11 Common Yoga Questions (and Their Answers)

Most of us have questions before or when we start practicing yoga! That’s normal. As a matter of fact, as you grow in your practice, the amount of questions doesn’t really get smaller. They just get different!

Yoga teachers get asked tons of questions, and, generally, they love answering them! But sometimes, a new yoga student or someone who’s considering starting yoga may feel too shy or embarrassed to ask. Then they go to Google, get lots of conflicting answers, and may give up on yoga before they ever start.

We definitely don’t want that!

So here are the 11 most common yoga questions we get asked and their real answers!

1. How long do I wait after eating before I can do yoga?

If you can practice in the morning, before you eat, that is ideal, or later in the evening. However, other than those times, we recommend waiting at least 2 hours after you eat before you start your yoga practice. Doing yoga on a full stomach can cause discomfort and even nausea. It also means you’ll have less energy since your body is busy digesting food!

2. Do I have to be flexible to practice yoga?

Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, lack of flexibility is a good reason to start a regular yoga practice! Besides that, yoga is much more than just stretching. It’s a physical activity that tones, strengthens, calms, and heals the body, mind, and spirit.

3. I’m pregnant. Can I still do yoga?

Yes you can! It’s important when you’re pregnant to do yoga under the guidance of a prenatal yoga instructor or other expert yoga instructor though. There are yoga poses that pregnant women should avoid, such as inversions and poses where you lie flat on your back. 

4. How often should I practice yoga for best results?

If you’re a beginner, we recommend starting with only 2-3 classes that require more exertion a week (such as Ashtanga, Power, or Vinyasa yoga). However, there are many other types of yoga to try in between, such as restorative yoga, yin yoga, or any of MyYogaTeacher’s meditative yoga classes! As you advance in your practice, you may feel strong enough to try more difficult yoga classes more times per week. Either way, you’ll experience the benefits of yoga whether you do it once a week or 7 days a week!

5. Do I need any special equipment to practice yoga?

While we do recommend the use of a yoga mat, technically, you don’t have to have one. You can practice yoga on any surface you feel is safe and comfortable. Many yogis also have blocks, bolsters, and straps to help them modify poses or go deeper into poses. But those certainly aren’t necessary to reap the benefits of doing yoga.

6. Why do I need a yoga class? Can’t I just do it by myself with a book or video?

You certainly can do yoga by yourself with the use of a book or video but most yogis (especially inexperienced ones) will agree that this isn’t as safe as practicing yoga with a live teacher. Yoga classes allow your yoga teacher to see how you perform the poses and can make corrections to your alignment or help you make appropriate modifications and adjustments as needed. At MyYogaTeacher, ALL of our classes are taught live, and you get personalized attention from your yoga instructor, even in group sessions!

Doing yoga poses incorrectly may cause injuries! MyYogaTeacher offers a Yoga Basics and a Yoga 201 class to help beginners create a strong yoga foundation for regular practice. 

Grab your free 2-week trial of unlimited group classes here and check them out! No credit card required.

7. What kind of clothes do I need to practice yoga?

Despite what you may see on social media, you do not need a certain kind of clothing, including the ever popular yoga pants or yoga leggings. If you’d like to wear those, however, by all means! The best clothes for yoga are comfortable ones that you can move freely in. You’ll practice barefoot or, if you’d prefer, in yoga socks.

8. What are all the strange terms I hear my yoga teacher saying?

Many yoga instructors commonly use the Sanskrit words for yoga poses instead of the English translation. This is a good thing! Yoga is ancient and rooted in tradition, and continuing to use and pass on the language is an important part of maintaining the culture of yoga. If you don’t understand something your instructor is saying, please ask! However, we’ve compiled a list of common yoga Sanskrit words you may hear in class and what they mean in this blog post.

9. Will yoga get or keep me in shape?

If you practice regularly and eat healthfully, yes! Absolutely! Just like with any physical activity, you won’t see continued results unless you practice regularly. How you fuel body is also a large part of getting physically and mentally healthy. Yoga can be as strenuous as cardio or as easy as your regular post workout stretch and everything in between. It is definitely possible for yoga to help you lose weight and/or get the body you want.

10. Can I do yoga if I’m injured or have a physical disability?

Yes, you can! Here at MyYogaTeacher, we feel strongly that yoga is for every body. Meaning any body type, shape, size, and all ability levels. Our highly trained and experienced expert yoga teachers from India come packing credentials and tools to help you practice yoga in a way that is safe and works for you!

11. Why should I start practicing yoga anyway? 

A regular yoga practice provides benefits far beyond what any other type of exercise will do! Why? Because yoga is a whole health form of practice. Everything you do in yoga positively affects your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, and the benefits carry over to your life from day to day. Yoga cures things like back pain, joint pain, lowers blood pressure, provides mental clarity and focus, reduces blood sugar, promotes healing, and so much more.

We guess the question is, why wouldn’t you want to start practicing yoga?!

Most, if not all, of MyYogaTeacher’s expert yoga instructors are more than qualified to help you! We value authentic, traditional yoga and truly care about the health and wellbeing of our students. For us, yoga isn’t just a class. It’s the way we live our life.

Not a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!

When you sign up for a 1:1 membership with us you get:

• 102 expert, highly qualified yoga instructors to choose from

• The ability to switch instructors or take classes with only your faves

• Access to unlimited group classes, taught live

• Personalized instruction and work out, diet, and lifestyle plans

• To be a member of a HUGE community of happy yogis from around the world

• Yoga teachers who become friends, who truly care about you!

If you haven’t checked us out already, grab two free 1:1 sessions with your 2-week free trial here