What's a good way to introduce Yoga into my life?

[tracy1976]

I would like to start Yoga. What is a good way to begin. How many times should I do it a week to get benefits? Is there a certain type of yoga that is good for beginners? Is it best to do it with an actual instructor or are pre-recorded videos or online YouTube videos okay? Will I need much equipment? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure that when I get started I do it right. :D

[Maggie]

I would start with youtube videos just so you can get an overall idea of what different types of yoga look like at different fitness levels. From there, I would pick something that is for beginner level and short. It's always best to be start off easy - even if it seems to easy - to allow your body to adjust and to make sure you are doing the movements correctly. It seems silly, but it's soooo very easy to injure yourself if you're not careful how your body is positioned when stretching, holding a position for balance, or engaging in resistance training (using you body as a weight, which is common practice for many yoga poses).

[1000kw]

If there is a Yoga studio in your area that has good reviews, I'd say the best place to get started is to try one class there. Find a class that is focused on beginners, or that is labeled as calm and gentle. Those tend to be the ones that have basic poses held for the longest time. I recommend a real class over a video, because it's really easy to do the wrong thing without knowing it, until you learn what you're doing. A teacher can correct you so you don't risk hurting yourself and you get all the benefits you want. If you are in a lockdown, use a studio's live zoom classes and make sure it's one where an instructor watches you on your camera, too

[treehuggertodd]

Always start with an instructor. it might seem like a pain, but if you don't have your poses right, you're just going to injure yourself or not get the benefit out of it. Lots of them are on zoom or you can go in person. You might even get in on an outdoor one since the weather is nicer.