21/09/2026
I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I would definite a "beginner" in yoga. Yoga varies so much due to teacher, setting, lineage, training and personal experience. This is why I love yoga so much. Each person really brings a sense of uniqueness because we all walk different paths through life.
I'm pretty good at teaching yoga - I can get most people into the shapes in a room if they want to be in them. This is one of the reasons I wouldn't define a beginner as someone who may not know how to do a shape. That part doesn't matter because my classes are totally guided.
I've met people who have practised yoga for years but has no clue how to listen to what's being said in a room, can observe the fluctuation of their energy level or embrace options in a class in a non-progressive manner.
I think that's how I notice a beginners when I'm teaching. It's when someone thinks they have to do everything offered and push through the practice even when it's not working for them.
I love everything about the phrase: "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". I think, on an everyday level, that captures the practice of yoga very well. You could apply this to a plank pose, how you interact with yourself or how you engage with the world surrounding you.
You can see someone leaving that beginner stage when they start to opt-out, take their version or use previous knowledge to inform their practice.