Good yoga instruction is essential if the new yoga student wishes to learn the yoga style of their choice and to be able to learn all of the aspects correctly. Yoga instruction by a fully qualified teacher can help the student to maximise the benefits of yoga by introducing them to the correct postures and also by showing them the correct alignment of each posture. It is very easy for a new student to learn bad habits by having misalignment within each posture and so good yoga instruction is paramount as otherwise the student will not receive the full benefits of the pose and could even cause strain to the muscles.

There are many different styles of yoga including:

- Ashtanga
- Iyengar
- Hatha
- Bikram
- Kriya
- Kundalini

All of these styles need to have yoga instruction by someone who specialises in those techniques and postures so for those students interested in finding a class in their locality, they should check for local papers or look for class listings on the internet. Studying with other students in a class environment is always the preferred option as it is good to meet up with other yoga enthusiasts. Yoga is non-competitive however, so the yoga instruction should always advocate that the student focuses only on their own progress and not of someone else within the session. It is worth remembering that flexibility is an individual trait and is dependent on that individual body responding to the gentle stretches. There should never be any cause for strain whilst in the postures, working steadily with the breath helps the body to ease into the pose.

For those people who cannot attend a yoga class, there are many online yoga courses where students can sign up and of course there is a number of good yoga DVDs' and books available through local bookshops or again via the internet. These methods of yoga instruction of course are not as productive as attending the class where the teacher can guide the student through each individual posture, however, it can be a good starting point for the student so that they can gain increased flexibility whilst at home and in hours to suit.

When starting out or wishing to progress within a specific style, it is worth remembering that good yoga instruction is an essential element.