Joining yoga classes for the first time? Do not panic or do not feel nervous. Every person in the class had once been the first-time yoga practitioner.
Of course, you may have several questions crossing your mind regarding what to wear, what to carry with you, would you need any special thing, what kind of people will be surrounding you, whether you will mix up with them or will face troubles, or there may be many more. The practice may be a little frightening, yet very fun.
All you need is to avoid unnecessary thinking, and feel determined for practicing yoga and take care of little things.
Here are some helpful hints to prepare you for your yoga classes:
What to wear:
Well, it may seem like a no tricky question, but it indeed is a matter of concern. You may put on your shorts but it may show a little too much. You need to focus primarily on your comfort level while practicing asana. Keep your attire comfortable and close-fitting. Well-fitted clothing shows your forms to the instructors and allows him or her to help you do it right. Also, it stays put during the bending asanas, stretching or twisting that you will be practicing during the session. Depending on the temperature, you should also wear layers that you can remove after muscles get warmed up. Long-sleeve t-shirt may make a good choice. Also, you should come clean feet wearing clean socks as yoga asana has to be practiced barefooted.
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What you need to bring along:
You should always keep prepared with the essential things that you may need during sessions. You may need to bring a mat, or rent it. Some yoga centres asks you to bring your own mat whereas some provide you the facility at a very little fee. Also, you need to bring a towel, even face towel would work. A feeling of sweat trickling down your face and body may seem overwhelming.
Water – you can’t live without a bottle of water. Excessive sweating can lead to dehydration, and you will need to rehydrate yourself.
An open mind is what you need also. You may find yourself twisted or doing breathing techniques that are too difficult or a little weird, but must for your body.
Your diet plan:
This is a major area of concern when you begin with the practice. You need not to make big changes to your daily dietary habits. The only rule of thumb is not to eat one hour before or after class. This is because as your stomach is busy with the digestion of consumed food, it may not feel comfortable doing some poses. Especially vinyasa classes include a lot of twists and stimulate the digestive system, which may often embarrass you while doing the poses.
Stay mentally prepared for a few things:
You may at times find yourself surrounded with heat and humidity. Some of the yoga poses demands high temperature conditions – even 95 degrees, which gets even hotter as the session progresses. Many centres also use humidifiers as if you are using a sauna, but it is to open up your body more quickly. So you need to be prepared to face this kind of ambience.
Do not expect boring sessions:
If you think you will have to spend time in a boring environment, then you are completely wrong. Yoga trainers are the happiest people on the earth. They are mentally sound, polite, and welcome their students with a big smile and a big hug. Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious that everyone in the class inherits. Once you make your way there, you will find that every class brings a celebration.
Stay prepared to work harder:
Only hard work is not enough – yoga is not only about stretching. It is about balancing, stretching, twisting and stabilising. You may need to jump upside down. Well some classes may be slower than others but some require high energy and you may feel as if you had your butt kicked a little.
Breathing techniques:
Breathing is not just breathing in oxygen or breathing out carbon dioxide. Yoga is a all about how you breathe – various techniques around breathing that has effect on your body, mind and spirit. Sometimes you may find yourself unbalanced in a pose and also anxious, but you have to maintain your breathe and you will get it perfectly fine. Yoga teaches you some great breathing techniques that can balance your heart rate in any situation.
A session of relaxation:
You should take this class as a session of relaxation. If you are a part of Vinyasa style yoga class, you have to work hard to stretch your muscles that can warm your body. When you take yourself out of that process, you find your muscles sensing relaxation.
Keep your instructor informed of your health conditions, if any:
If you have decided to take yoga classes despite some of your health conditions, it is best to keep your instructor informed of your conditions. This is useful for both you and your yoga teacher. Doing so would allow your instructor to suggest modifications for some yoga poses and help you avail benefits.