Get started with yoga in 4 easy steps

Yoga is an excellent, fulfilling sport and exercise option that be done alone wherever you are or in a classroom with others. It’s so much more than exercise as well and can be a powerful tool to improve your mindfulness and your wellbeing. In fact, though many use yoga to build strength and improve their flexibility, yoga itself is not about either of these things. The most important component of yoga is breathing and meditation.

Yoga is all about creating freedom in your body through the physical manipulation of your earthly form. This can be a difficult concept to grasp for newcomers, but all you really need to do is enjoy the quiet serenity and use yoga to reflect and connect with your body. This is key because this connection can be enjoyed from your first yoga class, even though the strength and crazy flexibility come later. With this in mind, here is how you can get started.

Find the Right Instructor

Yoga can be followed and learned in a class or right at home. There is a full 30-day beginner yoga for beginners challenge available online from Movement for Modern Life to help you get started right at home. Though you don’t need to know the poses or have any equipment, these can improve your experience and make it more enjoyable on a regular basis.

Create Space for Your Yoga

If you have a great view or a place in your home where you feel uplifted and better just for being in that area, choose this spot for your yoga. You may need to rearrange your furniture (either on a temporary or permanent basis) so find a way to make this an easy and fast process for the upcoming days.

Yoga Equipment Essentials

Sports gear and a yoga mat are two of the essentials you’ll want to invest in. Chances are you already have fitted sports clothes that allow you to easily move without restriction, so use these. They should be breathable and comfortable, like a second skin.

Your yoga mat is one of the most important tools, however. It will help you get the poses right, helps with balance, and is an important safety tool. It ensures that the surface that you are using supports you and keeps you grounded.

Consider the Ambience

You’ll want to consider the soundscape of your space. If you live next to a wild area, whether that is water or a field, you are all set. The sounds of nature are an incredibly powerful tool that can make it easier to meditate and relax.

If you live in a city, particularly near a busy street with the ambient noise is not relaxing, then there are a few things that you can do. First, close all the windows. You can use a fan or white noise machine or put on soothing sounds (for best results, choose an hour-long option that doesn’t get interrupted) so that you can recreate the natural space as much as possible, even in an urban area.