Yoga is a great opportunity to work out your body while relaxing your mind; so, in today’s stressful world, why are you waiting to jump on the bandwagon? If you’re someone who has thought about attending a yoga class but feel as if you can’t do it, we are here to tell you that you can.
Anyone of any age, body shape, or athletic level can attend a yoga for beginners class. To learn some important tips before attending your first class or starting a yoga practice for beginners, then check out our post below.
It’s Okay Not To Jump Right Into An Advance Class
If it’s been years since you’ve been to a class or have never done it before we highly suggest that you don’t jump into anything other than a yoga for beginners class. You may think that yoga is easy and you can participate in a class above beginner, but trust us and just take a beginner’s class to start.
After starting at beginner, you can advance at your own pace. Every yoga class is a judgment-free zone, so no matter your ability you will not be ridiculed or judged.
Know That Yoga More Than a Physical Workout, It Also Workout the Mind
When you see people practising yoga it may look like a bunch of stretches and core exercises. You aren’t wrong, practising yoga regularly will strengthen your core, but there is more at work than the physical aspect of yoga, there’s also the yoga philosophy to guide you while practicing yoga.
Yoga works on the mind as well as the body. When you’re participating in a class you will work on breathing and eventually learn how to let your mind wander. Some even fall into a meditative state when practising.
Yoga pushes you to work on your physical body as well as your spiritual body. This is what makes the fitness routine so popular, you end up working on and improving your entire being.
Before Attending Your First Class, Know What Equipment You Should Bring
If you’re attending a yoga class at a studio you may want to bring a few things other than your body. You should have a mat chosen to give you enough joint support and that is anti-slippage.
Blocks can be brought to classes to help assist or deepen certain poses. Of course, not all yogis use blocks and this is optional.
Most importantly, don’t forget your water bottle. You should keep water next to your mat in case you begin to feel dehydrated, especially if you’re doing hot yoga.
Mats and blocks are usually provided by the yoga studio, so you don’t need to purchase these items if you don’t have them. If you’re taking an online yoga class at home, you don’t really need this equipment unless you think it’s necessary.
Pro Tip – You Don’t Need to Have To Be Very Flexible To Participate In A Yoga Class
A common misconception about yoga is that you must be very athletically fit or very flexible to participate. The reality is that anyone can practice yoga at their own fitness level.
There is this idea about yoga that only rich people in designer work out gear and those who are very flexible can participate. This isn’t true at all. Anyone at any age, body type, or athletic level can practice yoga.
As long as you have an open mind when you go into the class and are aware of what your body can and cannot do, you can practice poses to your ability. After a while you will find that your body will become more flexible and you can eventually upgrade to harder poses.
Talk With Your Instructor Before Class To Ease Your Mind
For your first class, you should show up early and introduce yourself to your instructor. After introducing yourself, you can talk to the instructor about any worries you have.
Usually your instructor will talk to you about what’s planned in that class and ask if you feel comfortable doing everything. If you have any injuries or medical issues you should be informing the instructor. They will then tell you what poses you shouldn’t do so as not to irritate your condition.
Wear the Right Clothes For A More Comfortable Workout
As stated above you don’t need expensive and fancy work out clothes, but you will want to wear the right style of clothes to make your workout enjoyable. For men, baggy tees or form-fitting tees are fine. Keep in mind that if you wear a baggy tee, it might come over your head in some poses.
Women can also wear baggy clothes or form-fitting ones. It’s usually recommended that you wear pants that are easy to move in like leggings. If you wear a baggy tee, it may come above your head when your doing inversion poses such as the downward dog.
You may also want to read this article about what to wear to yoga class.
Keep Yoga Etiquette In Mind When Attending Your First Yoga For Beginners Class
The first point of yoga etiquette we would like to bring to your attention is to arrive to class early. You don’t want to show up late and disrupt someone’s mind space as they fall into a meditative space or their concentration.
If your class is popular and fills up fast, arrive 30 minutes early. Usually arriving 15 minutes early to less popular classes is fine.
The second thing we would like to note is that it’s important to breathe. Those new to yoga and taking their first class sometimes get into the habit of holding their breath. This can actually make performing poses more difficult and can interfere with your ability to relax.
Your yoga instructor will help you practice breathing and let you know when to breathe in and out and to teach you the basic breathing techniques and breathing exercises. You should follow these instructions to become relaxed during your yoga classes.
Remember Child’s Pose If Class Gets A Bit Difficult — It’s Your Secret Weapon
If your body is screaming at you halfway through class or a pose is to difficult for your skill set, there is always the option of going into a child’s pose. When attending a class you should always be listening to what you’re body is trying to tell you.
If your body is in pain or can’t perform a pose then go down into the child’s pose until the hard pose is over. This is an acceptable thing to do and even experienced yogis who have been practising for years sometimes do this.
It’s Okay To Be A Beginner
When attending your first yoga session don’t feel intimidated by what you can and cannot do. Everyone in your class was in your shoes at some point; they worked their body to become more flexible so they can perform any pose that’s thrown at them.
Training your body is a slow process but you will see progress every week if you go to classes regularly. When going into your first class have the mind set of having no expectations.
Don’t go into class and have a list of poses you will want to do. Let the class go where it needs to go and let your body follow at its own ability.
If you do this, we guarantee you will walk away from your first class very impressed with yourself. Clear your mind before every class so you can feel good about the progress you’ve been making.
Remember To Release Tension
If there’s one thing that can make a class difficult for your mental self as well as your physical self, it’s not being able to release tension. Every time you clench your jaw, hands, or toes during a pose you’re making the pose harder.
You will find that as you release tension yoga poses will become easier. Remember to keep your body loose and comfortable for a great class that will feel effortless. You will even find that letting go of stress will help you hold poses for longer than when you’re clenching your body.
Now It’s Time For Your First Class
We have told you the basics of everything you should know before stepping into a yoga studio and onto the yoga mat. From not clenching your body to breathing properly, you should be ready to go to your first yoga for beginners’ class.
We have even given you tips on what to wear, outlined yoga etiquette, and noted how important breathing is when doing your yoga poses. With this guide you will be prepared for any class and feel good after attending, because you will have aced every pose.
If you’re new to yoga then you really should check out the other great articles on our blog including this guide to yoga accessories and 6 of the best yoga poses for flexibility.