What to Expect at Your First Yoga Class
If you’ve never practiced yoga before, the thought of attending your first yoga class can be a bit daunting. Here are some suggestions about how to prepare and what to expect.
Choose a beginners class or course
It might seem obvious, but even if you are fit and healthy it’s generally best to start with a beginner class rather than diving in to an intermediate or advanced class. This will give you time to learn the postures at a slower pace with lots of instruction to avoid misalignment and possible injury, as well as getting used to the use of the breath, structure of the class, and the language of yoga which can seem a little strange to start with.
You do not need a high level of fitness for hatha yoga, however you do need a basic level of mobility and core stability. You must be able to get up and down from the floor in order to participate in a general beginners class. (If you cannot, you may wish to discuss private, one-on-one classes in order to reach that point.)
Preparing for your first class
Arrive at least 10 minutes early so as you can find a space and advise your teacher about any concerns or injuries. There’s nothing more counter-productive than arriving late and stressed to a yoga class!
Don’t eat for at least an hour or two prior to class. Yoga is best practiced on any empty stomach. While beginner classes will be gentle, you may find it uncomfortable to have eaten prior to class.
Wear stretchy or loose-fitting clothes suitable for exercise. Yoga is done in bare feet, so wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off, and if you have long hair, tie it up.
While there are a couple of spare mats available, we recommend you have your own yoga mat. If you are shopping for your first mat, be sure to select a yoga mat and not a pilates mat. Yoga mats are thinner and have better grip.
If the weather is cool you may wish to bring a shawl or light blanket for the relaxation session. If it is warm, a bottle of water is a good idea.
Structure of a Yoga Indra class
Classes will tend to follow a similar general structure each week, though within this structure different exercises will be introduced to explore different parts of the breath and the body. Classes last approximately 75 minutes and follow this basic outline:
- A supine (lying) relaxation and gentle breathing exercise
- Supine stretches and twists
- Seated and kneeling releases
- Standing strength
- Standing balance and postural awareness
- Seated/supine final release or counter-pose
- Guided relaxation and breathing exercise
- Final mantra (Om)
At Yoga Indra we practice traditional hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is one of the original ‘mother’ forms of yoga. It is a gentle yet powerful form of yoga, which emphasises the body, mind, breath connection. Hatha represents opposing energies: hot and cold (fire and water, following similar concept to yin-yang), male and female, positive and negative. Hatha yoga attempts to balance mind and body through physical postures (or asanas), purification practices, controlled breathing, and the calming of the mind through relaxation and meditation. Asanas teach poise, balance and strength and are practised to improve the body’s physical health and clear the mind in preparation for meditation. The mantra ‘om’ may feel a little awkward to start with, and while its spiritual overtones make some students uncomfortable, there are physical and emotional benefits to the use of voice and sound vibration as part of your yoga practice. In keeping with the tradition of yoga, there will be some use of Sanskrit names for postures during class, but the English translations will be mainly used.
The benefits of yoga
Regular yoga practice has a range of benefits, both physical and mental. It can improve a person’s posture, muscle tone, flexibility and general range of movement. Yoga postures also stimulate the endocrine system, releasing hidden reserves of energy and feel-good hormones. Yoga improves circulation helping to flush toxins from the body, supporting the functioning of the major organs and immune system by removing waste products from the cells more quickly. As with most forms of exercise, yoga helps to support a healthy cardiovascular system and strengthen the skeletal and muscular structures, often providing relief from back pain and joint problems. In addition, yoga helps us learn to manage the way we respond to stress and moderate the effects that ongoing stress has on our physical body. Combined with effect yoga has on our hormonal system, yoga also helps us develop our powers of concentration and mindfulness, using aspects of breath, postures and visualisation students learn to calm the mind and direct the thoughts. As we develop these skills we can learn to extend them to other aspects of our life, both to manage negative stress and to improve focus and clarity for enhanced performance.
Challenges
It is important to remember that yoga is a non-competitive practice. Your own body should be your guide to how deep you go into a pose and how long you hold it. Through regular practice you will certainly see changes and improvements, however, each of our bodies is built differently and for some people, there are structural limitations for certain postures that no amount of practice will ever overcome.
It is common for students (especially women) who are not currently exercising regularly to experience some soreness in the wrists. This is mostly a matter of strength-building through practice and will develop relatively quickly. Ankles are another common area of weakness where strength will build quite quickly with a sensible approach to your practice.
For many people, the main challenge is hamstring tightness. It is important to listen to your body and work within your limits to avoid injury while gaining the benefits of slowly lengthening and loosening this area.
The other common area of restriction is the hips. Yoga focuses quite extensively on hip opening and you will certainly feel benefits over time if this is your area of challenge, provided of course that you practice sensibly to avoid injury.
The instructor will offer options for some of the more challenging postures. Ensure that you take the option that works for your body as you build up gradually to the full posture over the course of time. You can also discuss any individual concerns with the teacher prior to or after the class.
After your class
If you aren’t currently exercising you may experience some muscle soreness on the day after your first few classes. This is a positive sign! As long as it resolves itself after 3 or 4 days it is an indication that you are improving your muscle tone.
You can support the detoxing benefits of yoga with a good drink of water after class. This is particularly important in hot weather to maintain hydration. Even better in cool weather is a glass of hot water with a squeeze of lemon and a spoon of honey. This tonic acts as a blood purifier to clear the liver. Fresh lemon juice restores the pH level in the body, cleanses the system and provides important nutrients like Vitamin C, riboflavin and Vitamin B. The honey not only improves the taste, it has antibacterial and antioxidant properties and contains natural sugars which are easily digested to help restore energy.
One of the greatest benefits of yoga is relaxation. If you are able to avoid excessive stimulation after your class you should find that the quality of your sleep is improved.
Regular practice will reap benefits
Yoga is called a ‘practice’ for a reason! It requires ongoing practise in order to reap the benefits, and it’s amazing how quickly your body will begin to respond! You will certainly feel improvement with a weekly class, but if you can make two classes a week you will feel a marked difference in a short period of time.
