Start Where You Are: A Gentle Guide to Your First Yoga Practice

If you’ve been thinking about trying yoga but keep putting it off, this one’s for you.

I hear the same worries all the time. I’m not flexible. I won’t know what I’m doing. Everyone else will be better than me. I understand every single one, and I promise you, none of them are reasons to stay away. They’re just the nerves that show up before anything new and good.

Here’s what a first practice actually asks of you: a bit of floor space, something comfortable to wear, and the willingness to feel a little unsure for a while. That’s it. You don’t need special leggings, a fancy mat, or a bendy body. You need to show up as you are today.

When you begin, forget about doing the poses “right.” Instead, notice what you feel. Where does your breath sit - high in your chest, or low in your belly? Where does your body hold on, and where does it soften when you let it? This noticing is the real practice. The shapes are simply a way of paying attention.

Start small. Ten minutes is a beautiful place to begin. Roll out your mat, take a few slow breaths, move gently, and finish lying down for a moment of stillness. Do that a few times a week and something shifts, not because you’ve mastered anything, but because you’ve started listening.

And if your mind wanders, or you wobble, or you have absolutely no idea what your body is doing? Wonderful. That means you’re a beginner, and being a beginner is one of the most generous things you can give yourself.

Come and start where you are. I’ll meet you there.

Ready to begin? I have a library of different yoga classes on YouTube and more to come, let’s move together!