Tips for Beginning Yogis

Pick a moderate class to start.
And skip a few things. We don't want you to wake up too sore the next morning and not come back!

Try a number of different classes.
Check out a few teachers and formats to see what works best for you at the moment. This will change.

The perfect class is also one you can actually get to on a regular basis.

Start doing a bit on your own between classes.
Just doing it once a week is not the path to happiness. Ideally do a bit every day. Maybe only 15 minutes. Maybe only those poses you can do without first getting out of bed.

Buy your own mat.
Most studios have loaners for new students. Some (usually Bikram style studios) charge you an extra dollar or two. But why would you want to use one of the public loaner mats after your first class? It's certainly a matter of hygiene but also if you have a mat maybe you'll practice at home a bit.

Don't do any other yoga shopping.
Except maybe a book to reinforce what you're learning in class. You don't need new clothes.

Come with a relatively empty stomach.
But each of us is different. Too full and you'll be uncomfortable in twists and inversions. Too empty and (if you're like me) the strength and balance may not be there.

Come well hydrated and drink water after class.
But not during. You're not breathing if you're drinking. And bottles are hazardous in class. We're always falling over. It should be a pleasant landing. Drinking in class is just a Bikram yoga kind of thing.

Move into poses gently and cautiously.
Come out if it hurts. Back off until you find an interesting "edge" for the pose. We're looking for a reasonable amount of work, sensation, bliss. But never pain.

See what style of class and intensity level works for you.
Go to classes that your friends recommend but understand that your likes and needs may differ.

Have fun.
The practice should be a challenge but also fun. Otherwise you're not likely to keep at it for long. Some teachers and students take it a bit too seriously. Have a good time.

Make it a meditation.
Breathe.

Namaste!
(That's Sanskrit for "My higher consciousness salutes the same in you").

Have a happy journey!

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What should I bring?
Just come with clothes you'll be happy in for stretching, jumping, and lying around. The practice is done barefoot. Yes, we have areas at the studio for changing and stashing your belongings.

Do I need to bring my own mat?
No. We have loaners for new students to borrow at no charge. We'd like to encourage you to eventually acquire your own mat. It makes sense from a hygiene standpoint.

What class should I start with?
If in doubt start at the moderate end of the spectrum. Perhaps classical hatha rather than vinyasa or power yoga, for example. Try a few different classes. See how you feel about it.

The perfect class is one where you can't do everything. You want enough that's comfortable for you to do but always a few impossible things to challenge you to develop new skills.

How often should I come to class?
It depends on the kind of results you want. Doing a practice more frequently will allow your body to retain more of a memory of what it has learned. Generally, it'll be better doing a more moderate practice on a more frequent basis rather than a very hard class only once in a while.

If you can only come once a week, try doing short practice sessions on your own every day (or few days) once you start learning enough about the poses.

Do you do your classes in a hot room?
No. That's because we want you breathe more comfortably and work harder. If you're doing an energetic vinyasa or ashtanga style practice you'll sweat but the heat should come from within by doing challenging poses and breathwork rather than by turning up the thermostat. We run the temperature for most of our classes 74-76 degrees.

Isn't a hot room necessary for injury prevention?
No. Most yoga teachers emphasize a practice structured with an adequate warm-up period, doing easier preparatory versions of some poses and entering all poses with mindfulness.

Are your classes Iyengar yoga influenced?
Yes. We talk a lot about form and alignment in the poses and most of that body of knowledge comes from the work of BKS Iyengar. Iyengar has been greatly influential over the last 50 years in applying good biomechanical principles to yoga practice through the use of props, modifications to standard poses and insistence on precision.

How about in an Ashtanga or Power Yoga class? I heard that was sloppy stuff.
Traditionally Ashtanga yoga (like a number of traditional yoga practice styles) was loose and not concerned with alignment. In our vinyasa style classes we teach the traditional forms of the Ashtanga system with an overlay of Iyengar-inspired concern about good body mechanics.

Where's it all headed?
Well, traditionally hatha yoga practice is a meditation. Both in the sense of it being a meditation on the body and breath while you're in the poses but also as a prelude to deeper seated medation practices.

You'll appreciate the physical benefits of the practice starting with your first class. As the practice deepens and it becomes more meditative, you'll also appreciate the calmness, tranquility and meditative awareness that an ongoing practice provides.

See you in class!

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