55 (sincere as well as foolish) things that we all wanted to know before our first yoga class

So you are thinking about trying yoga. Or maybe you have already been to a class, you turned around your mat a few times and the studio left: ‘What even wax That? “Chances are that you will feel all the way again when a first -year student and you don’t like it.

We get it.

Yoga will hum you in some ways and elevate you in other ways. There is something kind of alchemistic about the way it works on the body, breath and mind. Although you consider yourself warned, the results are not always what you want, but usually what you need, something that can only be attributed to the magic of the old tradition (and maybe, and maybe, The wisdom of the rolling stones).

Knowing that we all had our reservations before we practiced yoga, the editors of Yoga Journal recently asked everyone we know, including our followers ThreadTo think back of their pre-yoga itself and to share all insights serious or stupid or somewhere in between that would have helped to make the experience a little easier. The comments did not disappoint.

After this, the peculiarities and questions and quizzical things we needed follow. May you benefit from our cringe moments.

55 things we would like to know before we try yoga

Whatever you stop to try yoga, chances are that it will not make an IOTA of a difference. Because yoga doesn’t matter. Swear.

Oh, and one more thing. That fear that you experience? Yoga can help with that. See you on your mat.

1. You do not have to attend the lesson personally to get started. There are a lot of video instruction and books with illustrations.

2. Yoga will change your life on both obvious and subtle.

3. Come in early in class to give yourself the time to establish your mat in front of the class. Your hecticism will rob you of your peace.

4. You don’t have to be flexible to try yoga!

5. Yoga is for every body. Including yours.

6. You are expected to take off your shoes before you concern the lesson.

7. You do not have to wear a tight crop tank. Faded concert-T-shirts are perfectly acceptable! Although, if you wear a loose t-shirt, know that gravity takes over in a downstairs dog and ensures that your shirt hangs around your neck if it is not stopped.)

8. You must wear deodorant.

9. Don’t worry about what someone – students or teachers – think of. Nobody looks at you. They are too busy in themselves.

10. The poses are only one percent of yoga.

11. You will love it so much. Don’t wait that long to try it.

12. If you have a question about a pose, quietly pull the teacher’s attention so that they can walk to your mat or store for after class instead of just screaming.

13. The way a pose feels is much more important than what it looks like.

14. It is sooooo incredibly soothing for your nervous system.

15. If you are sick with a cold head, stay at home with hot yoga.

16. It’s ok to fall out of a pose. Progress in yoga is not in the postures. It is how soft you speak to yourself when you fall out.

17. Rekwisites – such as blocks and belts – are meant to be used! They are tools that support you in the pose. They mean no lack of skills.

18. It’s okay not to do the order exactly as taught. You do not get into trouble and you certainly do not fail in yoga by not following exactly what the instructor says. It is sometimes best to adjust the adjustment or to put the child’s pose in the posture to fall!

19. Washing your leggings by hand usually helps them to last longer.

20. It’s okay if you practice vinyasa or hot yoga for intense training. But make sure that your practice is more than just the training.

21. Wipe your yoga mat at least every few classes. (And no, most expensive mat cleaners with essential oils are not sufficient disinfectant.)

22. You will forget to wipe your yoga mat away.

23. It is not a “one -style fits all” exercise. There are different style of yoga, so if what you try is not for you, there might be another type that will be better with you atmosphere.

24. Wrestling with dogs aimed downwards? It’s okay. We all do it in the beginning. Sometimes good after the beginning.

25. If you overthrow your water bottle during class, it will be loud. Try to avoid this at all costs.

26. You will find parts of yourself that you had forgotten by yoga.

27. Everyone you see on mats around you has or has been a beginner at some point. It is not necessary to be self -conscious.

28. People say they are not flexible enough for yoga. I don’t know anyone who was born ‘flexible enough’ for yoga. That is one of the reasons why we practice.

29. If you are not aware of your breathing, you will not practice yoga.

30. You may feel yoga stoned after class. It is not necessary to worry. But be careful when driving!

31. Only on the shopping after Savasana in the boutique of the studio!

32. After a good class, it can really be a challenge not to forget your water bottle, your keys, your mat or your slippers, let alone on which planet you are. Consider yourself warned.

33. A good yoga mat makes a big difference. After my first two classes I went outside and bought a super grippy mat of $ 85 and my experience changed enormously. I still use it.

34. Yoga is not a competition – with someone else or with yourself. There is no “winning” in Yoga.

35. Listen to your body before listening to your teacher.

36. Your life will change with a normal yoga practice.

37. Breathe through your nose.

38. Not every class is going to turn you into a preteling.

39. It can feel like yoga heals the parts of you that feel broken. That can do it. But it may not be. Don’t let it take the place of the other support you need.

40. Only because you can find a more intense version of a pose does not mean that you should necessarily. You do not have to constantly push your limits to be yoga an effective practice.

41. Yoga is not a version.

42. You do not necessarily have to buy a yoga mat before your first class. With most studios you can borrow or rent one.

43. Some people in the class will know each other and it can be easy to feel excluded. It’s okay to know nobody and perhaps to feel a bit uncomfortable in the beginning.

44. It’s okay to say hello to a stranger on the mat next to you!

45. Your yoga practice does not have to look like something in particular.

46. ​​If you enter the yoga class, roll out your mat quietly. Slam, SLAM, Flop or otherwise, or otherwise your arrival in the classroom by driving your mat on the ground to the ground.

47. There is no “arrival” in Yoga. It is an always evolving practice.

48. If you don’t like the atmosphere of your first class, try another teacher. Or style. Or studio, gym or community center. A lot about Yoga’s experience depends on the delivery system. Give it a second (or perhaps even third) chance.

49. Go to more than just one class in a studios before you are committed to a kind of monthly membership.

50. Only because the teacher looks in your direction does not mean that you have to do something “perfect”.

51. There is no such thing as “perfect” in yoga.

52. It’s okay if you are indecisive about where you should place your yoga mat.

53. Savasana is the best part. Don’t skip it!

54. It doesn’t matter how long it is since your previous class, you can come back.

55. The only thing that no teacher tells you, but that is one of the most essential lessons of yoga? That 72-at-24-inch inch rectangle of natural rubber where you are limited during the classroom is essentially a case study in observing how you get to everything in life. Because how you do yoga is how you do life. You will notice that you tend to respond to a pose to discomfort in the same way as you respond to discomfort in a work situation, a challenging conversation or something that does not go your way. We call that consciousness ‘self -study’. And it starts to happen when you start practicing yoga, whether you are it or not. In fact, that is a bit the point.