Yoga @ Home | A Quick Start Guide for Beginners

I have been practicing yoga since I was a junior in high school. When I first started out, it wasn’t all the rage it is today. It was still largely misunderstood and not quite considered a mainstream form of physical activity as we know it now. Finding information on yoga and how to get started on a beginners level wasn’t as easy as you would think! Obviously, we are talking about two very different times, one of those being a time when the internet was young and sites like YouTube were years from inception. So, I starting off talking to as many people as I knew that had some clue about starting off with yoga and of course I googled the heck out of the subject, although good websites with solid information were few and far between. Eventually, either through a friend or through a website (I honestly can’t recall, but I think it was a friend in my AP Euro Class that suggested it) I discovered the book Yoga Burns Fat by Jan Maddern. It is a pretty simple guide to practicing yoga at a beginners level, and I still reference it from time to time today. At the time, yoga classes were not an option for me most likely because they were either hard to find or would have cost money to attend. I prefer to work out alone anyway, and especially when it comes to practicing yoga, I don’t think I would feel comfortable in a group setting. But of course, we live in a totally different world now, which means I have much more control over my options for practicing yoga, including many technologically advanced methods, like using an app!

Specifically, I prefer to use the app Yoga Studio. This comprehensive app acts like a personal yoga instructor, with a variety of options on classes offered by skill level or customizable routines that you can build to suit your own needs. I love how clean and simple the interface is; it makes finding the classes or routines you want a breeze and with the built in step by step video demonstrations, you almost get the sense that you are in a real yoga studio filled with serene white light!

So, if you are a beginner who needs that visual guidance that will help you figure out the positions and give you extra advice during the routines on ways you can challenge yourself more or even how to make a difficult position easier for you if you’re having a hard time, I would suggest an app like Yoga Studio over a book. It’s all the benefits of having an instructor, plus you are able to practice in the privacy of your own home and even on the go while traveling! As long as you have an iPad handy and preferably a yoga mat, you are ready for your workout!

I hope this app helps you get starting on your own personal yoga practice! I also went ahead and made a video discussing my history with yoga and why I love it so much that goes along with this post, so if you have some time, feel free to check it out below!