Pt. 1: The Best Yoga for Beginners? What’s Best for You?

Whats The Best Yoga for Beginners:

That is a big question, that I’ll aim to answer honestly and from a variety of perspectives.  Actually I”m going to make this a mult-post answer, so here is part 1.  As what’s the best yoga for beginners-depends on various factors individual to you.  Factors such as:

• your age
• current level of fitness
• health conditions, including injuries
  
• your personality
• your goals- which can include-
  • improved flexibility
  • greater calm
  • increased sense of balance
  • weight loss
  • spiritual growth

So lets examine each important factor in turn

Age & Yoga:

1. General thoughts on age & yoga for beginners.

Anyone can do yoga- if ones means the postures or bodily positions- there are thousands and they are customizable to fit your body.   Generally and this has to be broad generalizations, a healthy teen or younger adult may want a more physically challenging type of yoga.  And as one gets older meaning into the 50-60’s one may choose to modify the practice depending again on ones’ overall health issues and concerns.  Both of these two comments could lead to in- depth blog posts with pro’s & con’s.

2.  Why factors of age and yoga practice are hard to codify into a rule?

There are many advanced yogi’s who are elderly and yet-usually because of a lifetime of practice, are able and wanting to do very difficult and advanced postures.  Some that come to mind whom you can look up are Vanda Scavarelli, and the venerable BKS Iyengar
[amazon_enhanced asin=”1465415831″ /]and many others.

But assuming you are an newbie and wondering where to start and you are older or out of shape then the suggestion would be to start with a class labeled “beginner” or “gentle” yoga.

3. Try a Series of Classes

So if you are a beginner to yoga- find your neighborhood studio and inquire by phone and in person, explain your current age, fitness level, injuries and ask for a:

“beginners series” or “introductory series.”

These generally are multi-week courses where you will be grouped with other beginners and taken step by step through basic postures and intro to some of the philosophy and perhaps history of yoga.