I am a big fan of anyone who wants to start a yoga practice. Yoga has transformed my life in many ways (continues to do so) and has helped me through several storms and seasons of my life.
Since yoga has been so helpful in my own life, I studied for my 200hr yoga teaching certificate. I really enjoy teaching others to do yoga too!
I started practicing yoga in 2015 here and there. I fell in love with it through the years and started practicing more and more, and I’ve only ever been to one class in a studio! I started my practice at home watching YouTube videos in my living room floor.
I really felt more comfortable practicing at home vs a studio around other people I didn’t know. I felt more empowered to try more poses without the fear of being judged, and I feel like I’ve had deeper emotional healing by being able to be in the privacy of my own home.
So, you’ve made it this far because you want to start your own at home yoga practice. YAY!
but what do you need to get started?
You can start a yoga practice at home with just yourself and a quiet place with enough space for a yoga mat. That’s it. Yoga really is pretty simple.
You can use any kind of workout mat as well; it doesn’t have to be a yoga mat. As long as you feel comfortable and supported in your practice in whatever space you choose that’s all that matters.
These mats pictured above are from 5 below. I believe they are 7$ a piece. This is a good place to start. You do not have to have a fancy expensive mat. TJ Maxx and Marshalls are also great places to shop for mats at a good price.
You will probably be on your knees a lot in your yoga practice so if you have sensitive knees a thicker yoga mat would be something to consider. Here is a link to a thicker type of mat on Amazon.
This mat pictured above is thin with a cork layer on top. This is good for keeping your grip if you tend to get sweaty. Link here.
You might have seen yoga props like bolsters, blocks, straps, blankets, pillows etc. but you do not have to have these things in order to start. Don’t get me wrong sometimes these things are great additions to your Yoga practice. You might find that yin and restorative are your favorite types of yoga, in that case, blocks, bolsters and blankets would make your practice much more comfortable. Until you figure out what you like best, a mat is all you need.
Now you have figured out your yoga space and mat…
Where are you going to learn to do yoga?
The internet! There are so many resources out there on Pinterest through blog posts and on YouTube, but this is just to name a few.
YouTube was and is still my favorite way to practice yoga. There are a lot of times now that I just flow my own way because I’ve been doing it for so long but for many years, I followed along with several different fantastic yoga teachers on the Tube.
Since you are just starting out, I recommend teachers that offer beginner friendly yoga classes like this one:
Yoga For Complete Beginners – 20 Minute Home Yoga Workout!
Search around on YouTube by searching something like “beginner friendly yoga” and see what you get. Shop around until you find a teacher you really like, or a type of yoga that you vibe well with.
Since you’re at home, you can test all the waters here, and that’s one of the things I like most about starting a home Yoga practice. You can do whatever you want!
It is important to note before you start that yoga can be uncomfortable when you are stretching out tight muscles and getting into new positions, but if you experience ANY sharp, shooting or electrifying pain at any time during your practice, gently back out of the pose and come to a comfortable position on your mat.
The term no pain no gain doesn’t apply to yoga, if it feels good to go deeper into a stretch by all means stretch deeper, as long as you are listening to your body through the process and understand that sharp pain is not ok!
Check out this blog post on 6 yoga poses for anxiety!
I wish you so much love on your yoga journey friend!
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