Beginner Basics in Flow

Great class, challenging even for an intermediate student.

I am fresh back to yoga where my only previous experience had been classes at the YMCA so this one is a breathe of fresh air for learning form. I have never had that thourough of instruction in a class, let alone a video. Thank you for explaining it in a way that I can carry on proper form. I WILL come back to this video again. Great instruction!

Thanks for introducing me to vinyasa yoga. I made a promise to myself to do some of the video, but found it very interesting and fun, so I did the whole thing. The video managed to give me a mental flow, I totally forgot the time. Being new to vinyasa (I have tried more slow paced yoga like hatha and kundalini), I sometimes had problems with breath/movement sync. Challinging myself to combine the two was also what I liked so much and what made time fly. I will for sure come back to this. I loved a real workout! I'm sure this can improve my climbing skills; core strength and flexibiity! Love from Norway!

This class level may be a beginner level in specific yoga parlance. For the lay person, I'd say it's for intermediate to advance level folks.

I've been practicing yoga in various classes on and off for about ten years. I've always desired more detailed instructions about alignment, breath and movement and this video has it! It's refreshing to have these fundamental poses explained at length. I finally have some of the clarity I've been missing! The longer poses also make this a great workout. I felt awesome afterward. Thank you Fiji!

Great video. I did this three days ago and thought it was one of the best videos I've ever done that focused on proper alignment...great instructor! I didn't realize just how challenging it was until yesterday when I was acutely aware of all the muscles in my body. Not that I was in pain...I just felt how hard my body actually worked during this class.

Thanks so much, Fiji for a beautifully guided practice of Vinyasa Flow. Small subtle instructions along the way has helped me expand my movement mm by mm & that's all that makes the difference, at least for today. So Namaste!

This is an amazingly great class. Fiji, ( I love her name!) is a fabulous instructor who goes into great detail for perfect alignment. I have an Iyengar background and Fiji's instruction are in perfect alignment for me, no pun intended. If you're looking to move from beginner to intermediate, this is the class that will help get you there. I don't think this is for true beginners. Thank you Fiji and David!

I have been practicing yoga for nearly 2 years now, normally at the intermediate/beginner level. I find Fiji's instructions very helpful, however the instructions are lengthy which requires one to hold some poses for exceedingly long periods of time. The upper body strength poses are especially challenging for me. I was surprised to see Crow offered on a beginner video which was a little discouraging. I doubt I'll practice with this video in the future as there are luckily so many others that meet my needs.

Thank you SO much for this class! Clear instructions, challenging (for me), great cues! I took this class as part of the "Ongoing Intermediate Yoga Program" and am so glad! Helping me ensure a firm foundation as I progress in my practice. Thank you!

I chose this class as I am focusing on rebuilding strength. I've been a fan of Fiji for years and knew that this sequence would challenge me while allowing me to get back to the mat with confidence. It did, and I was thankful for every last plank pose!

I am a first time Yogi and i actually love this. I tried Yoga before and i had a lot of trouble just could not relax i felt like the instructors did not take me to the place i needed to be nor explain poses to me as we went, but this video has me hooked i feel great just after 1 session I will for sure be following and continuing along. Thank you so much.

I have been a couch potato for too long and am trying to get back into a routine. This video was fantastic! Challenging, but will allow me to follow my progress session by session. A few questions:
1. Holding a few of the beginning poses really began to hurt my wrists. Any suggestions?
2. Because I am outta shape, I couldn't transition very easily. For instance, I can't move my feet quickly up to my hands, so I need to come out of position a bit and take a few steps. Is this ok? Will I eventually be able to move fluidly? I just want to ensure I am getting the benefits and not harming myself instead of doing good.
3. Breathing. Oh breathing. I know this important, but I tend lose my breaths and make 'exhale' transitions when I am inhaling (and vice versa). Again, is this ok? I am hoping I get the hang of it.
4. Is there a number of times I should be practicing this video? 6x's a week? 2x's a week? Not sure there is a right answer to this, but wanted to check.
5. I have a belly, boobs and thighs (among other lumps and bumps) so some of the movements, my body gets in the way of itself. Again, do I just keep doing what I can until this fab goes away? :)
6. Any suggestions or recommendations are appreciated!

Thank you so much! The thing I love about yoga is it is so personal. I am only challenging myself and keeping up with myself. I will enjoy seeing the progress week to week.

Wow! As I was rolling up into seated position I came to realize that I'm on a flat solid surface and Fiji did this on a rugged rock cliff.
I chose this today to review and correct, and saw many places that I had gotten sloppy or taken the position for granted. Thanks for the tune up.
Becky

This video is great for getting an actual workout in at home with nothing but a mat. I have practiced yoga on and off for about 8 years and I'm currently trying to get back into the swing of it. I consider myself very alignment-focused but this video definitely taught me a few things in very clear, plain english. The instructions are easy to follow and the pace is manageable for someone who works out regularly but is not necessarily in the best yoga-shape. I made it through the whole video and broke a major sweat along the way.

The beginning of the class really helped me concentrate on my alignment. You are very clear in your instructions so I don't have to look up at the screen. This video will help me in my Vinyasa flow classes. I still can't do the crow pose, but have confidence I will in the future. Thanks for this class.

I've been practicing yoga everyday for about 2 months. Starting REALLY slowly. This is my first at home attempt at a flow class. Although I didn't make it all the way through it (about 50 mins then i did my own savasana) it really helped me to recognize my breath moving through and taught me some basic things I didn't know about so I can continue to practice effectively. Thank you so much! I know I have more work today and my arms are KILLING me today it is a great tool to have to continue working on. I will incorporate this into my weekly practice until i have the strength to complete it with confidence.
My main problem I struggle with is my competitiveness ... i need to leave that at the door and this class really reinforced that. Darn chatarangas and planks are killing me but I'm so determined to eventually master this important aspect of flow.
Thankyouthankyouthankyou

As a beginner who has practised Hatha for 5 months, I found this session to be challenging yet inspiring and invigorating. The only issue I had was keeping up with the pace and speed of the instructor, which led to lack of good form, full breaths and some confusion. After trying to keep up with a particular section of quick flow of poses into one another, I gave up around 40 minutes into the video feeling frustrated and defeated.

To other beginners with average fitness levels, I would suggest a milder session and more practise until you are ready for this one.

Great class! Great to take time to hone in on the correct form. To do it correct is way harder. Great workout also.

I am looking for guidance about where to begin correcting my transition from updog to downward dog. I feel strain in my lower back when lifting each of my feet to move into chatarunga.
Is it that my legs are not fully engaged? That my shoulders are not in line with my wrists? That my core is not strong enough to support the lower back?
I wonder if this is not a common concern for those following this class regularly.
Does someone here with more experience have suggestions for where I should begin to focus in order to diagnose my issue with the transition?

Fiji's class sets the beginner up to build a strong and healthy practise, so that they won't have to correct it later, once poor habit has set in.
I would advise first-time watchers who have no (or little) yoga background to take ALL of the modifications Fiji suggests, and to listen closely to her guidance.
This approach to the class will allow the student to build a proper FOUNDATION to perform all of the asanas and their transitions with strength and to do so safely.
Without modification, this class truly requires more strength than the beginner has.
The reason it is a beginner video is because it explains every pose and transition as if the student watching has no working understanding of them, and because it demonstrates what the beginner will be working up to; what a vinyasa flow really is.
This is important for the beginner to learn, since many classes available at studios today are taught by instructors with no more than 200 hours of training, and no real understanding of yoga anatomy. Learning the muscles at work and the proper alignment for each asana and transition of the vinyasa flow MEANS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INJURY AND STRENGTH-BUILDING. This is the ESSENTIAL value of Fiji's Beginner class.
Stay encouraged, listen, and learn with this masterful demonstration of the vinyasa and introduction to its practise.

I'm a beginner, but as a dancer for 14 years and a frequent tennis player I have some base strength. Even so, this video challenged me just enough. I definitely felt the muscles getting stronger but it wasn't too intense, I know when to stop and rest. I made it through the video and can feel myself getting stronger! Excellent class that I plan to revisit often to continue building strength and flow. Thank you!

I'm just getting introduced to yoga I feel very fortunate to have stumbled on to your web site. Was not sure that I would be able to do the poses due to a severe back injury but as I push my body I'm very surprised that I was able to do most of them I am really enjoying Fiji's power flow class.... it's only been a few weeks and I'm happy to say that I've become much stronger and more in control of my body I'm really excited to continue and make it a daily routine in my life

Strategically placed near the half mark of the "Beginner to Intermediate" program this class was challenging and SO satisfying! I did this last night before bed, today I feel so bendy and very little soreness. I really appreciate the attention Fiji pays to the each movement, directing and suggesting in a way that allowed me to get more out of poses that I had thought I was very familiar with. Many Thanks.

Do yoga with me will get me back into healthier living, I am excited.

This is the second Fiji class I have done here and I am truly impressed. She is an excellent instructor, very well balanced, very well timed, and solid knowledge of muskuloskeletal anatomy which greatly enhances her ability to instruct.

I found this video very informative but I was unable to hold many of the poses (eg downward facing dog) as it felt that too much pressure was being put onto my shoulders. Is there a video that can help me develop strength in this area?

This beginner completed 20 minutes and decided more would likely be too much. I've pushed myself to get back up to where I was a couple/few years ago and injured some muscles. I don't want the injury to go into joints too so I am taking this class with a grain of salt when it states it is beginner. Holding those poses for so long right at the beginning gave me a hasty and deep burn in my arms and wrist pain beyond strengthening level. Its disheartening to see what a beginner class will do with me now-a-days. Not giving up, just listening to my body and not insisting on fitting into a "rating" of beginner. I am at my own level and listening to my body is a great lesson for me these days.

Amazing class, great way to explain the poses. Very challenging too, and I like that in a Vinyasa flow.

This class is challenging because of its slowed, descriptive pace. The holds make it quite a strong class, probably more an intermediate level but the descriptions are terrific for a beginner learning the asanas. Once again, Fiji's classes are terrific. Highly recommended!

This practice is great because she goes thru each pose showing transition moves (which I never really understood)and then speeds things up. Its intense I only made it thru 50 minutes. Better luck next time. :)

Woo! I just finished this video and it was challenging - in a good way. It's very helpful in reminding beginners to connect breath with movement (something I strive to improve little by little everyday). I definitely enjoyed this video, and look forward to trying it again to see improvement. I wouldn't suggest this video for people who are just beginning, unless you are an athlete with some base strength.
Thanks for a great video and practice. I look forward to my energized day!

I love how it explains everything and shows transitions! It is a strengthening session and I couldn't make it all the way through, but alas this is only my second session of yoga :) Even if you cant make it through the whole video, watch the whole video it helps a lot! <3

I am a teenager with fibromyalgia. It's hard for me to find ways to exercise that don't hurt. This video is a great way to build up strength and flexibility for my whole body. I recommend this practice to anyone wanting a gentle and total body work-out.

I've followed this video so often I felt I needed to comment. This was the video that helped me build the strength and basic foundation I needed to progress from a beginner into trying intermediate classes. Even now that I readily do intermediate videos now, I still come back to this one and find there's so much here to continue to improve. I'm still working up to the arm balance at the end - some day!

A perfect yoga class-thank you!

This is my very first ever Yoga session and it was tough but I did the whole thing! Feeling energised and relaxed both at the same time, thanks Fiji for an awesome video I'll be sure to check out your others, looking forward to improving my Yoga, some of the poses were hard and I'm not that flexible yet. Namaste!

I picked this beginner workout to start back after a recent accident put my back and neck in a bind because it included stretches my doctor already had me using. I was only able to get a short distance in but I will be working my way up to more. The stretches in my back felt amazing, my shoulders are what really stopped me. I was working up a great sweat and I can feel it in my back and core. I can't wait to be able to do it all.

I'm new to yoga and am interested in developing a daily practice. I tried Fiji's Intro to Flow class last night and found it to be challenging and so informative! I learned a lot about body positioning and can really feel it in my muscles today.

Thanks Doyogawithme.com for sharing this valuable resource!

Really enjoyed this flow - I have done a bit of yoga in the past but found it parts of it a challenge - maybe because I was focusing on doing it correctly this time! Will definitely do this one again as I can only get better with practice. Thanks Fiji!

Mandy

I have loved doing this class with Fiji! My back has been bothering me for a while and this session really helps loosen me up so that I can relax! I am new to yoga but I think this was the introduction I needed to get me hooked and make me a lifer. :)

With a few yoga classes behind, this one felt great, while some postures where a little bit hard all the class was pretty good. GREAT explanation of poses and breath, just PERFECT!

I'm a beginner and this is just what I needed! Fiji really walks you through the poses in a way where you are always cognizant of your body and what you're capable of. This was definitely a challenge, but I look forward to continuing to progress in this practice!

I practiced yoga for a year and half. I had to take about a year off and decided to get back into this week. This video was great to get back into the flows and to remind my body of the correct posture during the poses. Fiji did an amazing job explaining each pose. This website and video have me so excited to be able to get back into yoga and to watch my body once again regain it's flexibility and strength.
Thank you!