How Often Should a Beginner Do Yoga?
Updated: 7 days ago
A simple plan to get started
When someone is new to yoga, one of the first questions they ask is, “How often should I come?” It’s a good question. You are used to thinking about health in numbers: how many steps, how many workouts, how many days a week. It can feel reassuring to have a plan and a clear finish line. But yoga asks us to think differently.
Starting small may mean coming to one class a week.. The right starting place is the one that meets you where you are right now. There is no prize for rushing. A practice that is consistent is much more likely to become part of your life when it is integrated. We recommend attending class 2-3 times a week to see the benefits.
Consistency is what counts
It’s better to focus on what consistent practice builds over time rather than how fast something happens. Yoga can be challenging. It will strengthen your legs and core, improve your balance and range of motion, and help you move through the world more easily and confidently.
But yoga is not a fitness program, but a holistic approach to a better quality of life. Touching your toes, holding a pose for a certain number of breaths, or feeling calm can all be achieved through yoga. This is why yoga is called a practice.
A workout can sometimes be measured by what was completed: the miles, the minutes, the amount of weight you lifted. Yoga invites you to pay attention to things more personal: Did you breathe a little more fully? Did you notice when you’re straining? Did you leave with a bit more steadiness in the body or an open mind? Those things may not show up overnight. But small, consistent choices have a way of adding up.
Abhyasa and Vairagya
Two foundational ideas from the yoga sutras (texts) can help us understand this approach: abhyasa and vairagya.
Abhyasa means steady, consistent, uninterrupted practice. It is the discipline to keep returning regularly. It might look like coming to class even when you feel a little distracted or not at your best.
Vairagya means practicing without attachment to the outcome. In other words, you show up without demanding that yoga make you look, feel, or perform a certain way by a certain date.
Together, abhyasa and vairagya describe the only approach to yoga that actually works: keep practicing and let go of the need to control exactly what the practice gives back. It asks us to stay connected to the process instead of judging ourselves by the results.
A simple beginner schedule
Here is an example of how to build up a sustainable practice over time:
Weeks 1–4: Meet with your teacher for a new student consult. This allows you to discuss goals and get recommendations on what classes best support those goals. Attend two to three yoga class per week. Book the classes ahead and add them to your calendar so nothing else gets scheduled.
Weeks 5–8: Continue with two to three yoga classes. You can always add more classes as you feel the benefits, or start to integrate our on demand classes at home. Check in with your teacher with any questions, successes or challenges!
Months 3–4: Stay steady! Be committed to the practice and give yourself compassion when things go off track. Remember why you started. Consider adding small group, yoga therapy or attend a workshop to deepen your study.
The goal is not to become a person who never misses a class. The goal is to become a person who knows how to return and remember your intention. Yoga can add peace, self-awareness, and presence to your life!
Comments