Practising yoga is a great way to reduce stress and have a gentle workout that fits quite easily into our busy daily lives. Unfortunately, we don’t always know where to start. So here are a few tips on how to get started.

1 – Preferably in the morning

Yoga, like any new practice in our lives, will require discipline. Indeed, we’ll be enthusiastic to do the first few sessions, but very quickly bad habits and false excuses will catch up with us for not doing what is good for us.

That’s why, to get off to a good start in yoga, I advise you to be disciplined. To do this, make a real commitment to yourself.

First of all, ask yourself how much time you want to devote to yoga, and how many times a week.

Then write down your commitment on a piece of paper and post it in a strategic place in your home.

To get off to a good start in yoga, don’t leave your practice to chance. Yes, don’t do yoga “when you have time”. Trust your mind to find a thousand other stressful things to do instead.

To help you make your commitment, scientific studies have shown that when we practice yoga in the morning, we’re 30% more likely to stick with it.

2 – There’s no room for guilt in a good start to yoga

When you practice yoga, you enter a new world, far removed from modern society and its beliefs.

It’s not about doing more, being better, not failing.

Yoga is quite different. It’s gentle.

That’s why, in order to start yoga properly, it’s essential to change our beliefs. And in particular, to stop seeing ourselves as machines, but as human beings.

Indeed, we don’t practice yoga for the sake of performance, but to feel the link between our body and our soul.

We embark on this practice not to prove anything to ourselves, but to experience sensations.

So, to get off to a good start in yoga, remember above all to be kind to yourself. In other words, this practice shouldn’t be another moment in your day when you judge yourself harshly by asking too much of yourself.

3 – Take a few group classes beforehand

There are lots of fascinating books on yoga, not to mention free videos on Youtube, but it’s a good idea to practice yoga in group classes, or individual ones for that matter.

Indeed, to get off to a good start in yoga, it’s important to get corrected quickly so as not to develop bad habits that could hurt our bodies in the long run.

You don’t need to take 20 classes, but 3 or 4 is not bad.

What’s more, taking classes will help you understand yourself better, ask questions, and then create sessions at home that you’ll enjoy all the more.

4 – Keep a yoga journal to get you started

First of all, keeping a yoga diary is an excellent way of motivating yourself. We’ll keep track of the days and see whether our practice is regular or not.

What’s more, writing a diary will help us to better monitor our progress and become aware of our strengths and weaknesses.

And finally, to get off to a good start in yoga, it’s essential to express our feelings, and writing a yoga journal is a good way of doing this.

Practising yoga isn’t just about doing postures as quickly as possible, it’s about creating a space where our body and soul can meet. A space of silence, breathing and slow, fluid movements, during which we’ll feel emotions and gain awareness.

5 – Know why you practice yoga

Even if yoga is something close to your heart, even if the effects make you feel good, there will be times when you don’t feel like practising, when you feel demotivated…

So, to continue your yoga practice without having to negotiate with your mind and your motivation, I invite you to write down your goals on the first page of your yoga journal.

What are your goals? Why do you want to practice yoga?

Indeed, to get off to a good start in yoga, it’s essential to be clear about why you’re embarking on this incredible adventure.

Then, by writing down your goals, you’ll be able to reread them and get motivated again!

6 – Getting started with yoga: choosing the right equipment

Practising yoga is a unique opportunity to connect with both body and soul, and it’s essential to make this moment as pleasant as possible.

You don’t need a dedicated room for this either, but a few things are essential.

A good carpet. Simple, if the room has a parquet floor. But if the surface is harder and colder, a soft carpet is essential.

Next, comfortable clothes. There’s no need to wear a bra that prevents you from breathing. Instead, choose loose-fitting clothes that are soft and gentle on the skin.

What’s more, keep several small blankets or plaids by your side. For example, to sit on during sitting postures. And then, to cover yourself with during the relaxation phase, so you don’t get cold and tense up.

7 – To get off to a good start in yoga: don’t force yourself

To get off to a good start in yoga, it’s essential to remember that, although yoga can help us to lose weight, for example, we’re not here to feel pain.

So let’s leave our tendency to want to perform, to be the best in the changing room (laughs), and when we enter the room in which we practice yoga, let’s keep in mind that we’re there to make ourselves feel good.

So let’s try to progress slowly but surely. And in the beginning, let’s stick to the most common postures.

8 – Listen to yourself

To get off to a good start, let’s remember that yoga is a practice that combines postures with times for relaxation and rest.

In other words, it’s perfectly normal to rest between postures. In fact, it’s strongly recommended.

Because, without fluidity of movement and breathing, yoga won’t bring the benefits we’re looking for.

So how do we listen to ourselves? Simply observe your breathing. If it’s jerky, you need a break. Or if our face is tense from exertion.

To get off to a good start, remember that yoga is a gentle practice.

9 – For a good start in yoga: don’t fool boredom

Sometimes we get bored during our yoga practice, and we tend to want to go fast. It’s as if we want to get rid of our session as quickly as possible.

The point here is to observe ourselves whenever we tend to go fast, and understand that this is a sign that we’re not in the present moment.

We’re neither in our body nor in touch with our soul. We’re absent from everything.

So why did we decide to take up yoga in the first place?

So the best way to start yoga is to remember one thing: the faster we want to go, the slower we’ll go.

10 – Yoga is more than just a sport

A good start in yoga means understanding that yoga is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life.

Yes, the benefits of yoga can follow us into every area of our lives. Being in the moment, connected to our body, focused on our breathing, having fluid movements in a relaxed body.

Imagine what your life could be like, if yoga were a part of it.

Yoga is more than just learning postures; it’s also about learning values and moral qualities:

Do no harm to your body, to yourself through your thoughts, but also do no harm to others.
Develop compassion, patience and tenacity.
To flourish in detachment and simplicity.
So, to get off to a good start in yoga, embrace its teachings in all areas of your life.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover Getting started with yoga: tips for a worry-free start
Discover Negative thoughts: 10 habits that changed my life

I recommend this inspiring book:

The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T.K.V. Desikachar
Desikachar’s book is a comprehensive guide for those new to yoga, emphasizing the development of a personalized practice. It explores the philosophy, principles and practical aspects of yoga, offering insights to practitioners of all levels. The book will encourage you to cultivate a mindful and authentic approach to yoga, making it an invaluable resource for those looking to enter yoga with a solid foundation and a focus on personal development and well-being.

You need this book in your yoga library. The references and knowledge you’ll use forever. It will change your life.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself