Yoga for Beginners

You may be wondering what style of yoga best fits your needs, and depending on the day, the type of yoga you choose may vary significantly. Luckily there are a wide variety of styles that are designed to meet you where you are. We find it helpful to break them up into the categories: move, heal, and connect. Below, you will see the different styles that fall into each of those categories. Typically a class that is labeled beginner will be geared toward beginner yogis. Remember that yoga is for everybody, and any style of yoga, from Yin to Vinyasa can be beginner-friendly, just make sure it’s labeled as such.

MOVE

If it’s important for you to elevate your heart rate or break a sweat during your yoga practice, you may choose to begin with one of these movement-based styles.

Hatha

If you see a class labeled as Hatha, the emphasis will be on asana, movement of the body, and breath. The pace and complexity of the postures will be determined by the level. As a beginner, level 1 or level 1/2 is a safe place to start.

Ashtanga

This vigorous style, popularized in the West by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 1970s, follows a set sequence of progressively challenging yoga postures. Try this if you thrive on routine and are looking for a physical challenge.

Vinyasa

Vinyasa yoga focuses on the linking of rhythmic movement and the breath. Sometimes the specific pattern of plank, chaturanga, up dog, and down dog is referred to as "taking a Vinyasa" in class. Multiple teachers have branded their own unique patterns of Vinyasa-style yoga.

Iyengar

Inspired by B.K.S. Iyengar, Iyengar yoga brings a meticulous attention to alignment. This focus can be especially great for beginners and people recovering from or dealing with chronic injuries. While the pace tends to be slower, the length of holds and alignment cues can be challenging.

Power Yoga + Hot Yoga

Power Yoga is vigorous, fitness-based yoga that grew out of Ashtanga. If you prefer a more athletic than ethereal practice, you may enjoy this. If you really want to sweat, find a Hot Yoga class where the studio is pre-heated.

Chair Yoga

Chairs aren’t just for sitting. In Chair Yoga, the poses are often adaptations of familiar yoga postures with a little extra support. This style is a great place to start if getting up and down off the floor is challenging.

HEAL

If you are looking for slower and more thoughtful movement, consider one of these grounding, relaxing styles of yoga that emphasize healing.

Restorative

Relaxation takes practice. This deeply relaxing practice opens the body through slow, long holds of postures to promote healing through soothing the nervous system. Bolsters, blankets, blocks, and other props help support the body in a series of poses of passive stretching.

Yin

In Yin Yoga, we surrender to postures held for longer periods of time to help prepare the mind and body for meditation. This is a gentle practice that still retains some challenge and is good for all levels of practice.

Yoga Nidra

Sometimes called yogic sleep, Yoga Nidra is a deeply healing practice that lulls the entire body into a state of relaxation and creates a deep meditative state of consciousness.

Therapeutic Yoga

Therapeutic Yoga employs yoga practices to treat common ailments such as insomnia, or to prevent, reduce, or alleviate the experience of pain.

CONNECT

If you're more interested in connecting deeper within, seek classes that include meditation and pranayama and that emphasize a relationship with the subtle realm.

Kundalini

Kundalini Yoga incorporates mantra, meditation, and kriyas, as well as movement and dynamic breathing exercises to play with the nervous system, ignite intuition, and expand our radiance from the inside out.

Freedom Yoga

Freedom Yoga, as named by Erich Schiffmann, encourages us to find our own yoga. Through exploration of asana, meditation, and subtle realm practices, we ignite a freedom within.

Pranayama

Pranayama practices, the Hatha yoga practice of breath control, are designed to touch the subtle life force through play of breath and awareness.

Meditation

A meditation practice, which usually involves sitting, is designed to increase our capacity for wide open awareness and helps us achieve mental clarity.

Prenatal

Developed specifically for women during pregnancy, prenatal yoga builds strength and flexibility, and teaches breathing and relaxation techniques to ease labor and delivery.

Acro

Acro Yoga is a community and partner-based practice that builds trust and connection. A wonderful way to develop strength, play, and relaxation for you and your partner or family.