Trying yoga for the 1st time

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2004
Trying yoga for the 1st time
13
Mon, 10-25-2004 - 5:24pm
Since I love taking Body Pump so much during lunch, I signed up for yoga at the YMCA on Mondays during lunch in addition. I have never taken yoga before. What should I expect from a beginning class?? (I know NOTHING, so anything you can tell me will help me).

Thanks in advance.

And thanks for this board because I've had a lot more courage to try new foods/workouts since I started visiting here!

~Tara

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Mon, 10-25-2004 - 5:48pm
Be ready to move really slowly!





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 9:55am

don't ask me, i'm a yoga snob!! in my opinion, the chances of the teacher actually teaching real yoga at the Y is minimal. honestly, i have no idea what you can expect because yoga classes can vary so widely. the only thing that is constant is that you will be working barefoot so take that into consideration (in case you want to make sure your toenails are cut or whatever) and you will be using a yoga mat. you might want to check with the Y to see if they have mats or whether you need to bring one. other than that, just be open minded because yoga isn't traditional exercise and the typical gym rat rules don't apply.


hopefully, in a beginning class if the teacher is good he/she will explain the basics of yoga and what it's all about and start you off slowly with manageable poses and exercises.


oh, and not to disrespect jean, but a mirror isn't very helpful in yoga. none of the rooms at my studio have mirrors (and they obviously could have installed them if they wanted to). yoga is about getting in touch with and focusing on what your body is doing - you don't adjust your position by looking at it from the outside, but with proprioreception. the principles of alignment (at least in ansura yoga, which is primarily about alignment) are based on the body's position relative to itself and to the space around it, they aren't visual. a really basic example is "maintain the normal curve of your spine" (which is a proprioreceptive principle) --

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-01-2003
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 10:23am
The first time I tried yoga, I thought it was going to be a bunch of deep breathing and relaxation techniques. Instead, it was a lot of stretching and holding poses that took some strength. I actually broke a sweat my first time! I was also very self-conscious because I didn't/don't have a yoga body. Just go in and relax. Don't be afraid to come out of a pose if it's uncomfortable for you or you can't hold it as long as the rest of the class. Let us know how it goes.
iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2004
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 11:41am
Yeah, that's why I mentioned I was taking a class through the Y and not at a private studio. I would guess there are significant differences, but I think the Y instruction would be suitable for my purposes (just trying it out!)

I didn't know about going barefoot so thanks for the warning! They told me I should bring a mat or a towel. I hate to spend money on a mat before I even try out the class but maybe I can find one at Target or something.

Thanks for the info.

~Tara

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 11:57am

maybe someone you know can lend you a mat. it can be hard to do it without a mat because you tend to slip. if you are signing up for a 6-week class or are definitely taking multiple classes, i'd spring for a mat. you should be about to get one for around $15.


i actually think a faux yoga class (like you often see at a place like the Y) is WORSE for a beginner just trying it out. for one thing i've seen instructors who tell beginners to get in positions that are dangerous for beginners (or even intermediate students!). definitely, do not do anything that you feel may injure you or hurts. don't be shy to just skip a pose completely if you don't have a good feeling about it. i'm concerned that gym yoga classes may be dangerous. at our Y, i've never taken the yoga class but i notice that she teaches with the lights out to the point that when i look in the room, i can't see the participants or what they are doing -- so how can the instructor possibly see what the participants are doing or whether they are doing something dangerous?


plus, it's beginners that need to learn the basic principles of yoga: gym-based instructors will often just demonstrate a pose and expect students to follow - which is fine for more advanced students who already know what they are doing and can apply the principles of yoga to the poses but it doesn't do anything for beginners who are left never learning anything.


hopefully, though, your instructor will be an exception and your class will be great. i'm crossing my fingers for you.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 12:06pm
Interesting, I didn't know that. But, what if your sense of proprioreception is terrible, like mine is? I think I'm doing one thing but when I look in the mirror, I'm not.





iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 12:27pm

it doesn't matter "what's where" so much as it does what you are doing with your body. it's not necessarily going to look a certain way. the teacher can guide you somewhat by looking at what you are doing -- i mean if she says "allow your spine to have its natural curve" and you are seriously extending your lower back, she'll be able to see it and she'll tell you to relax (note that "relax" is a cue about what you are doing, not how it will look like "don't have such a big

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 12:38pm
I guess that's the point of having a good instructor and smaller classes.





Avatar for soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 5:41pm
Harumph. Apparently the fact that I've been doing yoga for approx. 23 years and have done much spouting off on wonders of it doesn't count in your book, eh, Jean? ( ;-> No, I'm not mad - just pulling you leg.)

Although I'm a full fledged yogini I'm not, as Jen calls herself, a yoga snob. I think everyone can benefit from even the loosest variation of yoga as long as it is taught safely & w/ respect. You'll probably be doing a yoga based class w/ a fitness instructor Tara so my number one piece of advice is, "If it hurts, don't do it." When I teach yoga I encourage participants to be conscious of their limitations and work within them, but pushing the boundaries just a bit. Never mind what everyone else is doing, focus on yourself. Think of lengthening the muscles & opening the joints rather than 'stretching' (it sounds like its the same thing but the thought process is different). Don't worry about how the asanas (poses) look but how they feel. My last bit of advice is that if you find it awkward just relax and breathe & know that if you stick w/ it (as long as you've got a good instructor) it will get easier and you will really feel the benefits in your mind and spirit along w/ your body.

Good luck & take care.

Soleilune
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Tue, 10-26-2004 - 6:20pm

Only 23 years?






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