If youve never done yoga, it looks intimidating.
Get out those Trapper Keepers and sharpen your No.
2 pencilsits Back-to-School Week!
You dont need to be great at yoga to start trying to do yoga.
Makes sense when you say it like that, right?
There will be a learning curve, and thats okay.
Bringing a friend along always helps, everything is better when shared, right!
Everyone is in the same boat, so there is no need to be embarrassed.
There are some great yoga sessions onour list of the best YouTube workout channels, for example.
For example:
Namasteis a greeting that instructors will often use at the beginning and end of class.
My kid watches yoga videos that just describeNamasteas the secret yoga code word.
Downward dog and childs poseare good poses (sorry,asanas) to know.
Theyre super commonyou might do dozens of both in a single classbut theyre also meant to be resting poses.
If everybody is doing some challenging pose and you cant hang, just do one of these instead.
Your instructor will understand.
Sun salutationis a sequence of poses that flow into one another.Heres one version that you might practice at home.
you’ve got the option to ask an instructor about it when you see one in person.
(Some are, but it depends.)
By the end I really felt like Ideservedthat beer.
But if I hadnt been practicing yoga for years, I would have been lost.
Take an actual beginner or basic class- not open level.
Beginner classes go over the fundamentals of yoga and the basic poses that eventually lead into more complex movements.
If youre still feeling nervous, and have a few bucks to spare, ask about a private session.
Jodi Gonzales ofArtYogaWellnesssuggests looking for a Hatha yoga class; these tend to be gentle and beginner-friendly.
This isnt really to suss out the level, but more to get the vibe of the place.
Some instructors are very serious, and others are more laid-back.
If its an event outdoors or in an unconventional space, you may need to bring your own mat.
They wont be offended.)
You dont have to dress in all spandex, but youll want to be comfortable.
Regular workout clothes are fine.
If you wear a loose-fitting t-shirt, it may fall down around your shoulders when you do downward dog.
Just be aware of that.
Dont worry about shoes; youll take them off as soon as you get to the studio.
Yoga classes tend to have a structured beginning, and its not cool to waltz in partway through.
(I was late to a class once and the instructor had locked the front door of the studio.
I had to turn around and go home.)
Since youre there early, youll have time to introduce yourself to the instructor.
If youre in the back, you might look at other students any time you feel lost.
Ask if you need any accessories for the days class, like a strap or a block.
Gather them by your mat.
Then, just sit there until class starts.
Or use the bathroom.
For extra credit, sit up tall and practice deep breathing.
Even if you were to just sit on your mat and breathe for the entire class, thats yoga.
in fact, thats an awesome yoga practice!
The teacher may say Namaste and bow to you; say it and bow right back.
The teacher may ask you to set an intention.
That just means take a second to think about what you hope to get out of the class.
Youll do a bunch of poses, and maybe breathing exercises, or whatever the teacher has in mind.
The last thing is often a relaxation done in savasana, or corpse pose.
Basically, you lie down on the floor and chill out for a while.
Dont be surprised if youre doing this for five minutes or more, maybe with some changes in position.
The whole time, just listen to the instructor and dont worry about what anyone else is doing.
Go at your own pace and work within your own capabilities.
If you liked the class, make plans to come back again!
If youre challenging yourself a little and having fun, youre doing yoga right.
This leads to feelings of fear, embarrassment and lack of confidence.
But in reality, the poses are not and have never been the true goal of yoga.
You dont need balance, flexibility or yoga knowledge to practice.
These attributes are naturally cultivated over time.
The body is simply seen as a doorway into the mind.
As your body opens, so does your capacity for mindfulness.
New students simply need to muster up the courage and dedication to come to their mat and practice.
Brittany Szafran,
Sass Yoga
