10 guidelines to start practicing Yoga

People often people ask me how to start practicing Yoga. Here are 10 ideas to keep in mind after you decide to start doing Yoga:

1. Find a Yoga class at a convenient time and location.
It is perfectly fine to try different studios and teachers. Sometimes it may take a couple of classes to find a class that is right for you. If the class is out of the way or at an inconvenient time, it might be difficult to find the time to go to class.

2. Take beginning level classes.
The beginning level classes allow you to build a strong foundation. Many studios offer introductory yoga workshops and classes. This is essential, even if you are in good shape, because the beginning classes give you the opportunity to learn the basic vocabulary of Yoga and to become acquainted with sound guiding principles for your practice.

3. Be patient.
Allow your learning to unfold at its own pace. Sometimes we want to see quick results for our efforts. Bringing this mindset to Yoga may prompt you to go beyond your level of ability. Instead, remember that you have the rest of your life to practice Yoga. Work at a pace that is perfect for you.

4. Do not compete with yourself or with others in the class.
In the U.S., we live in a very competitive and achievement-oriented society. To please our ego, sometimes we try to compete with ourselves or with others in class. This competitiveness can result in injuries as we try to do more than we can. Yoga is about self knowledge, so there is no room for competition. Actually, competing with ourselves, or with others, interferes with our capacity to be fully present in the practice.

5. Enjoy being a beginner
People who have practiced yoga before may assume that they know the pose, which can result in a mechanical practice. Being new to Yoga gives you great advantages: First, you have no preconceived notions about the practice, which makes it easy to be open and pay attention to what is happening. Second, you have not developed bad habits. Moreover, in the book Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, David Coulter argues that the quality of our attention within the body determines if our practice is advanced Yoga or beginning Yoga. Thus, focus your attention on the practice and let the practice grow with your ability to focus.

6. Do not go into pain
Yoga is not about pain. As we said before Yoga is about integrating breath, body and mind. Always pay attention to how you feel before performing a pose, as you move into the pose and after the pose. At the first sign of resistance (mental, physical, respiratory), stop, back off a bit, normalize your breath and observe what is happening. As you become more comfortable in the pose you might be able to explore the source of resistance. Whatever you do, do not go into pain.

7. Breathe continuously.
The breath is the main axis for Yoga practice. Because the breath exists only in the present moment, attention to the breath brings your awareness to the practice. Use the breath as a focusing device by checking that you are breathing through your nose with smooth and even breath throughout the whole practice. This might be more challenging that you expect!

8. Take a break whenever you need to.
It is perfectly fine to stop when we need to stop. Remember that being present includes resting when we need to. A good pose to take a break is child’s pose. Besides, we have the rest of our life to practice Yoga!

9. Be responsible.
Awareness is a key component of Yoga practice. Remember that you are responsible for your actions. So, it is up to you to determine if the activities offered by the teacher are appropriate for you. By doing this, you are preparing for developing your personal practice.

10. Notice the effects.
Throughout the day, notice the effects of your Yoga practice, enjoy how you feel. If you feel better after practicing Yoga, use this feeling as a strong motivation to practice again.

I hpe these ideas are helpful to you as you decide to start practicing Yoga.
Next time, we’ll have an example of a simple 5 minute practice.

Namaste.