Have you turned down that one yogi friend a million times, but secretly want to attend a yoga class? Are you worried about not being flexible enough or falling out of a pose? I’ve been there once, too, but now I practice yoga at least five times a week. I want to share some advice I wish someone had given me before I started.
Mindset
You won’t be the most flexible in the class. Some poses will be challenging, and you may have to stop. You might not be able to do a pose at all, or you may have to modify it. There will be people next to you who are more advanced, but that’s okay. The most important thing is that you keep showing up and trying.
Whenever you see someone with a skill you lack, think: I’m not there yet, but someday I will be.
Breathing
Unlike other types of exercise, your movements should sync with your breath. The synchronization makes yoga much easier. In fact, it simplifies all kinds of exercise.
A helpful tip for breathing during a pose or while transitioning between poses is to exhale when moving quickly and inhale when resetting. For example, if you are doing a pushup—or, more likely, chaturanga—exhale as you lower and inhale as you rise back up.
A friendly reminder: if you mess up your breathing pattern, it’s okay. I definitely mess up at least once every practice, and I’ve been doing yoga for a year now.
Poses
There are many poses in yoga. Each one has an English name and a Sanskrit name. More often than not, your instructor will mention both the Sanskrit and the English names. However, you might want to be prepared in case you have a very traditional teacher.
Shavasana/Corpse Pose: Lie flat on your back, and you can genuinely place your hands wherever you like. I prefer to stretch my arms and legs out. You should always conclude your practice with this pose. It provides time to meditate and reflect on your practice comfortably.
Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward-Facing Dog: You’ll likely do this pose several times in each practice. Create a triangle with your hands, hips, and feet as the points. Focus on sending your hips back instead of trying to force your heels onto the floor.
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward-Facing Dog: Keep your hands close to your hips and shrug your shoulders down so they aren’t near your ears. If your pelvis doesn’t touch the ground, that’s okay. Mine certainly doesn’t.
Virabhadrasana 2/Warrior 2: This pose is also a lunge, but your front foot should face forward while your back foot is turned out. Focus on keeping your hips facing the side, not the front. Remember to look over the hand in front of you.
Anjaneyasana/Low Lunge: Unlike Virabhadrasana 1, your back heel will be lifted. Prepare to hold this pose.
Balasana/Child’s Pose: On the floor, spread your knees as far apart as feels comfortable, then sink your hips back toward your heels with your arms extended in front of you. My tip is to keep your big toes touching.
Vinyasa: Flow from plank pose (a high plank) to upward-facing dog, then to downward-facing dog. Many yogis do this through chaturanga. From plank pose, perform a tricep pushup towards the floor, but do not go all the way down. Once your arms are at a 90-degree angle, push up, keeping your hips close to the floor; this is your upward-facing dog. Then, push your hips back into downward-facing dog.
These are definitely not all the poses you’ll hear, but they are the most common.
Before attending a class, you can always do a yoga workout at home to familiarize yourself with the poses. To ensure you get the most accurate practice, I recommend watching hour-long videos, as the yogis who create them are knowledgeable and dedicated.
This might seem like a lot, but you’ll pick it up quickly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most importantly, focus on your own practice. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing or how advanced they are. Do what feels right. Avoid the mistake of pushing yourself so hard that you get injured and never want to do yoga again (I’m definitely not speaking from experience). Take it slow. Be gentle with yourself. You’re already doing a great job.
Featured image via Jaspinder Singh on Unsplash
