Does stretching provide the same benefits as yoga? Should a beginner start with stretching or with yoga?

Stretching is very beneficial and should be a part of everybody's day. You should always do some warm up exercises before stretching, especially in the morning. Yoga is definitely a beneficial and positive choice to make overall Even if stretching is the last thing on your mind. You should start slowly by getting into a routine. But first get some info on how to safely stretch. Then do a little warm up in the morning to get the blood flowing then move into your stretching routine to your comfort level.

No!!!!! Stretching instead of yoga is like leaving the chocolate chips out of your chocolate chip cookies. It is still a cookie but not nearly the experience you wanted. Believe it or not, stretching is a small part of yoga so a beginner should go to a yoga class a few times a month in a real yoga studio. The environment is important. Between sessions you should practice your favorite poses at home that you learned in the classes. You could throw in some YouTube yoga classes if you are worried about doing it without direction. YouTube can also play hours of yoga music to set the tone and a candle or essential oil diffuser will help connect a lovely smell with the great body work you’re doing 😎

Stretching could be seen as a subset of yoga. Alongwith stretching, yoga (not considering power yoga) also includes passive / static exercises which can strengthen muscles while reducing the chances of injury.
I personally like doing yoga because it helps me strengthen my weak areas by slowly easing me into more difficult / intense exercises at my own pace (I do it at home alone, but if you find it difficult to stick with, maybe joining a class might help).

I have lost 2kg in the last month with a combination of yoga and healthy diet. Patience is important when you practice yoga 🙂

Yoga can be better. Moon pose, cobra,dolphin pose are difficult specifically to overweight people. I feel tired and exhausted now. And I am resting for min 5 minutes.

For me at the beginning "Sun salutations" are easier and more pleasant. I start with 5 min yoga and then do 10 mins streaching by Fabulous, it is Fabulous indeed thou half moon pose is a bit hard core for the begginer 😀

I feel like the best option is whatever you find easiest to fit into your lifestyle. There are lots of yoga flow and stretching sequence videos online. With that being said, I feel like yoga helps more with breathing techniques and relaxation which can improve your stretching. Yoga itself incorporates stretching anyway.

I am not an expert but I stratch myself and I do also Yoga 🙂 Yoga is a more structurate activity: you can choose the sort yoga that is good for you, and to do so, you have to try some of them! I really enjoy doing Yin Yoga for es. because you stay longer (3-5minutes) in a position, that works deep in your mussels and tissues: when I’m done, I feel reborn 🙂 (ps: it is also painful a bit, but you know: NO PAIN NO GAIN ;))

I found it easier to participate in Yoga classes once I felt my muscles and particulary my hamstrings were streched however, one could easily do both simultaneously. Strech everyday. A flexible body gives you a sense of accomplishment and promotes a flexible mind set.

Yoga incorporates deep mindful stretches with breathing and posture development to both strengthen and relax a participant. A beginner can start with yoga and become more flexible over time as a result.