How to Choose an Appropriate Yoga Class

Choosing a yoga class can be intimidating. This guide will give you the basic information required to choose wisely.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Good knowledge of your own level of health.
• Comfortable clothing.

1. Decide why you want to practice yoga. Do you want to get in shape? Lose weight? Follow a spiritual path? Make new friends? Increase flexibility? Improve your mind-body connection? Just try something new? Different styles of yoga will place more or less emphasis on different benefits, so knowing your intentions empowers your decision.

2. Be real about your level of mental and physical health. Has it been years since you thought about touching your toes, years since you've SEEN your toes, or do you do forward bends every day? If you have any doubts, check with a doctor before joining a class. Remember, the objective is to creat balance, not imbalance, in your life.

3. Search for and research several styles of yoga which resonate with you. These days, there is a style of yoga for every style of person: Anusara (heart-centered), Kundalini (works with energy and meditation), Ashtanga (vigorous, athletic), Classical Hatha (long pose holds, slow transitions), Vinyasa (links movement with breath, a more modern and intermediate style), Iyengar (emphasizes alignment), AcroYoga (partner flying yoga!), Tripsichore (advanced vinyasa and yoga-based dance), Power Yoga (slightly heated room with challenging vinyasa), Bikram (classical hatha in extremely heated room), Viniyoga (slow, gentle, therapeutic yoga), Yin yoga (relaxes connective tissue), Forrest (vigorous, challenging combination of vinyasa and classical hatha forms) and Kripalu (eastern-style yoga for the western body-mind) just to name a few!
   
   You will also encounter local teachers and studios who have studied elsewhere and created their own personal style. This has nothing to do with the quality of the yoga! A teacher may be an RYT-200 or RYT-500 (Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance), but this does not guarantee quality, and some of the best teachers out there are NOT registered, so don't let this be the deciding factor.

4. Find out which styles are available in your local area and choose three different ones which appeal to you. Visit a beginner's class in each of these three styles, and explain to the teacher why you are there. Be sure to tell him or her about any injuries or illnesses you may have.

5. Be gentle with yourself as you learn, and notice how you feel during and after each class. You may be sore if you did deep muscle building or stretching, but do you also feel more relaxed and limber, or do you feel depleted and tired? Did you feel safe to go at your own pace in the class, or did you feel pushed to go beyond your safe limit? Sometimes the answers to these questions are a commentary on the quality of the class itself, or on your presence in the class, but just as often they simply reflect your compatability with that style of yoga.

6. Keep trying beginner-level classes in the styles which interest you until you've found a yoga "home"...and then practice to your heart's delight!

Tips & Warnings

• Most studios have yoga mats and props available, so see if you can use the studio's before investing in your own.
• ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! Don't be shy before, after, or during a class. A good teacher can either answer your question or direct you to a resource that can.
• Trust yourself first. You know your body and mind better than anyone, and the first priority in any class is that you feel safe.
• Avoid injury by pushing yourself to just UNDER your limit rather than "maxing out" with what you can do.
• Even if you are very fit, try a beginner's class or an alignment class first in order to get a strong foundation in the poses before trying something more advanced. Remember, you can practice advanced mindfulness no matter what you are doing with your body.

[pineshadows]

on 10/26/2009 Great advice. This really helps!