The Anatomy of Vinyasa Yoga for Beginners

So you finally decided to try yoga, hooray! Doing vinyasa yoga for beginners online is a great way to work up to doing yoga in a studio with other students. Most beginner classes are modified in such a way that makes each pose feel accessible so you progress at your own pace without the pressure of keeping up with the more advanced practitioners. Want to know the differences between an all levels vinyasa class and yoga for beginners? Knowing the difference will better equip you for when you try the mixed level classes. You’ll be more familiar with pose names, modifications and how to keep your ego in check.

Do Little to No Vinyasas

If you’re new to yoga you might not be familiar with the series of poses that make up “a vinyasa.” Flowing from downward dog to plank, up-dog and down-dog makes up a vinyasa. However, vinyasa yoga for beginners classes have little to no vinyasas. It’s important to master cobra and upward dog before attempting a full vinyasa. This series of poses also requires a lot of core strength, which will come with time. Modify vinyasas by putting the knees down in plank, doing the chaturanaga (yoga pushup) on the knees and lowering all the way to the ground. Instead of up-dog, keep the hips on the ground and do cobra pose. Press up to table-top pose and then move into down-dog. You can also skip vinyasas completely and go straight into down-dog.

Use Blocks Any Time You Need Them

Use blocks to bring the floor closer to your hands in standing poses such as triangle, half moon, side angle, forward fold, and standing splits. Using the blocks will decrease the pressure on the hamstrings and help you feel more comfortable in deep standing stretches. Vinyasa yoga for beginners is all about finding a balance between doing too much and not enough. Don’t be afraid to modify; The blocks are there to help you.

Move Slower Thank You Think You Need To

A great way to modify all levels classes is by simply moving slower. You should never feel rushed in class and it’s okay to move as slowly as you want. There’s no race or competition so leave all that behind. If you do less reps of a certain flow, who cares? If you’re way behind the rest of the class, that’s ok. Yoga is all about modifying for your body type and energy level. Yoga is constantly changing and adapting to whatever you’re going through in the moment. If you’re moving slower, that might also mean that you’re breathing deeper, and that’s exactly what we want. A slow, deep breath through the nose is far more effective than pushing yourself too much.

Focus On What It Feels Like To Do Vinyasa Yoga for Beginners

As teachers we always say that no mater how long we’ve been practicing we should always consider ourselves to be beginners. When we think we’ve reached the level of “advanced yoga,” that’s when we become over-confident and reckless. See with the eyes of the beginner, especially if you’re doing a pose that you’ve done many times before. Find it’s intricacies, move something differently and pay attention to whatever comes up in the moment — whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional. Every pose is there to teach us something. Be open and receptive to learning the lessons of this beautiful practice.