will walk you through certain steps and poses, designed to help you be mindful of the present and rid yourself of a judgmental attitude. Zen meditation has its roots in Buddhism.
Kundalini yoga incorporates some of the easier yoga poses with meditation. Your movements should be fluid, and there is a focus on proper breathing. This type of yoga meditation is especially good at helping with anxiety. If you’re pursing your Yoga Certification Online you’ll find many of the courses will offer lessons in this style.
During breath awareness meditation, the focus is on your breathing. Sit with your back straight and your hands on the floor, palms facing upward. Take in deep breaths through your nose. Concentrate only on your breathing. Notice the rise and fall of your chest, and feel the movement within you as you inhale and exhale each breath. Listen to the sound of your own breathing as you enter a meditative state.
Mindfulness meditation involves focusing only on the here and now and paying attention to the current. Sit with your back straight and eyes closed. Rid your mind of intrusive thoughts. Focus on your breathing, and be mindful of what you are feeling in both your mind and body. If a thought intrudes, acknowledge it, and then let it pass.
Body scan meditation involves lying flat on the floor. Begin by focusing on your toes. Notice and acknowledge any sensation you may feel in your toes. Work your way up your body, pausing to feel the sensations in each body part.
When you reach your head, begin again, and work your way down your body, stopping to experience what each body part is feeling.
Loving-Kindness meditation involves concentrating first on the love we have for ourselves. Begin by contemplating why you love yourself, and experience that love. Then widen your thought circle to include those closet to you.
Contemplate how they are worthy of love. Continue to broaden your circle until you have pondered your love for the whole world.
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What is the best yoga equipment for beginners?
You do not need a lot of equipment to begin to practice yoga.
Here is a list of what you will need:
- Mat
- Yoga pants
- Tank top
- Mat bag
- Towel
To begin with the initial yoga poses, you do not need a lot of excess equipment. You will need a mat to keep you comfortable and off of the floor or ground. The mat will help support you as you go through the poses that require you to get down on all fours.
It also gives and allows you to feel the sensation in your toes as you go through the standing poses.
Yoga pants and tank tops are the standard attire for practicing yoga. These should be made of stretchy material to make sure you can easily go through the poses. Make sure that you do not select a size that is too large or too small. You want to be comfortable when practicing yoga.
A mat bag is necessary to keep your mat clean and put away when it is not in use. You do not want to leave the mat lying around picking up debris from the floor. The purpose of the mat is to keep you elevated and clean, so you will want to keep it safe within a mat bag.
Keep a towel nearby to aid in wiping off excess sweat. As you begin to learn more poses and do more advanced yoga, it will become more physically demanding. You will become sweaty, and the towel will be helpful when this happens.
How do you introduce yoga for beginners?
If you are teaching yoga to beginners, it is important that you give clarity on a few key points and practices.
Here is how to get started:
- Make sure everyone can see you
- Choose the best sequence for beginners
- Teach proper breathing techniques
- Make sure everyone feels welcome
It may seem obvious, but when teaching a beginners’ yoga class, the instructor should make sure they are clearly visible to all participants. Beginners are experiencing yoga for the first time and may have trouble getting the poses correct.
It is important that they can see the poses being modeled in front of them, so that they can correct any problems with their own poses.
Don’t start with a difficult sequence. Choose from the ten basic poses, and try to begin with the easiest poses first. You do not want your audience to feel intimidated by yoga. Start with movements that will be easy for your class to emulate, and then progress to the harder poses. Those with less coordination will appreciate this.
It may be beneficial to teach relaxation techniques, meditation, and proper breathing first. Your class will need to learn how to continuously breathe through the poses and time their swapping of poses by their breath. Breathing correctly is essential to the relaxation aspect of yoga.
Some participants may have a hard time in the first class. Be sure you are kind and patient with everyone. You want yoga to be a good experience for them.
If a person is having trouble getting the hang of the poses you are teaching, take you time and patiently model them again. Do not single anyone out and humiliate anyone for not being able to emulate your techniques.
What Are The Best Yoga Poses For Beginners?
There are ten poses, which are essential and easy for the beginner to learn. It is important that all beginners practice these simple poses before moving on to more difficult yoga.
These are the easiest poses to master:
- Mountain pose
- Downward facing dog
- Plank
- Triangle
- Tree
- Warrior 1
- Warrior 2
- Seated forward bend
- Bridge pose
- Child’s pose
For the mountain pose, stand with your feet placed together, and push your toes downward as you spread them and feel the ground beneath you. Lift your kneecaps by pulling your quadriceps upward.
You will feel this in the inside of your thighs. Push down with your shoulders and suck in your stomach. It will appear that you are simply standing still, but you are conditioning your muscles for yoga.
To perform the downward facing dog, get down on your hands and knees. Push upward until the base of your feet connects with the floor and you wrists are under your shoulders.
Lift your hips slowly, until your hands are extended and your bottom is in the air. Push your hips back toward your feet, and feel the different muscles as they begin to engage.
Plank position can be challenging, but it will ultimately help with balance. Prop the back of your body up with your toes, and push up, with your hands flat on the floor, until you are at a 45 degree angle. There should be a line running from your head to your feet. Maintain this position for a set amount of time.
For the triangle pose, begin by standing with your feet apart. Stretch your arms to the side at the height of your shoulders. Turn your right foot out and your left foot in. Place your right hand on your right ankle, and lift your left arm into the air over your head, until your body forms a triangle.
To do the tree pose, begin with your feet together. Then put your right foot on the inside of your upper left thigh. Put your hands together as if praying. Choose a spot on the ground and stare at it to help maintain your balance in this position. Wait about 10 seconds, and the switch sides with your feet and thighs.
For the warrior 1 pose, take a large step backward with your left foot. Your left heel should be turned down. Pull your chest up, and place your palms together over your head. Step forward, as if doing a lunge. After you have done this once, swap legs.
For the warrior 2 pose, stand with your feet apart. Your right toes should be outturned, and your left toes turned in. Bend your right knee as if doing a lunge. Place your arms out at shoulder length and hold this position. Then swap sides and lunge with the other leg.
To perform the seated forward bend, sit up with your back straight and your feet facing outward. Slowly bend your head toward your toes, and place your palms and elbows flat on the floor. Once you have pushed your head down as far is it will go, hold the position for 8-10 seconds.
For the bridge pose, lie on your back with your feet placed flat on the floor, as far apart as your hips. Push your feet down as you lift your bottom off the floor. Put your hands behind your back and interlace your fingers. Press down with your fists.
When doing the child’s pose, begin on your hands and knees. Pull your knees and feet together, and pull your bottom back to your heels. Stretch your arms out in front of you, and place your forehead to the floor.
There are so many resources available to help the beginner, and we have only covered a few in this article. There are many benefits to yoga, and all you have to do to tap into this practice is to get online and explore some of these resources!
