As often as you have time for and can fit comfortably into your life. One a week is better than nothing, twice a week is twice as good, and so on. It’s best to have some instruction in class, and if you feel inspired do whatever seems helpful at home too. Even 10 or 15 minutes will keep your practice going and make you want to do more. It’s better to do a little regularly than a lot intermittently.

If you are young and fit try dynamic yoga, which is fast and aerobic and gets you breathing deeply. If you have any injuries or prefer to take your time and understand each movement, do a class with props which help you get into postures carefully and safely. A classic yoga class will introduce you slowly to the postures and help you build up a practice. A flow class also helps you with breathing and concentration in continuous movement sequences. Or try them all and experience the mix of styles, all of which support one another.

A mixture of styles. But they are all hatha yoga, which is the performance of physical postures and breathing practices in order to rebalance and harmonize the body, keeping it healthy, fit and supple to enable the flow of life force.

Like most people yoga teachers have busy lives. I notice the effects if I don’t practice and that’s usually enough to get me on the yoga mat even if only for a short time. I also go to my own teachers two or three times a week.

Yes! There’s no end to learning when it comes to yoga. It’s a continuous journey and you try to absorb what you can, and pass on your experience and understanding.

Yes you can. Being stiff is a good place to start, because you won’t injure yourself so easily. Someone with too much flexibility can over-stretch and have hyper-mobility. Stiffness is overcome with practice and although yoga is no quick fix perseverance pays off. Stiff people are often strong and yoga encourages the balance of strength and flexibility.

Not really. Some yoga movements have been incorporated into Pilates mat work but there are practical and philosophical differences. The systems can be used as adjuncts to one another, especially if you are used to physical workouts and don’t get the breathing techniques confused.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Though the classes are mixed ability no-one need feel intimidated or awkward about joining in. It will take a few classes to get to know the yoga movements, so just give it time, be kind to yourself and we will certainly be kind to you!