5 Beginning Yoga Sequences You Can Actually Do

If you haven’t caught yoga fever yet, we have a feeling you will soon. Yoga’s popularity is spreading well beyond the realm of vegans and legging lovers. In fact, according to a recent study in The Yoga Journal, 20.4 million Americans take to the mat, up from the 15.8 million about 15 years ago. That sounds like a trend on the rise! From increasing strength to decreasing anxiety, the benefits of yoga last long after the final namaste. Still not convinced? In an article titled “Yoga Benefits: Beyond the Mat,” a little university called Harvard points to the positive benefits of yoga’s focus on inner awareness rather than physical appearance. You might not notice right away, but you won’t usually find mirrors in yoga studios, because the goal is to turn your awareness inward.

Instructor Sigrid Matthews has been teaching yoga for 34 years. Matthews co-owns Black Dog Yoga in Sherman Oaks, California, and she welcomes beginners with open arms. “When you practice yoga, you’re learning how to put yourself into more of a relaxation state. When you do that on a regular basis you get a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in oxygenation in your blood. This leads to better sleeping, loss of weight, more mental clarity and more energy,” she explains.

If you’ve never set foot inside a studio, it’s important to know what to expect before beginning your practice. For example, a typical yoga class uses a series of sequences to “flow” from one pose to another. Instructors typically cue poses both in English and Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, where yoga first began. While it sounds much cooler in Sanskrit (think “tadasana” versus “mountain”), for simplicity sake, we’ll use English translations for these beginning yoga sequences below. Some variation of these five beginning yoga sequences are frequently done as a warm-up in a Vinyasa class…

We get it, you might still be intimidated at the idea of putting on leggings and setting foot in a studio. But yoga is all about embracing vulnerability and getting to a place of acceptance.

Joanna Sesny, operations manager at Yoga Shanti in Manhattan’s TriBeCa neighborhood, encourages anyone interested in yoga to give it a try. “Look up a studio that offers a basic or beginner class. Even if you’re an athlete or your fitness level is high, my suggestion is to find a basic beginner-level class and go. Whatever is holding you back, dismiss those thoughts and go.”

No worries if you don’t own a yoga mat, since most studios have a stash available. They often provide yoga blocks and straps for you to use, too (yoga accessories really aren’t as weird and scary as they sound, we promise!). Bring your favorite workout outfit and you’ll be flowing in no time.

Looking for more ways to make yoga part of your routine? We’ve got it going om:

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