Yoga Class Levels Explained: When To Move From Beginners To The Next Level

Yoga class levels: the short version

Nobody rings a bell when you stop being a beginner. So how do you know when to try the next of the yoga class levels? You do not need to be perfect at the beginner poses. A good sign is that the basic standing poses feel steadier and take less effort, and you can feel your breath while strong sensations are going on. Your teacher can tell you, and you can always ask. Here is how the levels work at Flametree and what to look for.

This note in short form

• The levels: Gentle, Beginner, Non-beginner, and Intermediate and experienced.
• You do not have to be perfect: yoga is a practice, and you grow by being challenged.
• Signs you are ready: stronger, steadier, and the standing poses take less effort.
• No rush: you can do beginner classes as many times as you and your teacher think right.
• Ask your teacher: they can see how you move and will tell you honestly.
• Props at every level: they are not only for beginners.
• Next step: try a class, in the studio or LIVE online. Your first class is free if you’re new.

Back to our Beginners notes.

What are the yoga class levels at Flametree?

Flametree teaches four levels: Gentle, Beginner, Non-beginner, and Intermediate and experienced. Gentle includes classes such as Gentle Yoga and Restorative Yoga. Beginner includes the beginner classes and open-level classes such as Yoga for Backs. Non-beginner is for students who have built a base. Intermediate and experienced is for students with a well-established practice. The timetable has the current class list.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree.

Every class is Iyengar yoga, so what changes from level to level is how much is asked of you and how many poses you meet, not the method. You join the next level when you are ready, not before.

Do you have to be perfect at beginner yoga before you move up?

No. You do not have to be perfect in all the beginner poses to move up. Yoga is a practice where you improve by practising regularly and coming to class a few times a week. Learning to feel your body takes time. So does learning to listen to an instruction and use it when there are so many strong new sensations to deal with.

Often we seek perfection at each level, but we grow by being challenged. Yoga also teaches us to accept where we are. Each level is set up to motivate you to progress while you feel safe as you meet new challenges.

How do you know you are ready for the next level?

Look back to your first classes. You may remember how hard it was to straighten your legs and arms, how shaky and stiff the standing poses felt, and how you were not even aware that you were breathing when the teacher said to breathe normally. If you now feel stronger, more flexible and steadier, and you can stay with strong sensations by breathing well, you may be ready.

One of our teachers has also put it this way. When you can do the basic standing poses with less effort, you are ready for the next challenge. They suggested that coming to three or four classes a week for about five weeks puts you in the right head space. This is a rule of thumb, not a test. Another sign they gave: can you balance away from the wall in Shoulderstand? If yes, you are probably ready, but some people take longer, and fear of being upside down is often the reason. If you are not sure, ask your teacher.

What changes at the next level?

You meet a wider range of poses, and you keep going over the beginner ones. In our teaching, the beginner classes focus on standing poses and on linking the legs to a strong spine, with some arm movements to open the shoulders and chest. Moving beyond beginners brings poses that strengthen and open the upper body and mid-back, and poses that load the arms, abdomen and pelvic floor. It brings steps towards headstand too, a wider range of restorative poses, and more breath teaching. Props stay in use, and they make demanding poses easier to reach.

Our note on using props in yoga says why. The order of the poses also changes as you go. See why the order of poses matters.

Can you stay in beginners as long as you like?

Yes. You can do the beginner classes as many times as you and your teacher think right, to build towards the next level. There is no deadline. Some people want the next level soon, and others stay because they enjoy it. If you do it again, you can go deeper into the same poses.

You will make the most progress, and get the most from yoga, at the level that suits where you are now.

What if you have done yoga somewhere else?

Have a quiet word with the teacher before class and tell them what you have done, and about any injury or health condition. They will tell you which level to try first. Our post on yoga for beginners in Darwin shows how to choose a studio, and the story of one student who moved up shows what it felt like. A second student’s story is what she got from beginner yoga.

Practise this at Flametree

Your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree. New students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can also get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. We teach in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin and LIVE online. For the studio, just come along. For an online class, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.

• Beginners: see the half price 10 class pass for new and lapsed students
• Not a beginner: see the half price 10 class pass for new and lapsed students
• The timetable, including online classes

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

Questions people ask about yoga class levels

What are the yoga class levels at Flametree?

There are four: Gentle, Beginner, Non-beginner, and Intermediate and experienced. Gentle includes classes such as Gentle Yoga and Restorative Yoga, Beginner includes the beginner and open-level classes, and Non-beginner is for students who have built a base. The timetable shows the current list.

How do I know when to move from beginner to the next level?

Look for signs such as feeling stronger, more flexible and steadier, doing the basic standing poses with less effort, and being able to stay with strong sensations by breathing well. Then ask your teacher, who can see how you move and will tell you honestly.

Do I have to be perfect at beginner poses before I move up?

No. You do not need to be perfect in all the beginner poses. Yoga is a practice in which you improve by practising regularly, and you grow by being challenged. Each level is set up so you can progress and still feel safe.

How long should I stay in a beginners yoga class?

There is no fixed time. You can do the beginner classes as many times as you and your teacher think right. One teacher’s rule of thumb was three or four classes a week for about five weeks, but it is a guide, not a test.

What level of yoga class should I join if I have done yoga before?

Tell the teacher what you have done, and about any injury, before class. They will tell you which level to try first. If you are unsure, an open-level class is a good place to ask.

What is an all levels yoga class?

An open-level class is one that students at different stages can join. Flametree’s open-level classes include Yoga for Backs and the Restorative classes. The timetable shows which classes are open-level.

Can I go back to a beginner class after moving up?

Yes. You can do the beginner classes as many times as you and your teacher think right, so going back is fine. Ask your teacher which class suits you at the moment.

Where can I find the right yoga class level in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches all four levels in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin and LIVE online, and the beginner timetable shows what runs. Your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree.

Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin NT, teaching Iyengar yoga in the studio and LIVE online. This note is general information, not medical advice.

Sources

• Flametree guidance for students on moving from beginners to the next level, by Flametree teachers (Flametree Facebook page, 2018 to 2019), with the level names checked against the live Flametree page on 14 October 2026.
• Flametree Yoga Studio: yoga levels at Flametree, as set out in our post on yoga for beginners in Darwin (checked 14 October 2026).
• Britannica: B.K.S. Iyengar, Indian yoga teacher (1918 to 2014).