Hi. I'm brand new to yoga, so new I haven't even tried it yet. I have a DVD with Deepak Chopra. I watched it but didn't do anything else. I guess I'm just nervous! I'm a BBW (big beautiful woman) and I'm working slowly on weight loss (35 lbs down over the last couple of years) and changing life long habits (I eat wheat instead of white, adding new veggies and fruits, adding walking and some biking for exercise.) I love my prayer time - would love to combine this with yoga if that's even possible.

I read some of the beginner articles. They help a lot. If you could give me any other help to get me started, that would be great. I live with a LOT of stress and it affects me greatly, so I thought that yoga might help. Kath*

Hi Kath, Welcome to the world of exploring yoga. Congrats on the weight loss. Sounds like everything you're doing is working

Yoga is a personal journey and there is no need to be afraid. I would recommend finding a Hatha Yoga class local to you. Hatha is gentle and calming while toning and strengthening for the mind and body.

Going to a class lets you know if you are doing the postures correct and will give you confidence to practice from home. Yoga that includes medtation and pranayama can be very beneficial for stress relief and once you have tried them you can easily incorporate them into your day at stressful times to bring you back to centre and calm the mind again.

Would love to hear how you get on and how you decide to proceed.

Tracy