If you are starting to learn yoga in a class or at home by DVD or a book (I am writing my own e-book on hatha yoga for the beginner -it's still in the draft stage), you must take the same precautions as you would with any other physical regime.
Assuming you are in relatively decent health and have periodic checkups, if you have no injury, disability, medical condition requiring medication, you're probably good to go. But, as every other exercise program advocates, check with your doctor if you have any concerns or questions.
Regardless of your chronological age, any new stretches and exertion of muscles that you haven't been using will likely trigger some response - okay - maybe a little rebellion from your body.. But, the advantage of hatha yoga is that because the movements are slow and most poses are static, if you progress gradually, you really should not experience pain. Although some Hatha yoga poses can be quite strenuous, they are performed gently and progressively. If you follow this approach, you should definitely not feel the tremendous type of soreness that you often experience with other forms of exercise that can be exhausting and sometimes an assault on your body!
I first started hatha yoga in my teens. I picked it up again much more consistently just over a year or so ao. I really didn't notice too much of a difference. I was stiff in both periods when I attempted to touch my hands to the ground and my head to my knees.One of the first realizations I had, besides noticing how little I could stretch in certain poses (e.g., the head to knee pose), is that right hand or left hand domination affects our entire body. You will likely notice this difference also. Be patient, practice consistently, and you will start reaping numerous rewards!
Yoga Quotation of the Day: "Always follow what your body is telling you to do." ~Yoga instructor Lourdes Cantu
