I love telling people about yoga. Here’s a quick list of the most common questions I hear.
| Q: Do you have to be flexible? I’m not very flexible. | A: Flexibility is NOT a prerequisite to yoga. Flexibility isn’t even a goal. Flexibility is a wonderful side effect of practicing asana. |
| Q: Will it conflict with my religion? | A: Yoga isn’t a religion; it’s a philosophy for living. I was born and raised Catholic, attended Catholic school from 1st to 8th grade then a Christian high school, and went to mass most mornings before school. Nothing I’ve encountered in yoga contradicts or rejects any other religions. Yoga originated in India, where Hinduism is the dominant religion. Many yoga poses, such as Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose) and Garudasana (Eagle Pose), are inspired by Hindu deities. Additionally, many poses are named after animals such as cobra or fish. |
| Q: I’m too fat, weak, slow, out of shape, old etc. | A: If you’re going to do any kind of activity why not pick something that is gentle? Beginner classes focus on beginner students with beginner poses. It’s built FOR beginners. Restorative Yoga is one of my specialties. The entire class is laying down. Laying down in a twist, laying down in a hip stretch or laying down in a shoulder stretch. I sometimes refer to Restorative Yoga as Level ZERO. |
| Q: I heard there’s push-ups in yoga. I can’t do a push up. | A: Much to my horror I discovered there were pushups in yoga (not all classes!) and I couldn’t do a single pushup. Good. Pushups are 100% optional. Remember you’re supposed to be kind, so don’t do it if it doesn’t feel kind. If you want to do a pushup here’s the secret: holding plank with knees down for 10 seconds is equal to 1 down motion (going from plank to gently resting on the floor in a controlled descent) 10 controlled downs is equal to 1 pushup with knees down. 10 pushups with knees down is equal to 10 seconds in plank with legs straight 10 seconds is plank with legs straight is equal to 1 pushup Took me about 2 months to get strong enough do a few pushups. |
Really the only prerequisite I ask of my yoga students is to have an open mind and commit to being kind for the class.
How to prepare for a yoga class:
- Shower, brush your teeth and deodorant. I suggest AVOIDING antiperspirant/deodorant products. Allow your body to sweat, but don’t stink. Bring extra bath towels and hand towels.
- Drink lots of water throughout the day instead of right before class.
- If you think you’ll be hungry a yogurt, granola bar or fruit is fine for a burst of energy. Allow 30-60min before class starts. A bottle of sugary drink, fruit juice, sweet tea is fine, just small amounts with lots of water.
- Clothes that you can move in. For ladies its usually yoga pants or shorts, sports bra and tshirt. For men sweatpants or shorts and tshirt. For everyone I suggest a hoodie extra layer. If you sweat you can put on your hoodie to be warm for the last part of class.
What do do during a yoga class:
- Be kind to yourself. Be kind to you knees. Be kind to your spine. Be kind to your body. Be kind to your breathing. Be kind to your emotions that come up during class.
- Ask questions if you don’t understand.
- Ask for alternatives if something doesn’t feel right.
- Ask for help if you need help.
- It’s okay to say you don’t want to be touched. I do touch students to correct form, especially if something looks uncomfortable.
- Take a break if you need to drink some water or catch your breath. You can quietly sit and sip of water. You can lay down if you overheat or get out of breath. I’ll definitely notice and will probably check on you. If you need to use the restroom quietly go and come back.
After class for as long as possible:
- Help with cleanup by wiping down and putting away all the props you used.
- Drink water.
- Take a long bath.
- Rest.
- Be curious about Yoga.