Guides
Your first yoga class: a calm, practical guide
For your first yoga class, book a beginner or gentle class, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and bring water, a towel and comfortable stretchy clothes. Tell the teacher it is your first class and mention any injuries. Follow along at your own pace, rest whenever you need to, and stay for the final relaxation.
A first yoga class feels much easier when you know what is coming. You do not need to be flexible, fit or calm to start. You only need to turn up, listen and go at your own pace.
How do you choose your first class?
Pick a class labelled beginner, basics, gentle or hatha at a time you can make without rushing. A 60-minute class is a good first length. Heated rooms and aerial yoga in a hammock are easier to enjoy once you know the basic shapes. If you are not sure which style suits you, try our yoga style quiz, then look for a nearby studio with our yoga near me finder.
Read the studio’s booking rules before you go. Many studios in Metro Manila ask you to book ahead in an app or by message, and some offer a first-class or intro deal for new students. If you would like to try several studios first, our guide to ClassPass in the Philippines explains how credits work.
What should you bring?
- Water. A refillable bottle. Classes in warm rooms make you thirsty.
- A small towel. Useful for sweat and for padding under your knees.
- A mat, if the studio does not lend one. Many studios have mats to borrow or rent. Ask when you book.
- Comfortable clothes. Stretchy, breathable layers that stay in place when you bend over. Our guide on what to wear to yoga has the details.
- A hair tie and a bag for your phone and shoes.
Why should you arrive early?
Arriving 10 to 15 minutes early gives you time to sign in, fill out any waiver, find the changing room and set up without hurrying. It also gives you a quiet moment to speak to the teacher before class starts.
Choose a spot near the middle or back where you can see the teacher, but not right by the door.
What should you tell the teacher?
Tell the teacher three things before class:
- That it is your first class. They will watch out for you and offer simpler options.
- Any injury, pain or recent surgery. Back, neck, knee, wrist and shoulder issues all change what is right for you.
- Anything else relevant, such as high blood pressure or pregnancy. If you are pregnant, this guide to yoga in pregnancy and after birth explains what to look for in a class.
Some teachers use hands-on adjustments. If you would rather not be touched, say so. A good teacher will respect that without fuss.
What happens in a typical beginner class?
Most beginner classes follow a similar shape:
- Settling in. A few minutes sitting or lying down, noticing the breath.
- Warm-up. Gentle movements such as Cat-Cow and side stretches.
- Standing poses. Shapes like Mountain, Warrior and a supported forward fold, often linked by a slow Sun Salutation.
- Floor work. Seated stretches, a gentle twist and perhaps a bridge.
- Final relaxation. Several minutes lying still in Savasana.
You can preview many of these shapes in our guide to yoga poses for beginners.
What is yoga class etiquette?
- Shoes off before you enter the practice room, and phone on silent or left outside.
- Arrive on time. If you are late, enter quietly and set up at the back.
- Keep chatter low once people are settling in.
- Skip strong scents, since rooms are close and warm.
- Put props back neatly and wipe your borrowed mat after class.
- Stay for Savasana if you can. It is part of the class, not an extra.
How should your first class feel?
Expect to feel some effort, some stretch and probably some confusion as you learn new names and shapes. That is normal. What you should not feel is sharp pain, pinching in a joint, numbness or dizziness. If you do, stop, rest in Child’s Pose and let the teacher know. See a doctor or physio if pain continues after class. Most first-class wobbles come from a handful of beginner yoga mistakes that are easy to adjust.
Many people feel a little sore the next day. Gentle movement and a second class in the same week help the shapes feel familiar sooner. Our guide to how many times a week to do yoga suggests a rhythm for the weeks after. For a fuller plan for your first weeks, see our yoga for beginners guide.
Questions
Which type of class should you book first?
Look for classes labelled beginner, basics, gentle, slow flow or hatha. They move at a steadier pace and explain each pose. Leave power, hot, advanced and aerial classes until you know the basic shapes, unless the studio says a session is open to complete beginners.
What if you cannot do a pose in class?
That is normal and expected. Rest in Child's Pose, watch for a breath or two, or ask the teacher for an easier version. Teachers would much rather you skip a pose than strain to copy the person next to you.
Is it rude to leave a yoga class early?
Leaving quietly is fine if you must, but try to tell the teacher before class starts so they are not worried. If you can, stay for the final relaxation, because walking out during it disturbs the room at its quietest moment.
Should you eat before your first yoga class?
A light snack an hour or so before is fine for most people. A full meal right before class can feel uncomfortable once you start folding and twisting. Drink water through the day, and bring a bottle to class.