The above photo shows me in the middle portion of the Eagle pose, one of the more complex poses that I do - but that is still feasible even for a klutz like me! Sometimes I wobble back and forth as I enter this pose or hold the pose. But, the key point is that I EASE into it. I have done this with every new pose I have learned and as I have continued to practice them over the years. One of the greatest benefits of a home yoga practice is your complete freedom to listen to your body and to take as much time as you need to execute and master a pose. Can you do that in a class? Not too often, from my limited class experience.
If you are an absolute beginner at doing yoga, I can't emphasize enough the importance of listening to your body every baby step of the way. If you do this, your chances of injury will be virtually zero.
I have never suffered an injury from yoga during my past 4 decades of practice. Nor have I ever been sore... that's no lie! This is because I followed exactly the tenets taught in my first yoga manuals. One of the most important of these is to allow gravity to do its work to work your body gradually. If you can only stretch a couple of inches in a particular pose, so be it. Your muscles will become more flexible over time and you won't experience soreness or pain hours after practicing a new pose.
Yours for easing into yoga poses with baby steps,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez