Free, step-by-step lessons on poses, breathing and meditation, written for beginners. When you want a teacher, our directory lists yoga centers in cities across India with their timings, fees and phone numbers.
New to yoga? Start with the first-month plan
Try one minute of slow breathing
Sit tall and breathe through your nose. Breathe in for 4 counts and out for 6. A longer out-breath is one of the simplest ways to slow down.
Most beginners stop because they try too much too soon. This four-week plan builds the habit first and adds difficulty slowly. Practise 4 to 5 days a week, for about 20 minutes.
Learn to breathe slowly through your nose, then practise Mountain pose, Child's pose and gentle neck and shoulder rolls. The only goal this week is to show up.
Break Surya Namaskar into its 12 steps and practise 2 to 3 slow rounds. Bend your knees in forward folds, and rest in Downward Dog whenever you need to.
Add Warrior poses and Tree pose, using a wall for support. Hold each pose for 3 to 5 breaths on both sides.
Hold poses for 5 to 8 breaths and finish with 5 minutes of meditation or simple pranayama. By now you have a routine you can keep.
Sharp pain, dizziness or numbness means stop. Read our yoga safety tips before you begin, especially if you have an injury or a health condition. For a fuller introduction, see yoga for beginners and how to start yoga.
Short and steady beats long and occasional. This sequence warms you up, works the whole body and ends calm. Do it in the morning on an empty stomach, or about 3 hours after a meal.
Practising at home? Our guide on how to practise yoga at home covers space, mats and props. The best time to do yoga and morning vs evening yoga help you pick a slot, and what to eat before yoga and after yoga cover meals.
Most people come to yoga for one clear reason. Pick yours and start with the guide written for it.
Each city page lists yoga centers, teachers and schools with their timings, fees and contact details, so you can call and book a trial class directly. Listing is free to browse, and you never pay us to contact a center.
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Maa Shakti Yog
Yoga teacher training and retreats in Tapovan, Rishikesh
Pancha Koshas
Yoga school in Tapovan, Rishikesh
Yogakulam Academy
Yoga teacher training in Ganganagar, Bengaluru
Aditi's Yoga & Wellness
Prenatal and women's wellness yoga in Kandivali West, Mumbai
Prana Yoga Kondapur
Yoga and sound healing in Kondapur, Hyderabad
Decode Lyfe
Meditation and Yoga Nidra in Sector 134, Noida
Browse the full yoga directory, see yoga institutes in India, or list your own center.
A good first teacher matters more than the style or the price. Before you pay for a month or a package, check these things on a call or during a trial class.
In the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali describes yoga as a path with eight parts, known as the eight limbs of yoga, or Ashtanga. Postures are only one of them. The limbs move from how you live, to how you move and breathe, to how you focus the mind.
How you treat others: non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, moderation and non-greed.
How you treat yourself: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study and surrender.
Physical postures that build a steady, comfortable body for sitting and breathing. See yoga poses
Breath control, learning to lengthen and direct the breath. Learn pranayama
Drawing the senses inward, so outside noise pulls at you less.
Concentration, holding attention on one point such as the breath.
Meditation, when focus becomes an unbroken flow. Learn meditation
Complete absorption, described as the final goal of the path.
Curious how meditation and posture practice differ? Read yoga vs meditation and our mindfulness guide.
Yoga grew in India over more than two thousand years, moving from a path of meditation and self-discipline to the posture-based practice most people know today. Exact dates for the oldest texts are debated by historians, so the first entries give approximate periods.
Early texts such as the Katha Upanishad describe yoga as steadying the senses and the mind.
Presents yoga as several paths, including action (karma), devotion (bhakti) and knowledge (jnana).
Patanjali's short verses, compiled roughly 2,000 years ago, set out the eight limbs and define yoga as quieting the mind.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Svatmarama describes postures, breath control and cleansing practices in detail.
Swami Vivekananda speaks at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, bringing yoga philosophy to the West.
Teachers such as T. Krishnamacharya in Mysore, and his students B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois, shape modern posture-based yoga.
The first International Day of Yoga is held on 21 June, after the United Nations declared the day in 2014.
UNESCO adds yoga to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Much of the yoga taught in studios today traces back to a handful of schools in India. Many of them still teach, and knowing them helps you understand what a class is based on.
The Yoga Institute, Santacruz. Founded by Shri Yogendra and often described as the oldest organised yoga center in the world. It set out to teach yoga to ordinary working families, not only to monks and ascetics.
Yoga classes in MumbaiKaivalyadhama. Swami Kuvalayananda began studying yoga with laboratory methods here, and started the research journal Yoga Mimamsa the same year. It is one of the earliest scientific studies of yoga anywhere.
Yoga classes in MaharashtraT. Krishnamacharya's yoga school. Teaching under the patronage of the Mysore royal family, Krishnamacharya trained students including K. Pattabhi Jois, whose Ashtanga Vinyasa method made Mysore famous with yoga students worldwide.
Yoga classes in MysoreThe Divine Life Society. Founded by Swami Sivananda on the banks of the Ganga. Today Rishikesh calls itself the yoga capital of the world, with ashrams, retreats and teacher training courses for students from across India and abroad.
Yoga schools in RishikeshBihar School of Yoga. Founded by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, it developed a systematic method combining asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, cleansing practices and meditation, known today as Bihar Yoga or Satyananda Yoga.
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute. B.K.S. Iyengar's institute, home of Iyengar yoga, known for precise alignment and the use of props such as blocks, belts and chairs.
Yoga classes in PuneKrishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. Started by T.K.V. Desikachar, Krishnamacharya's son, to continue his father's approach of adapting yoga to each person's age, health and needs.
Yoga classes in ChennaiThe Government of India promotes yoga through the Ministry of Ayush. Three programs are useful to know about, whether you are a beginner or planning to teach.
21 June, every year
India proposed the day at the United Nations, which declared it in December 2014. Since 2015, schools, offices, parks and housing societies across India hold free group sessions on the morning of 21 June. It is an easy way to try yoga with a teacher for the first time.
More about International Yoga Day45 minutes
A standard sequence prepared by the Ministry of Ayush for group practice. It moves from a prayer and loosening exercises to standing, sitting and lying poses, then Kapalabhati, breathing practices such as Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari, meditation, a resolve (sankalpa) and a peace chant.
Start with our beginner guideSet up by the Ministry of Ayush
YCB certifies yoga professionals at several levels, from protocol instructor to yoga master, and accredits yoga institutions. If you want to teach, it is one of the recognised routes in India. If you are choosing a teacher, a YCB certificate is a useful sign of training.
How to become a yoga teacherStudios use many names for their classes. Here is what the most common styles feel like, so you can choose a class that matches your goals.
Still deciding? Read yoga vs Pilates, yoga vs stretching, yoga vs walking or is yoga better than the gym.
Yoga is often sold as a cure for everything. The research is more modest, and more useful. Here is what studies reviewed by health researchers currently suggest, and how strong that evidence is.
A 2022 Cochrane review found that yoga probably improves pain and day-to-day function in chronic low back pain compared with no exercise, though the improvement is small. It works about as well as other back exercises, so choose the one you will keep doing. See yoga for back pain.
Reviews of controlled studies consistently find that regular yoga lowers how stressed people feel. Breathing practice and relaxation are a large part of this. See yoga for stress relief.
A meta-analysis of trials in people over 60 found small to moderate gains in balance and mobility. Whether this reduces falls is not yet clear.
Studies suggest yoga can ease symptoms of depression when used together with standard care, not as a replacement for it.
Reviews report modest reductions in weight, body fat and waist size, with the best results from programs of three months or more and regular home practice. See yoga for weight loss.
Several studies report better sleep and less neck pain with yoga, but the number of studies is still small. See yoga for better sleep.
Yoga may help everyday worry, but for diagnosed anxiety disorders the results are inconclusive. One trial found it less effective than cognitive behavioural therapy. See yoga for anxiety.
For healthy people taught by a qualified teacher, yoga is generally safe and serious injuries are rare. Most injuries are sprains and strains. Beginners should skip headstands and forceful breathing, and people who are pregnant, over 65, or have glaucoma, very high blood pressure, balance problems or joint injuries should get personal guidance first. Read our yoga safety tips and the full list of yoga benefits.
This summary is for general education and is not medical advice.
Teachers in India often use Sanskrit terms in class. Knowing these will help you follow along from your first session.
A good mat and a few props are all you need. Some links below are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
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More answers in our yoga FAQs.
Yes. Flexibility is something yoga builds over time, not something you need before you begin. Bend your knees in forward folds, use a block or a folded blanket for support, and only go as far as feels comfortable. Most people notice a difference within a few weeks of regular practice.
Aim for 4 to 5 short sessions a week rather than one long session. Even 15 to 20 minutes a day builds strength, balance and the habit itself. Our four-week plan above shows how to start and when to add more.
Both work. A class with a trained teacher is the best way to learn correct alignment, get corrections and avoid injury, especially in your first few months. Practising at home between classes helps you stay consistent. Many people do a weekly class and a short home routine on other days.
A non-slip mat, comfortable clothes you can stretch in, and enough floor space to lie down with your arms stretched out. A block, strap or cushion is helpful but optional. Practise on an empty stomach, or about three hours after a main meal.
Speak to your doctor first if you are pregnant, have high or low blood pressure, heart disease, a recent surgery or injury, back or neck problems, glaucoma, or any long-term condition. Tell your yoga teacher too, so they can suggest safer versions of poses.
Look for a teacher with recognised training, such as a Yoga Certification Board (YCB) or Yoga Alliance qualification, ask about batch size, and book a trial class before paying for a month. Choose timings and a location you can keep up with. Our directory lists each center's timings, fees and contact details.
International Day of Yoga is on 21 June every year. The United Nations declared the day in December 2014 after India proposed it, and the first one was held in 2015. Many cities hold free group sessions in parks, schools and offices that morning.
It is a standard 45-minute group yoga sequence prepared by the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. It includes loosening exercises, standing, sitting and lying poses, Kapalabhati, pranayama and meditation, and is used for International Day of Yoga sessions across the country.
Before a listing goes live, our team checks basic details such as the business name and phone number, and listings that pass show a Verified badge. Centers are independent businesses, so please confirm fees, timings and qualifications directly with them. You can report a listing that looks wrong.
Yes. All our guides, calculators and the directory are free to read and use. Yoga centers and teachers pay a listing fee to appear in the directory.