Beginner Yoga

This is a collection of beginner yoga classes from my YouTube channel. They do progress a bit, and some of the classes have some more challenging poses, but in general you should be able to pick any one of them and do most of it, even if you are new to yoga. If you are a complete beginner, start with #1.

There are a lot of other classes on my YouTube channel, including additional beginner-friendly ones (like this restorative class, this Akhanda Level 1, and this practice for when you really don’t feel like doing yoga. 🙂 ) and more advanced physical practices.

Beginner Yoga 1: Get Going!

This is a 30-minute class with slow transitions and poses like tree, low lunge, and high lunge.

Beginner Yoga 2: Just Breathe

In this class, we start learning and working with ujjayi breath (ocean-sounding breath) and we practice flowing with our breath through some modified Sun Salutations. We go through slowly on the first round, taking the time for a couple of extra breaths as we settle more deeply into the poses. Then we flow through a few rounds in time to our breathing.

Beginner Yoga 3: Calm

We start lying on our backs with some gentle spinal twisting, bridge, and knee to chest. When we get up, we do wide low lunges with a twist, starfish, and more, all with a focus on finding the calm in our bodies and taking that into the day with us.

Beginner Yoga 4: Support

In this class, we explore the support we have from the people in our lives (and from the universe itself!) as we practice tiger, pyramid, warrior II, eagle, and more.

Beginner Yoga 5: Joy

Practicing gate, high cat, wide-leg forward fold, balancing half moon, and so much more from a place of joy…and taking that joy with us through the day.

Beginner Yoga 6: Allowing

Allowing our bodies to be what and how they are while we play with chair, warrior I and III, and so much more.

Beginner Yoga 7: Expansion

27 minutes of focusing on the expansion we can feel in our bodies (and minds) as we practice a variety of poses. Each class is a little different! This one includes apsarasana, or angel pose — one of my favorite balances, especially for feeling a sense of wide open expansion.

Beginner Yoga 8: In Balance

Keeping our minds/bodies/spirits in balance as we seek balance between the left and right sides of our bodies via warriors I and II, forward fold, lying pigeon, standing knee to chest, and of course, so much more

Beginner Yoga 9: Forgiveness

Forgiveness is something we do for ourselves, not for the person who needs forgiving. We do it so we can move on, feel good, and live our best lives. My dog Máximo offers me yet another chance to forgive when he steals my yoga block during the class. 🙂 Chair, warrior I, twists, and back strengthening.

Beginner Yoga 10: Gratitude

Let’s feel grateful for our bodies and everything they do for us as we practice triangle, spinal twists, and some fun variations on cat, flower, and warrior II.

Beginner Yoga 11: Connection

Exploring the connection between our feet and the floor, our breath and our movement, our mind and our body with warrior III, table, lunges, and more.

Beginner Yoga 12: At the Core

The focus is on yoga poses that build core strength–keeping in mind that your core is more than just your abs! I’ve also added a couple of my favorite pilates exercises.

Beginner Yoga 13: In the Flow

Sun Salutations! In this class, I remind you how to modify them, but if you’d rather follow along to fully modified sun salutations, check out Beginner Yoga 2: Just Breathe. 🙂