If you prefer to try out some yoga at home before shelling out the bucks and travel time for class, find yourself a quiet room where you can have some solitude. It is preferably to use an uncarpeted floor, as thick carpeting can affect your balance. Lay out a sticky mat or a large towel for slight cushioning.
You may have heard that yoga positions and movements have funky new age names like "turtle greeting rock" and "tree growing toward sun." Yes, there are some fun names, but that's part of the fun of yoga!
The "sun salutation," which we are about to teach you, is the standard opening series in a yoga class. It wakes up your mind and body, and prepares you for upcoming postures. Think of it as a moving mediation rather than exercise. With each breath, in and out, try to imagine yourself relaxing. This is your time for yourself. Be sure to focus on the breathing here; it makes all the difference between calisthenics and relaxation.
( bottom fig to top )
Each teacher has his/her own style. Some are playful, some are serious. Some place more importance on hands-on corrections than others. If you are not comfortable being corrected, speak up. It's your body, and you are not getting a grade in class, so always let the teacher know if you do not want to be touched, or if his/her readjustment is hurting.
1. Stand at the top of your mat (or towel) with your feet together and your hand in prayer position in front of your chest.
2. Breathing in, arch your back slowly, extending your arms above your head and stretching your spine (interlocking your thumbs if you so choose).
3. Breathing out, bend over, touching your toes if possible.
4. Breathe in, look up, bend your left knee and place your left foot in front as if you are lunging forward, and send your right leg behind you, knee resting on floor.
5. Keeping the breath in, move into a push-up pose, with your head and hips off the floor.
6. Exhale, bend your elbows, and lower your chin (or forehead, optional), chest and knees to the floor, keeping the butt in the air and stomach off the floor.
7. Inhale, slide your chest forward as you arch your back and slightly bend the elbows. This is called the "Cobra."
8. Exhale as you fold your body forward and lift up on your heels, forming a V-shape with your body (feet on floor, bottom up, head down, hands down).
9. Inhaling, lunge forward with your right foot, sending the left foot back with knee on floor, and head tilting up.
10. Exhaling, bring left foot up to meet right, standing up and bending forward, trying to touch head to knee (don't worry about how far you go; just fold over so it feels good).
11. Inhaling, feet together, lean back, stretching your arms behind you.
12. Exhale, come back to center with arms at your sides.
13. Repeat 5-7 times for a good warmup, alternating which leg you send forward first.
2. Breathing in, arch your back slowly, extending your arms above your head and stretching your spine (interlocking your thumbs if you so choose).
3. Breathing out, bend over, touching your toes if possible.
4. Breathe in, look up, bend your left knee and place your left foot in front as if you are lunging forward, and send your right leg behind you, knee resting on floor.
5. Keeping the breath in, move into a push-up pose, with your head and hips off the floor.
6. Exhale, bend your elbows, and lower your chin (or forehead, optional), chest and knees to the floor, keeping the butt in the air and stomach off the floor.
7. Inhale, slide your chest forward as you arch your back and slightly bend the elbows. This is called the "Cobra."
8. Exhale as you fold your body forward and lift up on your heels, forming a V-shape with your body (feet on floor, bottom up, head down, hands down).
9. Inhaling, lunge forward with your right foot, sending the left foot back with knee on floor, and head tilting up.
10. Exhaling, bring left foot up to meet right, standing up and bending forward, trying to touch head to knee (don't worry about how far you go; just fold over so it feels good).
11. Inhaling, feet together, lean back, stretching your arms behind you.
12. Exhale, come back to center with arms at your sides.
13. Repeat 5-7 times for a good warmup, alternating which leg you send forward first.
Proper yoga class etiquette is pretty obvious: Turn off your cell phone before entering the room or else everyone will hate you and you will never be welcome in class again. Also, wear clothes that are loose-fitting enough so if you need to do a split, your pants won't rip, and make sure to wear shorts that stick to your body enough so that you won't, um, embarrass yourself in certain positions (this cannot be undervalued). Wear tops that can be tucked in (or sports bras, for women, or men, hey, whatever makes you feel good) so that if you do an inversion (headstand, etc.) your shirt will not float over your head.
i recommend you bring a handkerchief (certain breathing exercises might make you want to blow your nose), and some water in a bottle. If you are taking a Power yoga class, make sure to wear as little as possible, as you are certain to feel heated up within minutes.
Do not wear shoes or socks (the better to center yourself and feel the "earth" beneath), and try to not have stinky feet. Do not eat for at least and hour and a half before class, or you may regret it. And if you have long hair, tie it back or it will fall in your face and blind you, and you will spend the whole class falling down.
Do not wear shoes or socks (the better to center yourself and feel the "earth" beneath), and try to not have stinky feet. Do not eat for at least and hour and a half before class, or you may regret it. And if you have long hair, tie it back or it will fall in your face and blind you, and you will spend the whole class falling down.
Each teacher has his/her own style. Some are playful, some are serious. Some place more importance on hands-on corrections than others. If you are not comfortable being corrected, speak up. It's your body, and you are not getting a grade in class, so always let the teacher know if you do not want to be touched, or if his/her readjustment is hurting.
If you are new to class, it can be helpful to not sit in the front row. This way you can watch other students if you are unsure what the teacher is talking about. Still, don't sit so far back that the teacher might not notice to correct you
Many teachers offer private lessons, so feel free to ask if you want one-on-one attention or if there's some pose you feel you just can't "get." With the right amount of dedication, it is all within your reach. So, consider yourself having taken the first step toward flexibility, strength, inner peace, and -- we hope -- some kick-ass karma. Now get thee to a yoga class.
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