If you are interested in yoga for beginners, video lessons are the most accessible way to learn the basics. They clearly describe and clearly demonstrate the best asanas for beginners. If a person strives to be healthy and energetic, to find harmony between body and spirit, yoga will help him with this. The practice is also often used for weight loss and maintaining muscle tone.
This is an ancient teaching based on simple physical exercise and wellness. You can practice in a group or with personal trainer. But if you don’t have time to practice yoga outside the home, you can master the technique at home. Basic exercises and basic movements can be learned using online videos.
It is very important to understand that yoga is not a marathon or a race; there is no need to strive to quickly get results and achieve high level skill for short term. It is necessary to learn to understand yourself and your body, manage internal energy and influence it on areas of life.
Basic Rules
To discover all the charms and prospects of this practice, it is important to initially delve into the teachings and study the rules for performing the exercises. To practice, you will need a gymnastic mat or mat. Just like in fitness, you need to dress properly to practice yoga. Give preference to comfortable, loose clothing or special sports uniform, you don't need shoes.
Choose the most comfortable complex for yourself, focusing on your own abilities and level physical training. The first lesson can consist of 1-2 exercises and last only 15 minutes. Start with the simplest things, spend more time on meditation and proper breathing, increase the intensity of exercise gradually as the body adapts to the load.
Unlike active fitness movements or exercises, which must be performed to music, yoga requires peace and quiet. You need to try to relax, immerse yourself, concentrate on how you breathe and move, feel the inner energy and strength. You should perform the exercises from lesson 1 at a comfortable pace, preferably on an empty stomach.
It is very important to take time to warm up after performing asanas. Stretching allows you to consolidate the effect and combine the result. They also improve flexibility and plasticity, have a positive effect on muscle tissue and joints, the functioning of internal organs, the body’s endurance.
Types of practice
There are many types and directions of yoga - classes for pregnant women, for overweight people, for the elderly, for men, women and children, for two, etc. Yoga can also be morning and evening. You can also classify it according to what part of the body the exercises affect - for the back, for the legs, for the chest, etc.
Yoga is a global teaching that has many directions. The main schools of yoga are considered to be:
- Hatha. This is the basics. It is this that underlies the rest of the directions. During the classes you can learn basic asanas, breathing practices and meditation. Only after this can you move on and practice other types.
Watch online video with Katerina Buida (YouTube):
- Kundalini. A dynamic direction that combines movements with sounds. During classes you will need to chant mantras. According to the teaching, this helps to raise the human energy center.
- Ashtanga. It consists of a series of exercises that should be performed at a fast pace, observing the basic principles of proper breathing. This direction is often compared to recreational gymnastics.
- Bikram. This is a type of yoga in which the exercises are performed in a room where the temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius. He gained wide popularity among American celebrities. Bikram consists of 26 asanas that must be performed at an intense rhythm for 90 minutes.
- Kriya. Often, uninformed people call this practice cryo yoga, but this is wrong. The Kriya school teaches how to achieve physical and spiritual health through the opening of the chakras.
- Yoga B.K.S. Iyengar. This is an individual technique, which is based on safety and smoothness. During operation, it is permissible to use auxiliary elements - rollers, belts, etc.
It doesn’t matter how old you are: 15, 23, 30 or 50, yoga is a spiritual practice available to everyone who wants to understand their body and strengthen their spirit. Reviews indicate that regular exercise promotes health and rejuvenation, and that with the help of practice you can radically change your life for the better.
Yoga is an amazing ancient teaching originally from India that gives health to the human spirit and body. Yoga has millions of fans around the world, because if you really understand its philosophy, you can achieve enlightenment. And on the way to the latter, by regularly practicing yoga, you can get other pleasant changes: the ability to relax and breathe correctly, healthy sleep, flexible and strong body.
Yoga is not just gymnastics! This is a special way of life, which involves a lot of work on oneself, rejection of everything harmful and destructive, constant control over one’s feelings and emotions.
But asanas (yoga poses) are also very important and, perhaps, are usually the start of acquaintance with this unusually useful philosophy. Therefore, if you are interested in yoga, in addition to getting to know its history and main postulates, you need to study asanas.At the same time, it is absolutely not necessary to sign up for classes; you can start getting acquainted with asanas at home by turning on yoga channels on YouTube for beginners.
Youtube channels about yoga for beginners are very popular. There are many of them and you will definitely find an instructor to your liking. Well, the editors of Preobrazharium will make your search a little easier by listing the top 10 yoga YouTube channels that we ourselves are in love with.
So, meet the best YouTube channels for yoga classes
If you know English well, then we bring to your attention the channel of world-famous Tara Style. Tara is a former dancer and founder of Strala yoga. The yoga that Tara teaches is meditation and tranquility. Her classes for beginners (as many as 36 lessons) are calm and easy practices.
Another very worthy YouTube channel about yoga for beginners and more is the brainchild of Kino McGregor. Kino is not just a yoga instructor. This girl has been faithful to this philosophy for 20 years, has written 4 books, and is also just a sweetheart. It’s a pleasure to train with her video lessons.
This channel is very unusual. Its creators are a young couple who left everything and went traveling. Their inspired faces, interesting practices and incredible landscapes in the background have made us eternal fans of their training. Although what kind of training is there... It is clear that for Mark and Julian this is a way of life.
Finally, the most popular YouTube channel for yoga in the whole world! Adriana has 13 videos for beginners, which is absolutely enough for a beginner.
A channel about yoga with magical energy provided by its permanent instructor, Sergey Chernov. For beginners, Sergey has only 6 videos, but believe me, this is enough to fall in love with yoga once and for all.
Instructor Lena and her dynamic vinyasa yoga also deserve the attention of Preobrazharium readers. Lena lives in the distant and beautiful country of Chile, enjoys life and does not forget to shoot videos for active yoga lovers. For beginners, her arsenal includes 33 videos aimed at slimming and success.
If you love variety, this is the channel for you. Different instructors, different techniques - all this will allow you to understand what attracts you most to yoga.
There are a lot of interesting things on this channel. Here are the basics of meditation, discussions about fate and purpose, recipes and, of course, asanas. An excellent channel that allows you to immerse yourself in learning.
Yoga for beginners opens up a world of new sensations, comprehensive health improvement, excellent mood and well-being. Fortunately, today everyone can watch professional video lessons and conduct classes at a convenient time at home.
Types of yoga
Hatha yoga for beginners
It is this simple yoga that most beginners prefer. The ancient Hatha movement has its own well-established traditions. Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar are some examples of subtypes of Hatha yoga. Simple poses are aimed at working a specific organ or part of the body. Particularly good are sets of exercises for correcting the spine, working the abdominal muscles and postures for the back. There are also asanas for opening the joints.
Kundalini yoga for beginners
Direction helps you learn to control your emotions and regulate your internal energy. During the classes, people acquire the ability for global hypersensitivity, which allows them to rationally distribute efforts in work, everyday life, creativity, and relationships. The versatility and attractiveness of Kundalini yoga is due to the fact that there is no need for good stretching. For success, desire and dedication are enough.
Iyengar yoga for beginners
Beginners who come to Iyengar yoga courses do not always have flexibility, but they soon acquire it through regular training. Blankets, blocks, and bolsters help unprepared students learn the technique. Proof therapeutic effect This direction is the phenomenon of restoring health, increasing the strength and endurance of its founder.
Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga for beginners
Many directions within yoga are inaccessible to beginners without preparation. The good thing about Ashtanga Vinyasa is that it suits everyone. If you make an effort, you will certainly be able to keep your body in good shape. Some people use exercise as a means to lose weight. Exercise provides the necessary relaxation and helps recharge your energy. Beginners enjoy performing asanas because the classes keep a slow pace and pay a lot of attention to harmonizing movements and breathing.
Pranayama yoga for beginners
The wonderful yoga practice of Pranayama is permeated with vital energy and natural strength. People following this path begin with the simplest truths, and then actively learn to control their own breathing and work with internal and external energy. The best effect can be obtained by practicing not at home, but in the fresh air, in the mornings and evenings. Pranayama teaches you to concentrate, improves immunity, and creates harmony in the emotional sphere.
Sahaja Yoga for Beginners
Sahaja Yoga has many followers, as this meditation technique provides the key to natural harmonization of the mental, physical and emotional spheres of the individual. Those who have mastered breathing exercises, have the opportunity to enjoy a renewed worldview and self-contemplation. You can study correctly only with the help of a competent mentor. Thanks to Sahaja yoga, a person completely rebuilds his consciousness, is reborn and feels like an eternal creature - pure spirit.
Bikram yoga for beginners
The direction consists of 26 useful poses that come from classical Hatha yoga. Constant and correct implementation of a well-thought-out complex is aimed at improving the condition of all parts of the body. Muscles, ligaments and internal organs receive a powerful boost of energy, and the healing effect is noticeable. Know that at any age and with any training it is important to start doing yoga from scratch.
Yoga stretching for beginners
Today the magnificent complex is popular beautiful exercises for quick and safe muscle stretching. If you want to maintain health and beauty, then take care of the good condition and mobility of your joints and muscle elasticity. Stretching yoga for women is very useful; each of them should definitely learn the basics of this direction in order to gain flexibility, protect themselves from injuries, increase their performance and control body weight. Classes always bring pleasure and distract from problems, as they take place with relaxing music and immediately relieve stress. Fatigue and back pain instantly disappear, over time a feeling of peace appears, the risk of heart and vascular diseases decreases, sleep and blood pressure normalize.
Yogalates for Beginners
Before us is a brilliant fusion of two directions - Yoga and Pilates, including smooth and soft movements, placing an emphasis on breathing, positivity and relaxation. Classes are designed in such a way that elements of Pilates and Yoga alternate, which means that the strength and flexibility of the body develops. You can get from exercise great benefit, namely, strengthen the lower back, stabilize the spinal column, improve posture, give muscles elasticity, improve blood circulation, achieve emotional balance, fill yourself with energy and remove excess fat.
health-improving gymnastics For female beauty and flexibilityOpening the chakras with yoga
To get closer to psychological balance and physical health, it is necessary to harmonize the two main chakras.
Chakra Muladhara
One of the chakras, Muladhara, is responsible for protection, endurance, and nutrition. When there is no harmony in this area, the qualities of a victim appear, fears disturb, and a passion for hoarding is revealed. You can help the situation by creating a feeling of security, providing yourself with prosperity in everyday life, and feeling someone’s protection. Muladhara controls the intestines, legs, bones, and pelvic area. If there is an imbalance in this chakra, then pathologies of the joints and bones, stool disorders, hemorrhoids, apathy towards everything and fatigue, blood diseases, back tension and skin problems are of concern.
Swadhisthana Chakra
Another chakra, Svadhisthana, regulates the sexual sphere and the area of pleasure, reproductive function and creative potential. When the harmony in this chakra is disturbed, it is impossible to enjoy intimacy or, on the contrary, the body is overloaded with sexual activity. The situation can be brought back to normal if you find people you can trust. It is also necessary to be creative. This chakra has a connection with the organs of the reproductive system, the pelvis and procreation. If something is disturbed in this area, then a person complains of muscle spasms, he develops allergies, the body becomes fragile and vulnerable, constipation occurs, and there is complete discord in his sexual life. This also includes disharmony in the second chakra, infertility, the growth of cellulite and the inability to think creatively.
Yoga asanas for harmony of Muladhara and Swadhisthana chakras
To improve your life, you need to work on your psychological state. The following asanas help harmonize the two chakras described above:
- Baddha Konasana or Butterfly;
- Malasana;
- Marjariasana or Cat;
- Upavishta Konasana or seated bending;
- Gomukhasana;
- Janu Sirsasana or head to knee;
- Gomukhasana or Cow Face.
Concentrate on correct execution asanas and you will definitely see positive results.
How to start doing yoga?
If you want to do yoga, but don’t know where to start, then find out whether such physical activity is contraindicated for health reasons. If there are no serious illnesses and your doctor is against you practicing yoga, then first perform simple asanas for 30 minutes a day, holding each one simpler for 6 slow inhalations and exhalations.
You will need a special mat and comfortable clothing that does not interfere with movement. Blocks, elastic bands and other accessories are also sold for home yoga.
Perhaps you need a mentor and find it difficult to perform asanas on your own. In this case, go to a yoga studio, there is probably one in your city. The instructor will tell you how to choose a yoga direction and teach correct technique step by step.
To better understand and accept the philosophy of yoga, purchase a self-instruction manual in a real or online store, where all the questions that interest you are covered.
Pros and cons of yoga
Benefits of yoga practice for beginners
Yoga classes have a range of undeniable advantages, let's list them:
- elements of yoga are useful for children, stretching develops flexibility, can be an excellent daily exercise and can be done in a playful way;
- if you exercise constantly and intensely, then all the muscles are strengthened, the abs are tightened, the figure becomes athletic and light;
- yoga as philosophy and medicine is considered in the ancient Chinese teaching of Qigong (a spiritual and body-oriented practice related to yoga);
- breathing exercises combined with ancient gymnastics prolong life, which is why yoga is so useful for older people, the quality of life of pensioners increases significantly;
- by seriously practicing yoga as gymnastics, you will notice that your flexibility and strength are constantly improving;
- sleep improves;
- worries and stress fade into the background, and soon disappear from life altogether;
- Anyone who wants to lose weight should definitely take a closer look at yoga, it’s a chance to rebuild and significantly improve their body;
- By doing the exercises, everyone will be able to keep their muscles toned;
- yoga has no age or gender restrictions;
- there are safe variations of asanas that can be performed during pregnancy and lactation;
- if you teach yourself to stretch regularly from a young age, then a happy old age without health problems awaits you;
- yoga is an excellent workout that can be part of regular training, for example, finish cardio and table workouts with a pleasant, relaxing stretch;
- if you don’t have the money to pay for classes in a yoga studio, then you can just as easily practice at home for free using online master classes with explanations from authoritative masters, stories about the benefits of asanas and consideration of common mistakes;
- classes improve all areas of life, for example, many manage to quickly and forever say goodbye to their bad habits, such as poor nutrition and nicotine addiction;
- yoga with friends will perfectly unite the team and create the basis for more fruitful communication;
- family yoga is a tool for harmonizing the home and a way to demonstrate the basics to the younger generation healthy image life;
- Today many young people suffer from sedentary lifestyle life, back and joint pain, but yoga practitioners do not have such troubles;
- yoga classes - good way make new acquaintances for all family members;
- gymnastics trains the heart and adds energy;
- Yoga relieves headaches and improves immunity.
You can practice anywhere - at home, on vacation, on a business trip, on the beach, in the park, and in many cases at work.
Disadvantages of Yoga for Beginners
Beginners should consider the direction from different angles. As with any business, there are downsides. Let's call them the features of yoga:
- yoga sessions led by professional masters can be expensive;
- If asanas are performed incorrectly or contraindications are not observed, it can cause harm to health;
- Many people have a desire, along with the practice of yoga, to try a completely vegetarian diet, which is not beneficial for the body;
- There may also be dangers in meditative practice, which is not always useful for Europeans.
Yoga asanas in the mornings and evenings
Invigorating morning yoga
As a healthy exercise, do this proven set of asanas every morning:
- Tadasana;
- Vrksasana;
- Adho Mukha Svanasana;
- Virabhadrasana II;
- Utkatasana;
- Halasana;
- Salamba Sarvangasana;
- Shavasana.
Try to make yoga asanas your tradition and every morning will be good.
Relaxing yoga before bed
End the day with this set of asanas:
- Uttanasana;
- Adho Mukha Virasana;
- Adho Mukha Svanasana;
- Dandasana;
- Paschimottanas;
- Chaturanga Dandasana;
- Halasana;
- Salamba Sarvangasana;
- Shavasana.
Believe me, evening yoga will bring you great pleasure and give you a good night's sleep.
Contraindications for yoga
You should not perform any yoga asanas if you have serious health problems:
- psychical deviations;
- hernia in the groin;
- acute diseases of internal organs;
- severe heart pathologies;
- infections of the brain or spinal cord, joints;
- complex hypertension and high intracranial pressure;
- rehabilitation after stroke;
- blood diseases;
- discomfort after yoga classes;
- head and spine injuries;
- acute pain of unknown etiology in the lower back or neck;
- malignant neoplasms;
- radicular syndrome;
- rehabilitation after surgery on the sternum or peritoneum;
- hypermobility syndrome;
- colds and flu with fever;
- after 3 months of pregnancy, in the first 3 months after birth;
- staircase displacement of the vertebrae - listhesis;
- menstrual bleeding (all inverted asanas are contraindicated for women during menstruation);
- hernias on the spine;
- arthrosis of the knee and hip joint;
- meniscus damage.
In some cases, during or after illness, on the recommendation of a specialist, people do yoga - perform safe asanas and practice reasonable yoga.
If you don’t get pleasure, don’t see the effect, or feel discomfort from doing it yourself, then you need to find a good specialist who will select the appropriate direction of yoga, explain step by step and show by example the technique of performing asanas, point out mistakes and inspire many years of progressive practice.
Yoga has long been firmly established in our lives. You can practice asanas not only in yoga studios, but also at home - all you need is a mat and Internet access. In today's How to Green review, we have collected 10 yoga channels on YouTube: convenient to watch and repeat in any conditions!
Russian-language channels
This channel is more suitable for beginner yoginis. It’s convenient to choose the rollers according to the purpose of the lesson (cheerfulness of spirit, flexible body, relief from back pain, beautiful abs, awakening strength, elastic buttocks, relaxation, weight loss) and by time (15, 30 and 60 minutes). Most popular video – Flexible body in 30 minutes. Yoga for Beginners– viewed by almost 4 million users. A yoga teacher performs asanas in nature - birdsong and a beautiful view are included. A bonus is a pleasant voice-over that tells you how to breathe and perform asanas correctly.
Russian-speaking girl Elena lives in Chile and gives online yoga lessons to everyone. There is a paid version for intensive training, but otherwise all videos are accessible and useful. The channel is valuable for its numerous lessons for beginners and splits challenges. We like Elena for her positivity, and her lessons for their simplicity and clear explanations. And, if you want to practice vinyasa yoga, this is the place for you! There are also videos about meditation, for example Relax your body and mind in 10 minutes.
How to Green, following the Yoga for Everyone channel, believes that yoga is for everyone. The channel contains a lot of educational and useful videos on the topics: how to breathe during practice, why theory is needed, and also exercises on different groups muscles and created a series of questions and answers. We recommend watching the video “How quickly you can correct your posture with exercises”. The creators of the channel also promise to quickly teach you how to do the splits.
For beginners, the channel contains only a few videos, the rest are for intermediate ones. The teacher is a man (perhaps gender matters for some). There are not only sets of exercises, but also information about human anatomy, interviews about yoga with famous practitioners, as well as beautiful motivational videos so that you will surely fall in love with yoga and begin to practice it more actively. We think the channel can be an excellent replacement for a yoga studio if it is not possible to attend offline classes.
Foreign channels
Tara Stiles has her own yoga studio in the US, Strala Youga, and for those who do not live in New York, her yoga classes are available on YouTube. Tara Stiles channel in numbers: 625 videos, over 308 thousand subscribers, most popular video Flexbility and Range of Motion/Beginner Yoga with Tara Stiles watched by over 4 million people. We like Tara Stiles because she popularizes accessible yoga. The Tara Channel is suitable for those who are confused in the numerous branches of yoga and do not know where to start. If this is about you, choose videos of any length and complexity on Tara Stiles’ channel. 
Perhaps one of the most beautiful yoga channels on YouTube. It’s not for nothing that the word beautiful appears even in the name of the channel. Just imagine: the ocean coast, a beautiful couple and even a dog. It’s worth watching their lessons if only for inspiration. It seems you can even hear the palm trees swaying... Lessons last from 15 to 40 minutes and are aimed at developing flexibility and balance. We recommend starting with a Morning Yoga Workout class.
The Yoga House channel is suitable for those who have not yet decided which yoga school is closest to them. Thanks to the channel, you can practice a mix of asanas from Bikram yoga, Hatha, Ashtanga and other schools at home. There is a series of exercises for both beginners and intermediates. With the lessons of this channel you will definitely decide on your favorite yoga school. And, if you repeat all the elements after the leader, you will learn to take complex asanas correctly.
The Yoga with Adriene channel is valuable for a whole series of videos designed for a monthly training program. We are sure that after a 30-day course, yoga will firmly enter your life. More than 3 million people have subscribed to the channel. There is also a complex for beginners and for busy people. You can choose complexes depending on how much time you are willing to devote to yoga. Overall, we think there is something for everyone here. 
The channel is suitable for those who like or want to study twice a week. As a rule, a yoga video lasts 10 minutes – quite enough if you don’t have time. We appreciated that the exercises were not difficult, but very worthwhile. Coach Jenna loves to chat during asanas. However, for some this is only a plus.
Channel of the popular printed yoga magazine of the same name. By the way, the magazine has been around for 35 years, so you should trust this authoritative source. There are complexes for every taste. Read the magazine if you want to learn the theory, subscribe to the channel if you need practice. In addition to a variety of asanas, there are motivating interviews that will allow you to learn more about the people who practice and teach yoga. Yoga Journal is also published in Russian.
Tell us, do you practice yoga at home? If yes, what smartphone apps do you use? Or do you study from YouTube videos? Share your favorite channels and videos with us. Let's study together! Have a productive practice!
