Have you thought about doing some yoga but don’t know where to start? It can be intimidating going into a studio and starting something new, so doing a little yoga at home can help you get some confidence to get into the yoga studio or keep up with a consistent self-practice at home.

There are a lot of videos out there, but you want to make sure you are starting off with more simple, gentle, and safe practice. Here are some videos that you can give a try :)

This video is with Yoga with Adriene. It’s about 34 minutes long, and a good one to start with and repeat a couple of times a week to begin to understand the names of postures and alignment.

This Yoga Journal video by Jason Crandell is about 15 minutes long with all seated postures and a short Savasana (relaxation). If you feel like it’s challenging to sit up with a tall spine, you can prop your hips up on a stable pillow or rolled up blanket. Elevating your hips in seated poses can be helpful so feel free to try that and see if it works for you.

Another video with Adriene – she is one of my favourite teachers on YouTube, so I think it’s good to add in a couple of her videos. Check this 20 minute yoga video out here. She also makes yoga fun, which is helpful when your new at something and tend take it a bit too seriously. It’s important to keep focus, but also learn to enjoy it, and Adriene continues to remind us of that.

Beginner’s Yoga Class from Kripalu Center on Vimeo. (due to restrictions, we were not able to post the video in the blog, but we have provided the link for you).

This video from the Kripalu Center is about an hour long, but it’s a great one if you have the time. The teacher, Steven Leonard, starts off slowly and goes through the basics with lots of repetitive, gentle movement. He also goes through important body alignment cues in a simple and effective way, particularly geared towards beginners.

Beginner’s Yoga Class from Kripalu Center auf Vimeo.

The next video is from SarahBeth Yoga. This is a nice, gentle flow which is for the morning, but I reckon it would be a good one you could do any time of day. It’s only 10 minutes long, so maybe you can take some time during lunch or afternoon tea/coffee when you need a little ‘pick-me-up’.

Flow with the teachers from The Space (Cat Cow Yoga Collective) which I am a part of in Raglan, NZ. :) This is about 10 minutes so a good one to do when you are crunched for time and also have a little experience from the videos mentioned above.

A Few Helpful Tips To Get Started

As you practice, be sure to move slowly and focus on your breath, this will help you tune into your body and mind. If you feel pain at any time, ease off or just don’t do the posture that is causing the pain.

EVERY body is different, so it’s important to pay to attention to how YOU feel, don’t worry about being perfect in the posture (there’s no such thing). Specifically be mindful of any current or past injuries. You can always pause the video if you need to slow down the pace or even re-watch a posture, sequence, or verbal cue that you didn’t quite understand. No need to rush through them, just take your time and pay attention to how you feel.

A good place to start is practicing at least 2-3 times per week, even if it’s a short practice, it’s better than nothing. Try to wear comfortable clothing you can easily move in. You’ll learn something new about yourself each time you practice, physically and/or emotionally, which is one of my favourite parts about my own practice. Move slowly and enjoy the experience.

I would love to hear feedback if you’ve used these videos to get started or if you have any questions :)