Walking into your first yoga class can be intimidating. Where do I put my mat? Is this class good for beginners? Am I going to look silly? Will I be able to follow along?
Learning new things is never easy. Beyond navigating the yoga postures, there’s also a host of quirks most newbies don’t know about before starting yoga.
Below are a few things to expect when you start your practice.
- You will feel like virtually every pose requires flexibility that you don’t have. Most of us, don’t begin yoga with the flexibility, stamina and balance that will make the class feel simple. The class will feel more challenging that you expect it to.
- Poses are 1/8 of yoga. Patanjali prescribed 8 limbs of yoga, only 1 of which is asana, or physical postures. The Westernized approach to yoga places very often draws on the postures but in reality all 8 limbs are given equal importance in yoga. Together, the 8 limbs provide a method by which we bring the mind to stillness and see reality without the illusions that our minds create.
- You might cry. We hold molecules of emotion in our cell tissue – otherwise known as tension.When we release bits of tension from our cell tissue by practicing postures, those molecules of emotions release (read more on this).
- You’re going to think about breathing in a whole new way. A big part of yoga is breathing through moves. It can be disorienting to thinking consciously about breathing, and differentiating between inhaling and exhaling. If I’m feeling tense during the day, even just paying attention to my breathing for a bit will leave me looser and more mindful and in the moment.
- Rest is always welcomed. Yes, it’s totally normal in a yoga class to rest at any point. Not only this, but we always have a good rest at the end of a yoga class.
Interested in trying yoga? I have a “down to earth” style with sequences designed to make you feel good, honour your body, and explore your yoga practice.
I lead mixed level, yoga classes in Houlton and Eastlands in Rugby. Booking now for classes in September.