What I Wish I Would’ve Known Before Starting my Yoga Practice

Starting yoga can feel disorienting. You walk into a room where everyone seems to know what is happening, the language feels unfamiliar, and your body does not respond the way you think it should. It is easy to assume you are behind, doing it wrong, or not built for this practice. The truth is, almost everyone starts here. Yoga is not something you arrive at fully formed. It is something that reveals itself slowly, through repetition, patience, and a willingness to stay curious rather than perfect.

1. Feeling lost at the beginning is normal.
   If you need to look around, look around. If you have questions, ask them after class. If you walk out thinking “what just happened,” that is part of the process. Nothing is wrong. Things start to make sense with time and repetition.

2. You do not need to be able to do everything. Ever.
   Touching your toes, balancing on your hands, standing on one leg. None of these are requirements. You might get there. You might not. The longer you practice, the more you realize that it actually does not matter.

3. Rest counts. Fully.
   I used to think yoga only counted if it was intense. If I did not sweat, it was not enough. That belief burned me out fast. Rest can be more powerful than any hot yoga power flow level 3 class. Sometimes stillness is the practice.

4. Not every class or teacher is for you.
   And that is okay. You are allowed to not love a style. You are allowed to not resonate with a teacher. There is something for everyone. Try different classes. Explore. When something clicks, stay with it.

5. Consistency beats intensity.
   I used to make rules that yoga had to be long and hard every single day or it did not count. That approach never lasted. What actually works is showing up regularly. Five practices of ten to sixty minutes each week over time will change you far more than one intense seventy five minute class once in a while.

6. Props are not a weakness. They are empowering.
   I truly cannot believe I used to think things like “I do not need a block, I can do this without one.” I thought props were a crutch, or something only beginners used. That belief could not have been more wrong.Blocks, straps, and bolsters are incredible tools. They support your body, deepen your understanding of poses, and often make a practice more intelligent, not easier. I honestly wish someone had told me sooner how powerful they are.

Yoga is not about doing more. It is about staying in the conversation with your breath and your body.

What is something you wish you knew earlier in your practice? Or what is something that’s holding you back still from starting?