Gentle Yoga For Beginners Is Part Of An “Easy Beginner” Group Of Classes.

Gentle yoga for beginners: the short answer

Gentle yoga for beginners is a slower, simpler yoga class where the poses are kept doable, often with props, and the teacher adapts each one to you. It suits people who are stiff, new to exercise, older, or coming back after a break, and anyone who wants a calmer class. Gentle does not mean a pushover: students often find it a good challenge, because in any pose you can always go to your own limit. At Flametree it sits in a group of “Easy Beginner” classes, which you can do in the studio in Darwin or LIVE online.

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. This page sits in our beginners notes.

Here is the article in short form:

• What it is: slow, simple poses, props, and teacher-adapted versions.
• Who it suits: stiff, unfit, older or returning students, and anyone who wants a calmer class.
• The group: Gentle Yoga, Back Care Yoga and Easy Restorative Yoga.
• What happens: every joint is moved, the spine is stretched, and you learn to notice posture and effort.
• Restorative: supported poses held longer, to practise the “rest and digest” side of the nervous system.
• Dynamic yoga: the flowing contrast, with poses linked together.
• Next step: try a class in the studio or online, and ask your teacher which level fits.

Gentle yoga for seniors, and for many others, helps you start yoga

Gentle yoga is a way to start yoga at the pace your body can manage today. Gentle yoga for beginners, or gentle yoga for seniors, sometimes brings a chuckle from Chris’s students. It is not because the class is a pushover. It is because the people doing it still find it a suitable challenge. The same reaction comes from beginner yoga at home students, who learn yoga at home and chat with Chris online.

When Chris first started yoga, everyone was in the same level class. It was one level fits all, and she found it intimidating. She was too stiff and uncoordinated to keep up, and there was no option for gentle yoga stretches for beginners. She kept going only because she enjoyed how calm she felt after class, and how much better she slept.

Those single level classes are now a thing of the past. These days there are classes specially for beginners, and for several other levels. You can learn yoga at home in LIVE classes, or in the studio.

Easy Beginner classes, including Gentle Yoga For Seniors

Flametree has created a group of “Easy Beginner” classes for people who find a regular beginner class too strong. They aim to ease people more gently into beginner yoga.

Many of us are time poor and have not been able to give enough priority to our health, so we can be stiff, unfit or not very strong. Jobs and family commitments can also leave us holding tension in the body, such as hunched and tight shoulders. Many people are also getting older, and often think there is no way back to flexibility and strength. From what Chris sees in her classes every day, people can build both again, a little at a time. To do that, they need to stretch around the shoulders and lower back, and most importantly to do it in a relatively gentle way, at least for a start.

That is what the Easy Beginner classes are for. They are Gentle Yoga, Back Care Yoga and Easy Restorative Yoga, and women who already have some yoga experience can also choose the Women Only class. Gentle Yoga is both gentle yoga for beginners and gentle yoga for seniors. Each can be done in the Flametree studio, as beginner yoga at home, or both.

These classes belong to the beginner group, but on average they are easier than standard beginner classes. Like all our Special Focus classes, they are open to all beginners, and non-beginners can join too. Even if you are not stiffer than average, and you have no condition to manage, you will still find them useful. In any pose you can take it to your own limit. In Triangle Pose, for example, there is always a way to refine it or to stretch further, and Chris is still working on hers.

What happens in a slow and gentle yoga class?

You move slowly through simple poses that take every part of the body through a gentle range of movement. The class is slower paced, to help you gain mobility and flexibility. It includes a special focus on the back, neck, shoulders, hips and knees, and many students in it are looking after neck, shoulder, back, hip or knee troubles.

• Gentle movement through the major joints, to help with mobility.
• Poses for the abdominal muscles and for posture, and for tension around the neck, shoulders and back.
• Weight bearing poses with props, which make them easier and friendlier to do.
• Fascia, the sheets of connective tissue under the skin that attach, enclose and separate muscles and cover organs, which we think is important to understand. Our post on fascia and yoga looks at it.

Gentle yoga is not a treatment for stiffness or for any joint condition, and it does not promise to prevent any problem. What it offers is a way to keep moving, and to look closely at the habits that go with stiffness and pain. Chris describes yoga as a practice in which you use your body to understand how your mind works. You come to see your likes, dislikes and habits, and your resistance to new ways of working. Many students say they have felt more at home in their bodies over time. One Flametree student, Raj, put it this way after starting yoga for a back problem: “I slowly realised I can get better.” That is one person’s experience. You can read it in our post on yoga for back pain and Raj’s story.

Gentle yoga for beginners: stretch, strength and calm

In the Easy Beginner classes you move and open every part of the body, gently, often with props such as blocks, belts, ropes and chairs. The props let you bear your body weight, extend your joints and build strength. If you are doing beginner yoga at home, you can use household items as props, buy a few yoga props, or both. Our note on using props in yoga explains why props are teaching tools, not cheating.

In Gentle Yoga, Back Care Yoga and Easy Restorative Yoga you work through the joints, stretch the spine, and learn to notice a weaker side and your posture. You also learn to balance effort. When new to yoga, many people try too hard and almost forget to breathe. Students are taught to monitor their effort, so they can leave class feeling calm.

If you have a back issue to manage, our post on yoga for back pain sets out what the research says, with one student’s story.

Easy Restorative yoga to relax and rejuvenate

Easy Restorative yoga teaches you how to relax and unwind, which is a learned skill. It took Chris years to appreciate that. Many of us grow up thinking that going hard at exercise will, sooner or later, deliver a relaxed, refreshed and fit state. Restorative yoga takes a different route. You use props such as bolsters to hold supported poses for longer, and you relax into the shapes your body makes.

The idea behind it is to practise the “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) side of the nervous system, which is the opposite of the “fight or flight” side that most of our busy days keep switched on. Chris describes it as a systematic way to reach that calmer state, on a regular timetable. Stress is a chronic part of modern life for all age groups, and seniors who are no longer working feel it too. Our note on what restorative yoga is goes into more detail.

What is the difference between gentle and dynamic yoga?

Dynamic yoga links poses together so they flow, while gentle yoga keeps them simpler and slower. In dynamic yoga you still do hatha yoga poses, but they flow into each other more. A familiar example is the sun salute sequence, which can combine downward dog, plank, standing forward bends, upward facing dog, mountain pose and lunges. It can be done at various speeds.

For beginners, these poses are taught in introductory and easy ways, and sometimes you learn only the preparations for a final pose. Foundations come first, because if you are not in the posture, you do not get what it offers. Pace matches the class level. Some people prefer yoga with more movement, and others prefer the gentle route.

What if you think you could never do yoga poses?

There are always useful poses that almost anyone can do. Chris once heard a woman at a Darwin market walk past the Flametree stall and tell her friend, “I could never do yoga poses.” It is a common misperception: that yoga is about making impossible shapes. In Gentle Yoga, students do a series of simple, useful poses, and each pose can be done in many variations, some easier and some more challenging.

The teacher decides moment by moment which version suits each person. Although the class is taught at one level, individuals are given extra props or variations as needed. A class should not be taught above the level of the people in it, and it should also have enough challenge for everyone, so that students are always learning something new. Chris also says that many students notice a quieter mind, because yoga practice gradually reduces the endless mind chatter that all of us have. That is her observation, not a trial result.

Why repeating poses builds confidence

In the Easy Beginner classes the programme is simple: you repeat many of the same poses each week. That lets you understand the poses and notice how they work on your body and mind. Each class is a new but similar experience, because each time you practise you meet yourself differently, and your body builds on what it has already learned.

Over time you can expect to feel confident enough to practise some poses at home on your own. That can be as simple as Half Angle Pose with your hands on a kitchen table. Many other easy poses like it suit beginners, seniors and more advanced students alike. In class you get clear verbal and visual instructions, and if you cannot manage a pose, you are given alternatives.

Beginner yoga at home, as well as in the studio

Easy beginner yoga can be followed online as well as in the studio, because Flametree teachers set up the LIVE online class so you can see and hear what to do. The teachers:

• give clear, simple instructions and demonstrations;
• use a clear, slow tone of voice, and wait for you to follow each part;
• use good audio equipment, so you get clear sound;
• position the camera so you can see how to do the poses;
• watch students in the room and online, and offer tips as they go.

You can turn your own camera off if you prefer not to be seen. If it is on, the teacher can give discreet extra guidance on getting the most from the poses. If you need help setting up for online yoga, the Customer Service team will talk you through it.

Poses are modified for each individual

Flametree teachers are trained and certified over many years to adapt each pose to the person in front of them. Chris emphasises this because she knows the quality of teaching needed for students to have a pleasant and useful experience. If at any time the class is not working for you, or not encouraging you to keep going, please tell us. There may be things we can do to improve your experience.

As the class progresses, alternative postures are shown, including gentle yoga for seniors options. If one pose may not suit everyone, a similar but easier one is offered as well.

Yoga can be for everyone, starting with gentle yoga

Stiffness, age, or a condition you manage need not stop you starting yoga. Chris believes yoga can be for everyone. What matters is finding the class that matches your ability, so you are challenged but not out of your depth. If you have ever thought yoga is only for flexible people, or found it too difficult, try an Easy Beginner class. You can stay at that level as long as it works for you, and it is also good preparation if you later want to move to another level. Our note on yoga class levels explains when people move up.

Ask your teacher which level may suit you best, or look at the timetable of all beginner class options. Our posts on yoga for beginners in Darwin and one student’s story of starting yoga in retirement show what starting can look like.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

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

Related reading: our beginners notes, yoga for beginners in Darwin, what is restorative yoga and using props in yoga.

Gentle yoga for beginners: frequently asked questions

What is gentle yoga for beginners?

It is a slower, simpler yoga class where the poses are kept doable, often with props, and the teacher adapts each one to you. It suits people who are stiff, unfit, older or new to exercise, and anyone who wants a calmer class.

Is gentle yoga too easy for me?

Probably not. Students often find gentle yoga a suitable challenge, because in any pose you can go to your own limit. The teacher gives extra variations to individuals as needed.

Who is gentle yoga for?

Beginners, seniors, people who are stiff or have not done much exercise, and non-beginners who want a calmer class or are returning to yoga. Tell your teacher about any injury or condition before class.

What is the difference between gentle yoga and restorative yoga?

Gentle yoga moves every part of the body slowly through simple poses. Restorative yoga holds supported poses on props such as bolsters for longer, so you can relax into them and practise the rest and digest side of the nervous system.

What is the difference between gentle yoga and dynamic yoga?

Dynamic yoga links poses together so they flow, for example in a sun salute. Gentle yoga keeps poses simpler and slower. Beginners learn the foundations of dynamic poses in easy ways before they are linked.

Do I need props for gentle yoga?

Props are a normal part of Iyengar classes and let you bear weight, extend your joints and build strength without strain. At home you can use household items, or buy a few yoga props.

Can I do gentle yoga at home?

Yes. Flametree teaches its Easy Beginner classes LIVE online, so the teacher can see you and offer tips. You can also turn your camera off if you prefer not to be seen.

What if I think I could never do yoga poses?

There are always useful poses that almost anyone can do. Each pose has easier and harder versions, and the teacher chooses the version that suits you, with props if needed.

Where can I do gentle yoga in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in Darwin and LIVE online, including Gentle Yoga, with Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and yoga therapist Christine (Chris) Lalor and other trained teachers. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree (in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more; online, anyone new).

See what our beginner classes are like on the Flametree Yoga Facebook page.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Gentle yoga does not treat any condition. See your doctor about pain that is new, severe or unexplained. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources: Chris Lalor’s own teaching and the experience of Flametree students. Raj’s own account of his recovery, shared with Flametree.