To start, find a beginners yoga class at a studio, gym or community centre. If you are looking for something a little bit more challenging you can try a Vinyasa class or power yoga class. Hot yoga classes are often open level – for anyone from beginners to the more experienced – and they offer the added benefit of the heat. If you prefer something more gentle and not too fast-paced a yin style class might be a better option for you.

When you start don’t worry about getting everything right. Everybody started somewhere and with yoga you are encouraged to leave expectations and a lot of the mind chatter behind. Pick a spot at the back of the room and look at what people around you are doing. Slowly, with the teacher’s guidance, you will get more familiar with the postures (and their Sanskrit names!) and you will feel more comfortable with listening to cues and getting into postures.

There is a common misconception that you need to be flexible to do yoga. Any yoga teacher will tell you that to do yoga you only need your breath (and maybe a mat to make your practice more enjoyable!). Flexibility is not a requirement. It is actually something you will gain back with regular practice. In yoga we try to balance strength and flexibility so that those who are very strong or muscular can balance that out by increasing flexibility and those who are very bendy can focus more on working on strength.

There are tons of very reputable yoga teachers who offer classes online, and again you get to take your pick. For beginners, I would recommend starting in a group with a teacher to get a more wholesome experience in terms of hands-on adjustments and assistance if required, and of course, to get a feel of the yoga community which is often very powerful and inspiring.

Sanskrit is the ancient language widely used to refer to in yoga (concepts and postures). You are not expected to know Sanskrit names or meanings but you will start getting familiar with the terminology the more you practise. Some teachers might start class or end class with an “Om” sound or they might include some chanting. Again, you are not expected to follow along so don’t let that put you off. Learning Sanskrit or chanting doesn’t imply you believe in any particular philosophy.