Best Type of Yoga for Beginners | Breath of Fire – Breath of Fire Eco & Yoga Fashion

Q: What materials we use

We work with three fabrics. Three. Not thirty.Brushed Organic Cotton Jersey (220g, made in Portugal) soft, slightly thick, with a peach-skin touch. Our flagship. The Sohang, Yamala and Mahan are knitted from this.Mercerized Organic Cotton Jersey (180g, made in Portugal) lighter, smoother, with a subtle natural sheen. Our new Essence Collection uses this for models like Ankaa, Nashira, Maia.Bamboo Viscose blended with Organic Cotton (made in Turkey) cool, breathable, fluid. Used for the Lilii pants and the Mizar Kimono. Bamboo regrows in three to five years, without replanting and without irrigation.Most pieces include around 8% certified elastane, enough to hold shape over years of wear, without losing breath.We use every meter of yarn we knit. What we don't sew, we save for repairs and samples. Nothing goes to waste.

Q: Three generations of women

Three generations of women.My grandmother Johanna sewed evening dresses by hand. Long, careful, beautiful work, a kind of patience that has all but disappeared.My mother, Cornelia, learned from her. In 2004, she founded Breath of Fire. The very first piece she designed, the Sohang, was created on the floor of her living room in Switzerland, with a yoga teacher friend named Christina. It is still our flagship today.Today, I ( Pernelle) run the brand. I do not redesign what works. I extend it. The Essence Collection, launched in 2025, sits beside the Evergreen line. New silhouettes, same intention.We do not design for trends. We design for the body in practice, for the moment when the breath deepens, when the posture lengthens, when you forget what you are wearing.That is the test of a piece. Forgetting it on. Returning to it.

A mat unrolled for the first time. Bare feet, a little hesitation. Where to begin? There is no wrong door into yoga, only styles that suit you better at a given moment. Here are the five most welcoming ones for beginners, and what to wear for each.

Which type of yoga is best for beginners?

There are many types of yoga, and the best one for a beginner depends on your goals, your body and your temperament. Some people need movement to quiet the mind. Others need stillness. Here are the most popular options for starting out.

Hatha yoga. A traditional style that combines postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation. Classes are generally slow-paced, with basic poses held for several breaths. It improves flexibility, strength and balance and calms the mind. For most people, it is the ideal place to start.
Vinyasa yoga. Postures linked together in a flow, each movement following the breath. Often faster than Hatha, it suits beginners who want a more dynamic practice, but it can be more physically demanding. Look for a class labelled "slow flow" or "beginners".
Iyengar yoga. Named after B.K.S. Iyengar, this style emphasises precise alignment and the use of props such as blocks and straps. Postures are held longer and explained in detail. It is a good choice if you want to learn the foundations properly and build strength and stability.
Gentle yoga. A slower, softer form of yoga, accessible to beginners and to people with injuries or physical limitations. Basic poses, plenty of time, often some restorative postures and a focus on relaxation and stress relief.
Restorative yoga. Passive postures supported by props such as blankets and bolsters, held for several minutes. Very restful and low-impact, it is a good choice if you are tired, stressed or simply curious about stillness.

Kundalini yoga can also be a lovely door into practice: it combines breath, movement, mantra and meditation, and needs no particular flexibility. Read what Kundalini yoga is to find out more.

Overall, the best yoga for beginners is the one you want to come back to. Try a few styles and teachers, and notice how you feel the next morning. If you have a health condition, an injury or are pregnant, tell your teacher before class and ask your doctor if in doubt.

Which clothes are best for each practice?

The best clothing depends on the style and on your preferences. In general, choose comfortable, stretchy clothes that let you move freely and breathe deeply, ideally in natural fibres that let the skin breathe. Here are some guidelines.

Hatha yoga

Any comfortable, stretchy clothing that lets you move freely: leggings or soft pants and a tank top or t-shirt. Avoid very baggy clothes that get in the way when you bend forward or come upside down.

White Cephei yoga t-shirt in organic cotton worn with the Sohang yoga legging — For Hatha: the Sohang legging with the Cephei t-shirt, soft and close enough to the body to see your postures.

Vinyasa yoga

Here you want clothes that stretch and stay in place as you move from one pose to the next: leggings and a tank top or yoga bra. Avoid anything too loose, which will slide or ride up in downward dog.

Vega yoga leggings in lilac worn with the Aurora yoga bra — For Vinyasa: the Vega leggings and Aurora bra hold well and stay in place, even in demanding flows.

Iyengar yoga

Clothes that are comfortable and stretchy, and that let you and your teacher see your alignment: leggings or shorts and a fitted top. Avoid loose clothes that hide the knees and hips.

Sohang yoga short in purple organic cotton — For Iyengar: the Sohang yoga short, with a matching Sohang top, so every posture can be easily corrected.

Gentle yoga and Kundalini yoga

Any comfortable clothing you feel good in. Wider pants are perfect here: they leave room for the belly to breathe and for long seated meditations.

Sohang yoga top and Sohang yoga pants in saffron organic cotton — For gentle and Kundalini yoga: the Sohang pants, wide legs and a skirt for maximum comfort, here in saffron with the Sohang top.

Restorative yoga

Soft, warm, comfortable clothes: the body cools down quickly when it stays still. Leggings or soft pants, a long-sleeved top, and a layer you can wrap around you, such as the Amba wrap shirt. Bring a blanket or a pair of socks too.

Overall, the most important thing is to wear clothes you can move and breathe in, and forget once class begins. For more details, read our guide on what to wear for each yoga style and how to choose your yoga pants.

Frequently asked questions

Which yoga is easiest for complete beginners?

Hatha yoga and gentle yoga are usually the easiest to start with: the pace is slow, the poses are basic and teachers take time to explain. Restorative yoga is even gentler, but involves very little movement.

How often should a beginner practise yoga?

Two or three sessions a week is a good rhythm to begin with. Even ten minutes of breathing or stretching on the other days helps the body remember. Regularity matters more than length.

Do I need to be flexible to start yoga?

No. Flexibility is a result of yoga, not a condition for it. Styles like Iyengar use props precisely so that every body can find the posture.

Should I learn breathing before postures?

Breath and posture are learned together. If you want to start with the breath, our article on the basic principles of pranayama is a simple first step.

Begin where you are. The mat will meet you there.

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What you wear matters. The texture against skin. The breath that moves freely. Pieces that soften with the years.

Our clothes are certified organic cotton, knitted and sewn in Portugal in small batches since 2009. Natural fibers. Slow craft. Clothing for those who pay attention to what touches the body.

Near Porto, in Portugal, two small family businesses work side by side for us. The first, in one village, knits our organic cotton from scratch and dyes it to our specifications. The second, in the next village, cuts and sews. We have been visiting both every year since 2009. We know the people by name. We share meals when we visit. They have watched our collections grow alongside their own children.

During the Covid years, when organic cotton and bamboo became briefly impossible to source in Portugal, we found a second family workshop in Turkey — also ethical, also certified, also personal. About 5% of what we make passes through their hands today. The Mizar Kimono and a few Lilac pieces from past collections come from there.

Most yoga brands buy fabric from a market — pre-made rolls, ready to cut. We don't. Every meter of jersey we use is knitted from scratch to our specifications. That is why the Sohang feels the way it does. That is why a five-year-old pair softens instead of wearing thin.

A slower way of making clothes. Sometimes inconvenient. Always worth it.

Sustainability for us is not a marketing department. It is a series of small, sometimes annoying choices we have made since 2009.

We chose certified organic cotton when it was 40% more expensive than conventional or plastic fabrics. We still pay that premium today. We grow without external capital which means we cannot afford to overstock, so we don't. We use every meter of yarn we order, even when it means smaller runs and longer waits. We are 100% self funded and all the money is placed in ethical funds in a local bank.

We focus on evergreen pieces, the Sohang, the Amrit, the Amba instead of seasonal collections. Some of these designs are over a decade old and still our bestsellers. A garment worn for ten years on a body is the most sustainable thing a fashion brand can make.

Our fabrics are dyed with processes gentle enough for a baby's skin. We package in either recycled or biodegradable bags. We ship from our small warehouse in Cully (Switzerland) or our partner in Germany, never overseas.

We don't tick every box. We are not perfect. But these are the choices we make, and we make them visible.

We work with three fabrics. Three. Not thirty.

Brushed Organic Cotton Jersey (220g, made in Portugal) soft, slightly thick, with a peach-skin touch. Our flagship. The Sohang, Yamala and Mahan are knitted from this.

Mercerized Organic Cotton Jersey (180g, made in Portugal) lighter, smoother, with a subtle natural sheen. Our new Essence Collection uses this for models like Ankaa, Nashira, Maia.

Bamboo Viscose blended with Organic Cotton (made in Turkey) cool, breathable, fluid. Used for the Lilii pants and the Mizar Kimono. Bamboo regrows in three to five years, without replanting and without irrigation.

Most pieces include around 8% certified elastane, enough to hold shape over years of wear, without losing breath.

We use every meter of yarn we knit. What we don't sew, we save for repairs and samples. Nothing goes to waste.

Three generations of women.

My grandmother Johanna sewed evening dresses by hand. Long, careful, beautiful work, a kind of patience that has all but disappeared.

My mother, Cornelia, learned from her. In 2004, she founded Breath of Fire. The very first piece she designed, the Sohang, was created on the floor of her living room in Switzerland, with a yoga teacher friend named Christina. It is still our flagship today.

Today, I ( Pernelle) run the brand. I do not redesign what works. I extend it. The Essence Collection, launched in 2025, sits beside the Evergreen line. New silhouettes, same intention.

We do not design for trends. We design for the body in practice, for the moment when the breath deepens, when the posture lengthens, when you forget what you are wearing.

That is the test of a piece. Forgetting it on. Returning to it.

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What Type of Yoga Is Best for Beginners?