That’s right, doing online yoga for beginners is my secret ingredient. As you can tell from the title, this post is dedicated to those of us who are just beginning our yoga journey. Hang in there with me, and I will explain my title and show you how yoga has made such a significant impact on my life. If you are searching for a great way to practice online yoga from anywhere you want to, then please keep reading.
Contents
- 1 Online yoga for beginners isn’t scary
- 1.1 Why I practice yoga online
- 1.2 I consider myself a beginner
- 1.3 Yoga has so many benefits
- 1.4 Online yoga for beginners is so convenient
- 1.5 Movement For Modern Life to the rescue
- 1.6 Here is what I like about MFML
- 1.7 A lot of beginners don’t know where to start
- 1.8 How yoga has made an impact on my life
- 1.9 Conclusion: Online yoga for beginners
Online yoga for beginners isn’t scary
Unlike taking a class in person, you can practice online yoga from the comfort of your own home, or on the road, in a hotel or vacation rental, for example. No getting to the gym or yoga studio before everyone else so you can pick a spot in the back corner where no one will see you. Okay, I might be talking about me.
With online yoga, beginners can practice yoga without people judging you. My experience has been that yoga classes are for the most part, populated with women. There are a few men in these classes, but I feel like they are just there to show off how flexible they are.
I am mostly joking, but seriously, I often feel out of place when I take a class in person. I always get those looks from people like, “what are YOU doing here?” Given my past experience, online yoga is perfect for me.
Why I practice yoga online
I take yoga classes to help my low back, hips, glutes, and spine because I am super tight from years of fighting back problems. I need to unwind all my knots, kinks, and otherwise super tight areas.
As I mentioned earlier, I have taken yoga classes off and on over the years, but never really stuck with it. It’s always been a “me” problem, I get that. I have not committed to yoga, it was always something that I HAD to do and not something I WANTED to do.
With online yoga, some of that time commit has been taken out of the equation. I certainly have 15 minutes in my day to devote to yoga.
Things you should know about online yoga for beginners
- It’s convenient
- It’s always there for you
- You can practice for 10 minutes if you want
- Taught by world-class instructors
- There are a wide variety of options available
I consider myself a beginner
Even though I have practiced, and I use that word very loosely, yoga off and on (more off than on) over the past several years, I very much consider myself a beginner. I don’t know all the poses, or necessarily how to perform them, and that is one thing I love about taking online yoga for beginner’s courses.
The instructors show you how to perform the poses, and they will also show you modifications if it is not quite working for you. The instructors tell you that practicing a little bit every day is so remarkable for long term progress.
Yoga has so many benefits
- Improve balance and flexibility
This study shows that doing yoga helped male college athletes improve balance and flexibility. As little as 15 minutes per day can help in this category. - Decrease stress
Check out this study for more information on how yoga can decrease cortisol (stress hormone) secretion. - Improve core strength
Some of the classes I have taken over the years have really worked my core muscles, and honestly, I was very pleasantly surprised. This has proved to me that not only was my core weaker than I thought, but yoga is excellent for improving core strength. - Helps to relieve anxiety
There are entire classes dedicated to stress and anxiety, and I know people practice yoga just for the calming effect. One study shows that 34 women who had an anxiety disorder significantly lower levels of anxiety after participating in yoga classes two times per week for two months.
There are other benefits, of course, but the point is that yoga can be very beneficial aside from just plain old stretching.
Online yoga for beginners is so convenient
The problem for me is finding, or making, the time to go to the gym, or a yoga studio. I have a life, actually a pretty busy life. I work full time, and have two teenagers who just happen always to be going different places, in opposite directions, at the exact same time…sometimes multiple times per day.
Between commuting to work, working, commuting home, chartering kids to and from whatever it is they are doing that day, I have little time left for yoga. I make time to go to the gym because my back problems depend on me working out several times per week, so yoga has kind of taken a back seat.
Movement For Modern Life to the rescue
Movement For Modern Life is a subscription-based yoga platform that offers a lot of great content. As the name suggests, modern life is busy for most of us, and they have designed a program with busy people in mind. There are shorter classes, like the 10-minute versions I have been working on.
There are many ways to drill down and find a class that you are looking for. The main menu has an option specifically for beginners, and that is where I got started. MFML is an excellent option for those who are seeking online yoga, and I am finding it especially helpful for a beginner like me.
Here is what I like about MFML
- The website interface is easy to use
- The iOS app is available so you can download classes and have them available even if you don’t have wifi
- I have been able to do shorter classes that fit into my schedule.
- There is a lot of content available
- There is something for everyone. You don’t have to be a beginner, there is enough content for more people who are more advanced.
What I have been doing lately is working through shorter yoga sessions, like the “Easy Hips” series. Since I have been fighting back problems for years, my hips and hamstrings have become very tight.
It doesn’t help all the sitting I do, with commuting to and from work, and time spent sitting at work. Due to sitting and previous back problems, my hamstrings have also become increasingly tight. The “Easy Hips” classes have been great for someone like me.
The only thing I don’t like about MFML is they don’t have an Android app yet, but that is okay, since I practice at home and use my tablet.
A lot of beginners don’t know where to start
Hand raised high on this one. It’s hard to know where to start, or at least it was for me. There is a lot of free content available online, and it can be overwhelming to find the right class to take. One of the many great features that turned me on to MFML is that you can filter by “Beginners” and then you can filter even more, like hips in my case. There are easy to follow along with videos, and the instructors are great.
If getting started is a problem, then I encourage you to take the 14-day free trial for MFML and check it out for yourself. You have nothing to lose. Check out my complete review here.
How yoga has made an impact on my life
Since I have started using the MFML program, I have already noticed a difference in my hips, and I am making progress every day. So far, I have been focusing on my hips and hamstrings, which are my problem areas. I have noticed more flexible, and this helps with everyday movements.
I will continue to do these short yoga sessions daily because I am seeing results, and I just feel better. Eventually, I will branch out and take on some more challenging and longer classes, but for right now, this is perfect for me.
Conclusion: Online yoga for beginners
Don’t be scared off, or intimidated by yoga, it’s easier than you think. Taking an online yoga class is excellent for beginners, especially with shorter sessions. I have been able to focus on specific problem areas, and that has been great for me. You don’t have to have back problems, if you are like me and sit a lot, these exercises would be great for you too.
I am really enjoying my time so far doing online yoga as a beginner and hope to advance in my practice. I will step it up when I feel like I have kind of mastered the hips and hamstrings. I am trying to undo years of tightness, so it may take me a while, and that is just fine.
Thank you for stopping by today, I do have a couple of questions for you.
Where are you at in your yoga practice? Are you a beginner like me?
What are you hoping to gain from starting yoga?
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. You can also contact me directly anytime.
I wish you success in your yoga journey.