Editorial team
Mara Ellison
Senior editor · 12 years of practice
Mara has edited health and travel journalism for fourteen years and has practised Ashtanga and yin yoga for twelve. She writes and edits most of The Yoga Universe's guides, and is accountable for their accuracy. She is not a clinician, and articles making physiological claims are reviewed by someone who is.
Written by Mara
How do you start yoga as a complete beginner?
No flexibility required, no Sanskrit expected. What to choose, what to bring, and what actually happens in the room.
11 min read · Updated July 28, 2026What should you know before choosing a yoga teacher training?
200 versus 300 hours, what accreditation actually means, what it costs, and the questions schools hope you won't ask.
13 min read · Updated July 28, 2026How do you choose a yoga retreat that fits you?
Teacher first, beach second. How to read a retreat listing, what deposits commit you to, and when going solo works.
12 min read · Updated July 28, 2026What is the difference between meditation and breathwork?
One trains attention, the other manipulates physiology. What the evidence supports, what it doesn't, and where to start safely.
12 min read · Updated July 28, 2026Is yoga safe, and who should modify their practice?
Honest risk numbers, the poses that cause most trouble, and how to practise with injury, pregnancy or hypermobility.
14 min read · Updated July 28, 2026Where are the best places in the world to practise yoga?
City scenes, source traditions and retreat coasts — what each kind of yoga destination is actually good at.
11 min read · Updated July 28, 2026The eleven yoga styles, honestly described
What actually happens in an Ashtanga room versus a yin room, and which one suits the week you are having.
9 min read · Updated July 28, 2026Breathwork is not one thing
Slow pranayama and conscious connected breathing do opposite things to your nervous system. Know which you booked.
7 min read · Updated July 28, 2026What to expect in your first class, minute by minute
Nobody will look at you. Here is what happens anyway, so you can stop wondering.
6 min read · Updated July 28, 2026How to choose a retreat you will actually enjoy
The three questions that separate a restorative week from an expensive week of feeling trapped.
8 min read · Updated July 28, 2026Buy two blocks before you buy anything else
A short and slightly grumpy guide to what equipment is worth owning.
4 min read · Updated July 28, 2026Author profiles exist so every claim on this site traces to a named, credentialed person. Read our editorial policy.