Never tried yoga? A little daunted, maybe? Take a breath, relax—we’ve all been there.
Here’s a few things I wish I’d known before I started.
1. You don’t need all the latest gear.
Don’t own any Lululemon tights, not a problem. You don’t need to be fully decked out in brand name yoga pants, matching bra, hair always up in the “messy” bun that never seems to move. Your ability to breathe, stretch and flow will come with practice, and I guarantee you it has nothing to do with your leggings matching your tank.
2. We breathe and stretch for a reason.
Coming from a fitness, weights and training background, it was always “go hard or go home.” I struggled with finding time for stretching and breathing. Learning to better mobilise, balancing and breathe gives me as it can you, a better chance at avoiding injury and preserving your body. Not to mention it’s a perfect chance to clear your mind from the busy chatter, dedicate that 30-45 minutes to focusing on your breath and just BE YOU.
3. Invest in a GOOD mat.
No secret here. Not all yoga mats are created equal. Most people buy at least one crap mat and possibly a slightly better one before they invest in a good quality mat. A quality yoga mat will make all the difference in your down dogs, and avoiding the “oh shit” moment when your hands slip out and you become a broken dog. I started with a cheap mat and spent many classes slowly, awkwardly slipping and gripping willing the teacher to cue us out of down dog and into anything less precarious for my sweaty palms. Spend that extra dollar. Removing the slip and slide effect allows you to fully explore the pose and enjoy it.
4. Try different classes.
It’s easy to get hooked on one class or get turned off of a bad one, but the beauty of yoga is that there’s a range of styles that promote anything from deep stretching to fast-paced sweat-inducing flows. Sometimes that high intensity cardio-like class is too much for where you’re at physically or mentally. Try a slow moving flow and see if that’s what you need. You’ll find your glass slipper class.
5. Don’t try to overdo or push too hard.
One of the key limbs of yoga philosophy is ahimsa: the avoidance of self-harm. What’s more important than binding your arm behind your leg in Extended Warrior 2 is learning the difference between pushing too hard and causing injury versus finding your limit and accepting it. There’s no benefit to cracking out a wheel pose if you end up injuring your lower back and can’t sit down or stand up comfortably for a week.
6. “I’m not flexible, so I can’t do yoga”.
Saying you can’t do yoga because you aren’t flexible is like saying you can't go grocery shopping because you don't have anything in your cupboards. Or your teeth are too dirty to brush.
I struggled to touch my toes in forward fold when I first started. The body is incredible and adapts quickly. Practice, persistence and consistency creates change. Be patient.
7. Invest in ‘Rectangles of Hope’ aka yoga blocks (or use a big as cushion).
You might shy away from doing or trying the splits because your hamstrings and hips are just going to laugh at you, I get that. Remember it doesn’t matter how many blocks you need to prop yourself up, give those challenging poses a go. USE BLOCKS! The poses that you don’t naturally exceed at are the ones you need to attempt at every chance. Ain’t that the truth
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