Tips For New Yoga Students

I remember my first yoga class like it was yesterday. Luckily I had some experience from doing yoga videos, but I was still nervous. I went to a class at Core Power Yoga, which is a heated studio (98 degrees and humid) and crammed into a room with 50, yes 50 other people. My mat was literally an inch from the people on all sides of me. It was so hard and hot that I spent most of the 90 minute class in child's pose. I anxiously watched as beautiful muscled bodies bent and contorted into these amazing poses. All I could think was what did I get myself into! I felt weak, out of shape and not the least bit relaxed when it was over.

I'm happy to report that despite my intense experience, I didn't let the first, second or third hard class scare me off. I kept going. Something about yoga drew me in. Nine years later I'm still practicing and although I don't do Core Power Yoga anymore, I still love what yoga has to offer. When I first started practicing I did a lot of things wrong and did damage to my body. I honestly wish I knew then what I know now.

If I could go back and talk to myself nine years ago, to let myself know how to safely practice yoga, this is what I would say.

Focus on strength, not stretch: When everyone thinks of yoga, they think of how flexible it makes you. While being flexible is great, being overly flexible isn't. Your bones are connected with ligaments and your tendons connect the muscles to bones. When you over stretch your muscles, the next thing to stretch is your ligaments and tendons. This causes destabilization in your joints, which can lead to pain.

My point, don't have a goal of touching your toes. Have a goal of being able to hold plank or being able to do a forearm balance with a strong core. Don't flop into poses, but find a way to incorporate strength into the pose. If you're really tight, have a balanced practice of strength and stretch. Be smart, if you think you're doing something that is hurting your body, it probably is.

Focus on doing the pose correctly: When you're doing a flow class, especially in power yoga when you move quickly (usually one breath per pose), it's challenging to make sure you're in correct alignment. Over time you keep going into the pose wrong and your body adapts to that. This happens because your muscles have memory and they automatically go to the wrong position because they have done it so many times. This can lead to postural issues and pain.

The yoga teacher won't yell at you if you fall behind in the sequence, so take your time and get into the pose correctly. If you're unsure if you're in it right, ask the teacher, they're happy to help. The most incorrectly done pose is chaturanga. Most new students aren't strong enough to do a push up so their stomach reaches the floor before their chest, this causes damage to the shoulders. If you can't do this pose correctly, you'll need to make adjustments. Also check out your carrying angle, it's essential to healthy shoulders.

Do the yoga breath: There's a lot to learn when you first start yoga. Coordinating the breath with all the poses is kinda like tapping your head and rubbing your belly. The yoga breath is the most important part of yoga. It relaxes the body and mind by engaging the parasympathetic system. A good yoga breath can tone your abdomen and keep your lungs healthy. If you aren't exhaling fully, you leave stale air in your lungs which can lead to illness, especially if you're prone to bronchitis or other lung infections.

When you first start yoga the breath is often an after thought. You tend to hold your breath while doing a difficult pose, which engages your sympathetic system and stresses you out. Make it your primary focus. Why? Well when you're in class and worried that you aren't keeping up or doing the poses right, you may get anxious. The breath calms you and you're more likely to take your time and do the pose right. Believe me, your body will thank you.

Don't be a robot: By this I mean be present in your practice. Don't just do yoga for the workout. In order to get all the benefits of yoga, you need to really do yoga. That means don't think about what you're doing later that night and move through the poses on autopilot. Pay attention to your breath and what your body is doing. Is it weak on one side, do you get pain in certain poses, if you do why?

When we're present in our practice we notice things we otherwise wouldn't. This will prevent you from injury and allow you to make adjustments so your body will get stronger in the proper position rather than in the wrong one.

Being a new yoga student is hard, but don't give up. Find a teacher and class you like and stick with it for at least 10 classes. If you can, find a yoga specifically for beginners or take the easiest class. Don't go big and start with an intermediate or advanced class, you'll only set yourself up for frustration. If you're really uncertain about going to your first class, try some videos. I did videos for two years before my first class. Keep in mind when you see an advanced student doing some amazing pose, that they too were once a beginner. We all have to start somewhere, but if you're mindful and have patience with yourself, yoga will change your life, I guarantee it.