Getting the most from your Yoga Classes
Do arrive early. Getting to class about 10 minutes early can help you settle in and align your attitude with the purpose of the class. While waiting you can practice a pose, stretch, or sit quietly breathe and get centered.
Do let your instructor know of any injuries or conditions that may affect your practice. If you are injured or tired skip poses you can’t or shouldn’t do; or ask the instructor to suggest an easier version.
Don’t bring cell phones or other electronic devices to class. Please leave them in your car.
Don’t apply fragrances before class. So many people have severe allergic reactions to strong smells. Perfume applied in the morning will dissipate by evening and should not pose a problem.
Do be quiet. It’s great to share a class with people you know, but it can be distracting to yourself and others to have an extended loud conversation.
Don’t enter class late. The first few minutes of class are dedicated to transitioning from the outside world, setting the mood, centering, becoming aware of the breath and warming up. By arriving late, not only will you miss out on this necessary transitional period, you will distract the rest of the class.
Do stay until the end of class. It is very disturbing to the rest of the class if you leave during the deep relaxation or meditation. Offer yourself the full experience by being present for the entire class.
Wear comfortable clothing: no jeans, tight belts or large belt buckles. It is best to practice bare foot.
Ideally it is best to practice on an empty stomach. Try not to eat 2~3 hour prior to class. If you are hungry, drink juice or eat a piece of fruit a half hour before practice.
Never struggle or strain to get into a pose. Pushing through tightness can cause injury. It is much more effective to relax tension away with awareness and breath, thus allowing a deeper opening to occur.
Never compete with others or even with yourself. Some days you are more flexible or energetic than others. Listen to your body. Self acceptance and patience offer the quickest, safest route to personal growth. Progress in yoga is not absolute but directional.
To the best of your ability breathe diaphragmatically while holding the posture. Breathing techniques will be covered extensively in class.
In all postures avoid swayback ( the over arching of the lower back). Tuck the tail bone to lengthen the lower spine. If you have restricted range of motion in the shoulders and raising the arms over the head causes you to go swayback, bring your arms down until the spine is straight.
Remember that your neck is part of your spine. Keep it in line with the rest of the spine to avoid compressing the cervical vertebrae or disks.
Avoid twisting the knee. The knee is a hinge joint, made to fold. It does not rotate. In turning the knee in or out, the movement originates from the hip joint.
Keep the shoulders relaxed and the back of the neck extended.
Feel free to come out of posture as soon as you need to. Listen to your body. Strength will come with time and you will be able to hold the posture longer.
If you have hypertension, glaucoma, or chronic sinus problems, do not remain in inverted poses for very long or avoid the them altogether.
Women should avoid inverted postures during menses.
Above all listen to your body. You are the only one who knows if something feels uncomfortable or painful. In yoga we move to the first point of resistance {not pain nor even discomfort}, and we acknowledge the resistance. Using the breath, we lengthen and relax. We then move to the next point of resistance and so on. Pushing through tightness only causes more tension in the muscles. They tense to protect themselves. We do not want to create more tension, we want to relieve it. Respect yourself and listen to the messages that your body is giving you. Flexibility and strength
will come as your practice matures.
What We Do is all about You
We recommend trying different styles of yoga to determine which is most suitable for you. We have shaped and developed our program with our students in mind. We are continually taking suggestions from our students and listening to feedback from a variety of streams. As such we have developed a specialized program, perfect for beginners and those new to yoga