The three videos in this series are either for students who are brand new to yoga or those who have done yoga but would like to learn how to make it more comfortable or understand how to get the best out of a yoga class.
In this class, David shows you how to comfortably sit on the floor in two of yoga's more common seated positions, easy cross-legged (sukhasana) and staff pose (dandasana). He also helps you understand some of the basic yoga principles as you learn how to stretch your body effectively. This class is a part of a 'Yoga for Beginners' series. If you're a beginner who would like to learn more about yoga, check out our Yoga for Beginners page.
Looking for more of a challenge? Check out the 14-Day Intermediate Challenge here.
Thunderbolt pose (virasana) can be particularly hard on the knees and ankles, so David shows you how you can sit comfortably using blankets and pillows, while still getting the most from the pose and maintaining the ability to move into other stretches. He also shows you how to make a bolster if you don't have one. This class is a part of a 'Yoga for Beginners' series.
Looking for more of a challenge? Check out the 14-Day Intermediate Challenge here.
Now that you know how to sit comfortably, David takes you through one of the most common movements in yoga, called a sun salutation. He shows you ways to adapt the sequence to your needs so you can join any class, anywhere, whether it's another class on this site or in a local yoga studio. This class is a part of a 'Yoga for Beginners' series. Moksana Yoga Studio donated their space for the filming of this class.
Looking for more of a challenge? Check out the 14-Day Intermediate Challenge here.
Learn the Yoga Fundamentals: Core Stability
The three videos in this series teach you how to breath and deep core muscles to establish stability around the pelvis and lower back, then shows you how to maintain your core connection while doing yoga.
Our breathing is a natural place to begin when learning how to activate and strengthen the core. Our breath affects how much tension we hold in our bodies, how calm or active our nervous system is and how we use the power that is within us. In this class, the first of a series of three on core stability, David teaches you two breathing techniques that you may use in all of your future classes. The second class in this series is Integrating the Breath and the Bandhas and the third class is Finding Stability In All Poses. You can also find all three together in our program Establish Your Core Stability and Strength and on our Yoga for Beginners page.
Looking for more of a challenge? Check out the 14-Day Intermediate Challenge here.
This video, the second in a series of three on core stability, covers the breath and bandhas (deep core locks), which together create stability and strength that you can use in your life and your yoga practice, no matter what you are doing. Learning how to engage and strengthen the bandhas will allow you to feel a sense of power and lightness in your body, length in your spine and will show you how to practice yoga safely. The first class in this series is The 3-Part Breath and Ujjayi Breathing and the third class is Finding Stability In All Poses. You can also find all three together in our program Establish Your Core Stability and Strength and on our Yoga for Beginners page.
Looking for more of a challenge? Check out the 14-Day Intermediate Challenge here.
Now that you have learned how to breathe deeply and engage and strengthen the deep core muscles (bandhas) from the first two videos in this series, David shows you how to use these principles to stabilize the lower back and pelvis while stretching and doing some of the most common yoga poses. If you would like to start from the beginning, the first class in this series is The 3-Part Breath and Ujjayi Breathing and the second class is Integrating the Breath and the Bandhas. You can also find all three together in our program Establish Your Core Stability and Strength and on our Yoga for Beginners page.
Looking for more of a challenge? Check out the 14-Day Intermediate Challenge here.
Learn the Yoga Fundamentals: Strength and Stretch
The three videos in this series show you how to progressively strengthen your core muscles, including your pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, multifidus and psoas, while learning how to stretch key muscle groups in the body.
This class is meant to be a part of a series that you can see in our program Establish Your Core Stability and Strength and on our Yoga for Beginners page. This class shows you what a full-length class feels like when you put a lot of emphasis on core stability throughout. As we said in the earlier classes, the intention is to feel light as you do yoga, maintaining a slow, deep breath, while attempting to balance effort and release in everything that you do.
This class is meant to be a part of a series that you can see in our program Establish Your Core Stability and Strength and on our Yoga for Beginners page. After you have learned how to breathe and engage your core and stretch your body while your core is engaged, now David teaches you how to strengthen your core. Core strength will not only make you stronger and protect your spine, it will make you feel taller and lighter in your everyday life.
This class is meant to be a part of a series that you can see in our program Establish Your Core Stability and Strength and on our Yoga for Beginners page. In this class, part 2 of our core strength series, David shows you how to keep the core engaged while moving your arms and legs and stretching some of the key groups of muscles around the pelvis that can limit mobility, such as the hamstrings, hips flexors (psoas and quadriceps), hips and lower back.
Learn the Yoga Fundamentals: Take the Next Step
If you choose to spend some of your valuable time doing yoga, you might as well make sure that you are maximizing yoga's benefits. This next series of classes are more challenging, making it harder to maintain the principles that you learned in the earlier classes. If you're ready, go for it! There's nothing like pushing the edge!
Rachel takes you through a more challenging sun salutation, focusing on alignment principles and breath. Her clarity, precision and good nature will help you through this class, and you may learn a few things too!
Our beginner series ends with a class that will send you off into the yoga world with gusto and all of the tools that you need to practice safely and effectively in whatever class you do. Anastasia works you harder in this full-length class, while also taking you through some nice back and hip releases.
Anastasia challenges your core stability even more, with a more challenging pose sequence where she mixes quite a few core strength poses with great releases for the lower back and hips. Even though this class will push you, it will be deeply satisfying your whole body over.
Additional Resources
We have a lot of resources for beginners. Check out these links if you are looking for more classes or would like
to learn more about yoga:
This is your beginner guide to yoga. Below you will see three stages, each containing a series of three class videos. Each yoga class video series teaches you how to do yoga safely and benefit as much as possible with every pose you do. Here is the outline:
The Beginner Yoga Stages (Scroll down to see the classes)
Stage One - Learn the Yoga Basics: teaches the beginner student fundamental yoga principles, such as how to do the most basic yoga poses that are a part of almost all classes, including sitting cross-legged (sukhasana), sitting with legs straight (dandasana), sitting on your heels (virasana) and doing a flow called sun salutations (surya namaskar).
Stage Two - Learn the Yoga Fundamentals, Core Stability: teaches you how to properly activate your core (bandhas) and how integrate your breathing (pranayama).
Stage Three - Learn the Yoga Fundamentals, Strength and Stretch: takes you through a series of classes that help you understand how to strengthen your core and maintain core stability while stretching and doing yoga.
Stage Four - Learn the Yoga Fundamentals, Take the Next Step: challenges you with more demanding poses and sequences.
Following these stages sequentially will provide a solid foundation for anyone starting out on their yoga journey!
Before You Begin... Additional Resources
We have a lot of resources for beginners. If you are looking for more classes or to learn more about yoga, check out these links: (Note: content with a '+' requires a subscription)