What each of these different types of gentle yoga has in common is that they're slow and low-impact and poses are likely to be held for a longer period of time. Gentle yoga at home also eliminates distractions common in group classes like comparing yourself to others and then pushing yourself too hard. Sivananda yoga is a less popular form of yoga, although you might see these types of classes pop up during the full moon. Unlike some forms of yoga, Iyengar doesn’t have a strong spiritual component. Iyengar, the yoga teacher and Yoga Journal editor Judith Lasater helped to popularize restorative yoga, based on Iyengar Yoga's asanas and use of props. With dynamic gentle yoga, you explore your pain-free range of motion and find your edge, so you can come safely and comfortably into the pose, depending on what’s right for your body on any given day. Different people require different approaches to focusing the mind, but most of us need encouragement to pay attention to what’s happening in the body. You can practice at home by following the postures below in the sequence they are in or pick a few of them that you may need the most.

This practice focuses on alignment throughout the body and helping people safely move into different gentle yoga postures through the use of props like straps, blocks, and many items you can find around the home. But many force you to slow down your movements, or hold supported and unsupported yoga poses longer, so you really get into the meat and muscle of your body. It aims to channel our life force and energy through posture, breath control, and mindfulness. This class aims to get you into a state of consciousness where you’re asleep yet awake. Unlike higher intensity vinyasa flow yoga videos or classes, sometimes students even fall asleep during the class! If you'd like, you can let your legs fall out to the side (like you're doing the splits) to target your hips and groin. I particularly recommend gentle yoga for people who are stiff and out of shape, because it’s a slower practice that focuses on making it easier to get into postures. I’ve begun to use the term "dynamic gentle yoga" to distinguish this practice from simply an "easy" yoga practice.

The most important consideration for what to wear to gentle yoga is the type of class, your comfort level, and the environment. Chair yoga is a type of gentle yoga in which practitioners use a chair for support in most or all yoga postures. The classes will end with Mindful Meditation (where you’re welcome to recline your body or stay seated in your chair), as you enjoy visualization, calming imagery, mindful body scans and breathing exercises. Bolsters and blankets are your friends in these classes. These land marks I have hit are what continue to inspire me on what I still need to grow into- i.e. keeping my head an extension of my spine. You might still do forward bends, very gentle backbends, and other types of stretching, but the focus will be on accessibility, modifications for those who need them and keeping the body safe. On day 20 I was practicing at night, I remember that I almost skipped that day but the gentle encouragement you'd instilled in me to practice led me to my mat, and right there in a moan inducing forward fold I touched my toes for the first time in 10 years. On your rest days, you may want to add a practice of gentle yoga at home in order to stay active without the intensity.

Please also make sure to stay hydrated during the class. Beginners will find a safe, welcoming, gentle experience in a gentle yoga class. Gentle yoga is one of the best yoga styles for beginners due to its slower speed. There are many styles of yoga with each of them having benefits of their own. There are teenagers who practice gentle yoga as well as folks in their 80s. It’s a question of what appeals to you and what works for your body. A yoga practice needs to be something people enjoy physically, but it has to engage the mind as well in order to be a full experience. Starting or adding an at-home yoga practice to your routine is a great idea and gentle or restorative yoga is a great option because you don’t need any additional equipment besides a yoga mat. You don’t have to join a gym, buy expensive equipment or rearrange your living room. It can also be helpful for people recovering from injuries or surgery, or who have joint replacements and need to explore postures slowly and carefully.