Yoga is peaceful – it’s about love, acceptance, growth, mindfulness. And yet, so often walking into a class for the first time feels like a competition you didn’t know you needed to train for.

 It can be intimidating setting up your mat next to someone who is all of a sudden standing on their head when you don’t even know how to get into a downward dog. So many people find themselves focusing on what’s happening on the mat next to them that they completely lose track of what’s happening on their own, and it can be frustrating.

 But that’s not what yoga is about, and it shouldn’t keep you from stepping on the mat for the first time.

 If you’re new to yoga, we’ve got a few tips to help you out.

Let go of expectations

So often, people expect to come into yoga able to do every pose and sequence alongside the rest of the class right off the bat. That’s not the case, and that’s okay! From the moment you step on the mat, tell yourself, “Where I’m at today is the perfect place to be.”

 It’s okay to be learning. It’s okay to not be able to completely fall into a pose or if you wobble and fall. Honestly, that’s going to happen in every class you take no matter how long you’ve been doing yoga. It’s not because you’re bad at it or that your body doesn’t work that way, it’s because it’s a practice.

 And if you find yourself in a situation where you feel people are judging you based on your ability, that studio just might not be the one for you.

 Listen to your body, not your ego.

 Even for the most experienced yogis, there are going to be days when you can’t do a certain pose, when your body just isn’t moving in that direction in that particular moment. People’s bodies change every day – sometimes you can do more, and sometimes less.

 Yoga is all about tuning into your own body, which means paying close attention to the signals it sends you throughout class. It’s about recognizing when to preserve through a pose even though it’s uncomfortable and when to respect your limitations that day.

So pay attention – your body will thank you for it.

 Speak Up

 Don’t be afraid to tell the instructor that you’re new. There’s no sense in stressing throughout the entire class trying to figure out every single pose on your own. In some cases, doing a post the wrong way can even lead to injury.

 Telling the instructor ahead of time that this is your first yoga class lets them know that they should explain how to get into each pose as the class goes on or that they should pay special attention to your movements as they walk around the class.

 It’s not going to bother anyone or slow anything down. In fact, sometimes it’s helpful. Even people who have been practicing yoga for years fall into bad habits. Having a reminder for the right way to align your body in each pose can benefit everyone.

 Try Going Remote

 If all of this advice still isn’t helping, if the idea of stepping onto a mat surrounded by others while you’re just starting out still makes you never want to get near a yoga studio at all, don’t push it.

 Instead, lay out a mat on your living room floor and plop your computer right in front of it. There are so many resources to teach you yoga basics (Including us here at OffYoga) right in your own home. So don’t worry that you’re going to mess up or if you can’t touch your toes yet – there’s no one here to see.