Beginning yoga classes can be worrisome for those who do not know what to expect, are recovering from previous injuries, or are starting later in life. We are here to ease your  concerns by providing a variety of classes with slow and methodical approaches to yoga, so that you can grasp core concepts that will carry through to other classes that you take. Introductory concepts in yoga are proper breathing, physical alignment, benefits of specific postures, and bringing the mind’s focus inward. There are several options for those brand new to yoga. We most highly recommend taking one of our Intro to Yoga Courses. These are six week courses that take you through a progressive sequence of postures and give more explanations about the introductory concepts. Click Here to read about these courses.

Another option would be to come to the classes listed as beginner or therapeutic yoga on our regular drop in schedules.  We have a GREAT SPECIAL FOR NEW STUDENTS to try out drop in classes of your choice. 10 DAYS OF YOGA FOR 20 BUCKS allows you to come as many times as you like to drop in classes for a period of 10 days and see what works best for you. We recommend trying classes marked as beginner or therapeutic first.

• Click Here for the Hampden Location, Class Schedule
• Cllick Here for the Mt. Washington Location, Class Schedule

What are the benefits of yoga?  Learn more by following our blog! http://baltimoreyogavillage.blogspot.com/

People come to yoga at many different junctures in life, because the benefits of uniting the powers of the mind and body are many! Yoga practice

• increases strength and flexibility
• increases endurance
• reduces weight and tones muscles
• increases range of motion
• improves metabolism
• decreases stress, anxiety, and depression
• improves concentration
• improves self-esteem
• provides an outlet for an embodied spiritual practice
• increases lung capacity
• improves performance in sports, dance, and other physical activities
• provides a non-competitive venue to increase fitness
• improves sleep and deep relaxation

Classes listed as Beginner are a step up from New Beginner. These classes may not discuss the benefits of the poses as much, but still provide a slow pace. Beginner classes might feel very different depending upon the instructor’s background. Some classes like Beginner Vinyasa classes  will focus more on flowing movements between postures, while anusara-inspired Beginner classes will focus primarily on proper alignment, while traditional hatha will emphasize the meditative aspects of yoga. Each tradition of beginner classes will emphasize different core concepts. We encourage you to try them all and you will know by how you feel which class is the right fit for you.

Classes listed as Therapeutic Yoga can also provide a good beginning, particuarly if you are returning to yoga after many years, life changes, or physical injuries. These classes use the support of props, blankets, and blocks to help you find stability in poses while working with your physical ailments and conditions.

For some who are able to honor their own strengths and limitations, mixed level or all levels classes can be a good beginning. These classes provide you with basic poses with variations of these poses to choose from within the class. It will be up to you to monitor yourself and not to push yourself beyond your capabilities. However, it can be a fun approach to see the variations of the poses and know what you are working towards, while working at your own pace.