Instructions for those who decide to go to their first class.

Welcome to the world of yoga! Please turn off your mobile devices and read the safety instructions. A guide to the first traps on the way to practice is attached.

Unclear motivation

First you need to decide what yoga is for you: just stretching or spiritual practice. If the first, then your road is to a fitness club. There you will get physical training, coupled with stretching to pleasant music.

But if yoga for you is a process of knowing yourself and the world, then it is better to go to specialized studios. They are easily recognizable by the aromas of incense and the images of the god Ganesha at the entrance.

Does not correct - so I'm done

What should be considered when choosing a teacher? How much attention he pays to you. Firstly, if the teacher did not ask about your illnesses and does not emphasize to whom certain asanas are contraindicated, get up and leave.

A good teacher is an annoying teacher. Even the most experienced yogi needs to be corrected. Therefore, teacher comments are required.

I myself know better

No, unfortunately you don't. Believe me, the instructor is not a fool, so if he says that you are doing something wrong, do not ignore his opinion, listen. Any pain in the knees, for example, leads to injury.

Take the position of a student in good faith and trust yourself - but not the one who is smarter than everyone else, but the one who brought you to this studio to this teacher.

Yoga buffet before class

Do not eat before practice - even in a cafe with blissful and wholesome food. Many teachers advise exercising exclusively on an empty stomach. Tea - yes. Everything else is not. A slight feeling of hunger is even welcome. Especially if you are going to Yoga in hammocks.

Live on Instagram

Put your phone on airplane mode. Believe me, the world can live without your control for a couple of hours. Try to honestly give yourself all the time in the class. Disconnect from the information space - connect to yourself, to your feelings. Get a pure experience, free from filters and chasing likes.

Painful or pulling?

Practice should not go like clockwork. Transformations will take place in the body, and this will cause discomfort. But be careful: are you in pain, or are your muscles just pulling? It hurts - immediately get out of the pose - it means that something went wrong.

But if it pulls, then the real work has begun: learn to feel, relax. Do not run away from unpleasant sensations, but be as attentive as possible to them.

false modesty

Comfort is important! Before starting the practice, take care of your convenience. Uncomfortable rug? Put the second one - it will become softer. You know that your knees hurt - grab a couple of pillows in the hall. Under the waist - a roller. You are shivering in Shavasana - take a blanket.

The Triangle Pose does not work - the brick will help. Hands in a twist behind the back do not wind up or the leg does not stretch - the strap will help. Your comfort - your awareness - your successful practice.

Wrong bends

Keep your back straight – twists, balances and power asanas will become safer, and energy will circulate freely, saving you from fatigue. In any asana, except for special backbends like the “Cat Pose”, a straight back is a priority.

And it works not only on the mat, but also while driving, in the office, and on a walk with friends.

A student syndrome

Arching and lying on your back in Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is, of course, great, and in Ushtrasana touching your ankles with your hands is also great. But yoga is not about how to quickly achieve the goal, but about the ability to feel in the process.

Striving for an excellent result and spectacular form is, of course, also a path of self-knowledge. But it is most often laid through trauma. Is it worth the risk?

Hold your breath

For many yoga practitioners, two or three times a week is an opportunity to be alone with yourself, or rather, to think over all plans and problems. Here you are in Chaturanga, and in your head ... a quarterly report, a quarrel with a girlfriend, a dress that you put aside in the store.

This is another path to injury. Learn during practice to switch off from external stimuli and endless savoring of the events of the future and the past. The easiest way is to inhale and exhale.

Leave Savasana

All practice, all sweat is preparation for one of the most difficult asanas - Shavasana. Without it, there will be no integration of the experience that you received. Don't skip it.

Taking this position, you should not indulge in fantasies and visions, get carried away with thoughts. Better lie down and be aware of how every cell of your body, every molecule relaxes.

 

 

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/ashleygalvinyoga/