You’ve probably read a lot about how great yoga is. From helping you to tone up, become more flexible and relax easier, yoga has a lot of benefits that everyone can enjoy.

Many people read about all the pluses of starting yoga and decide to give it a go but aren’t sure where to start. Luckily, it isn’t actually all that hard to start with yoga and you’ll start to feel the benefits shortly after.

To help you start on your yoga journey, here are our best tips:

Don’t be intimidated!

To start with, don’t be put off giving yoga a try when you see people who have been doing it for years tying themselves up in knots or doing really complicated poses. They were beginners at one point too and definitely didn’t develop those skills overnight.

We all have to start off simply and you’ll probably be surprised at how well you progress.

Pick a type of yoga

That’s right, there isn’t just the one type of yoga. Have a look at what types of yoga are available in your area and do a bit of research into what these entail. This will allow you to find the right style of yoga for you, depending on what you want to get out of it and your level of physical fitness.

Certain types of yoga are best for beginners — such as hatha or vinyasa — but you can always contact your gym or the instructor to get more information. If you’re still not sure, try a couple of different sessions and see what suits you.

Be comfortable

You don’t need to spend a fortune on all the latest gym gear to enjoy yoga. So long as you’re wearing clothes that are roomy enough and have a good degree of stretch — leggings are a good option — you should get on fine.

The most important thing is that you feel completely comfortable, especially as you’ll end up in some positions that may be slightly out of your comfort zone at first.

Get a mat

One thing it is worth investing in is a yoga mat. Even though classes may provide spare mats for you to use, it is generally more hygienic to use your own. This will also ensure you have one that is the right thickness for you and you’ll have it to hand so you can carry on your yoga experience at home.

Be open-minded

Yoga is unlike any other form of exercise as it is as much about meditation as it is physical movements. This means it is important that you go to classes with an open mind, even if things like chanting or breathing exercises may seem odd at first.

The strangeness of certain yoga exercises definitely doesn’t outweigh their benefits, so be prepared to throw yourself into the experience completely. You’ll probably be very pleasantly surprised.