The image of yoga in Western popular culture — acrobatic poses, perfect bodies, expensive leggings — bears little relation to what yoga actually is or what a beginner's class looks like. Real yoga, in a real class, includes people of all ages, body types and ability levels using props, taking breaks, and doing modified versions of poses. The intimidation is mostly unfounded.
Yoga is a several-thousand-year-old practice originating in South Asia that combines physical postures, breath work and meditative focus. The physical postures (asanas) are just one element of a broader system. Modern Western yoga classes typically focus heavily on the physical, but even that component offers substantial health benefits.
You don't need to be flexible to start yoga. Flexibility is a result of practice, not a prerequisite. You cannot 'do yoga wrong' in a supportive class with a good teacher. Props (blocks, straps, blankets) exist specifically to make poses accessible to any body. The only equipment you need is a mat.
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