Why I still think I’m a beginner after 30 years of yoga

What does it mean to be a ‘beginner’ in yoga?

Even though I have been practicing yoga since the 90s I certainly don’t consider myself ‘advanced’ - and it’s not just because I can’t do a headstand. It’s because one of the most important aspects of yoga for me is something called ‘beginner’s mind’. It means approaching the practice with curiosity rather than assumption or judgement.

Yoga guru BKS Iyengar famously told his students that he hadn’t yet perfected mountain pose. Mountain pose is one of the most apparently straightforward postures. It involves standing tall but with deliberate attention on alignment and balance. You might think that if Iyengar never mastered it, what hope is there for the rest of us? But it’s because yoga isn’t something that you master.

Yoga is a journey, not a destination

Yoga is called a ‘practice’ for a reason – all we are ever doing when we step onto the mat is practicing. And by approaching each posture as if we have never done it before we can stay open and inquisitive. This also helps us to cope with the inevitable physical changes we will experience in life. Whether it’s because of injury, illness, or just aging, there will come a time when a pose that used to be easy feels awkward or impossible. In these moments it is all too easy (and human) to start judging ourselves or simply give up, saying yoga is too hard. But by letting go of past assumptions we give ourselves the gift of experiencing the body that we have right there, in that moment, and accepting it. We allow ourselves to work within our limitations and learn what feels good.

Pay attention and stay curious

I teach a regular beginner's yoga course in Whitley Bay and so often new students are apologetic, worrying that they don’t know what they are doing or that they are not flexible enough. I often say that as long as they are still breathing they are doing it right, and I truly mean it. Although I might demonstrate a shape or suggest a movement, yoga is not about how it looks on the outside, it’s about what is happening on the inside. And if on the inside you can pay attention, stay curious and move ways that feels right for you, then you will have truly mastered yoga!