Yoga for Beginners

Before you set foot inside a yoga class, you should be able to wrap your legs around your head, keeping a beatific smile on your face while choking on incense and simultaneously engaging your bhandas (yes, that’s legal).

Just kidding! :) None of this need apply. Here’s how to avoid common pitfalls and surprises—and how to look like anything but a beginner. Here is some need-to-know info:

Yoga is not a cult

Closer to physiology class than a Trekkie convention, yoga is a bona fide science. Yes, some instructors talk of prana (the life force), display Hindu or Buddhist deities, or lead classes in brief chanting. Don’t let this stuff freak you; just consider it something to focus on, rather than, say, the sirens outside or your neighbor’s cute toe ring. Concentrate on the techniques you’re learning, especially matching your movements to your breathing. Focusing on the physical aspects of yoga is where you start. The rest is yours for the taking but entirely optional.

Give your Visa card a breather

Your “new” yoga clothes are already in your chest of drawers. Forget baggy sweats and t-shirts, though; form-fitting pieces help you get more out of class. Tight clothes make it easier for teachers to see how your body is set from the feet to the shoulder blades, so they can adjust your pose. A tank top with a built-in bra and a pair of leggings will do the job. (Don’t waste cash on yoga shoes, either.) Do buy a new mat. Germs thrive on studio-owned mats, and yours will probably pack more cushion and stickiness than the studio’s tired stock.

Your yoga’s only as good as your teacher

Teachers registered with the Yoga Alliance have had 200 hours of training at an approved studio. (Go to www.yogaalliance.co.uk and click on “Registered Teachers” to type in a name.) In class you should feel a personal connection to your teacher and enjoy his or her style of teaching. An experienced instructor recognizes when a student is struggling and allows the individuals to adapt each posture to themselves. Another clue you’re in good hands: The teacher asks new faces in the room to describe their experience levels and injuries. If you are attending a pre or post natal class, ensure that the teacher is fully trained in this area.

The front row is for geeks

Okay, not really. But new students should choose another spot. Start in the second row or the middle of the room so you can see what the rest of the class is doing, and what the teacher is doing. You might want to take a spot near the wall for support during balancing moves and standing stretches. (And, no, that’s not considered cheating.)

You can take a break when you need to

Anytime you feel that you can’t hang with what the teacher and class are doing, just take a break by going into child’s pose: Kneel on the floor, sitting on your heels. Bring your big toes together and your knees about hip-width apart, then lean forward, essentially lying facedown on the mat with your legs bent underneath you. Breathe. At first, this might feel like admitting defeat, but it’s really a sign that you own your own practice and that you’re cool with your body’s limitations.

Sometimes blocking is a good thing, too

Grab two of those foam or wooden bricks piled on one side of the studio, and keep them next to your mat. (Phonebooks work at home.) These props compensate if you can’t bend over and reach the ground in standing poses, allowing students of all levels to stretch deeper and align better. You can wrap a canvas or cloth strap (even an old shirt) around the foot of an outstretched leg during seated poses to help keep you from straining your back. If you’re at all unsure about how to use these props, ask.

Keep Sipping!

Yoga can be hot, slippery, and thirsty work. Make sure you bring a water bottle- bring a biggie for Core or Ashtanga yoga. Hydrate yourself, knocking back plenty of water before class, then again both during and after. Have a headache? You haven’t drunk enough.

Don’t slip up

To avoid pushing u Downward Dog, only to have your hands whoosh out from under you, place a towel over your mat and under your hands and feet. And don’t forget: If you find yourself getting dizzy, go into Child’s pose until you feel clearheaded again. And please - take your socks off! nobody is looking at your toosties, the mats are cleaned thoroughly after every class and it will make sure that you don't slip and hurt yourself!

If you have any specific questions about yoga or my classes please feel free to call me on
0781 786 4336 or
email me at cheryl@yogabellies.co.uk

Click here to read an interesting article on Madonna and her Ashtanga Yoga Practice http://www.dannyparadise.com/pdf/madonna1.pdf