Making 2014 your year of yoga? Yay! You won’t regret it! Yoga is a workout for your whole being (and no gym membership required). Here are some questions I often get asked about starting out on your yoga journey, I hope it helps – come join us in class, roll out a mat and b-r-e-a-t-h-e 🙂
Q: Yoga…?
Yoga originated in India around 5000 years ago. It is an ancient practice whose meaning has shifted over time – what we understand as yoga in modern society is most usually the postures or poses (‘asana’). Yoga comes from a Sanskrit word which is translated loosely meaning ‘to yoke’ or ‘unite’. Yoga then is the practice through which we unite body, mind and spirit.
Many people think yoga is just about stretching, and whilst stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body. This is done through the poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. We look at the breath and how breathing can aid our stamina in each of the postures.
But yoga isn’t just about the physical; it’s an ancient and scientific system that can lead to greater clarity and harmony in life. Many health and fitness programmes are difficult to maintain because they are rooted in a negative attitude – that you need to be something different from how you are; that you are inadequate and need to ‘fix’ something about yourself. Negativity is a lousy motivator. Yoga however, is non-judging, meeting you exactly where you are, as you are right now. By practicing yoga, we can improve our overall health and wellbeing with a positive and non-forceful approach.
Q: Why do yoga?
Most people start to get strong, get fit, tone up, manage stress, manage pain, to be more flexible, improve posture….and yes, the benefits of yoga can certainly include all of these things and more.
When I started, I dreamt of incredible flexibility and looser hamstrings….but what I didn’t expect was for it to offer me a practice that would extend beyond the mat, beyond the class I attended once a week. It has the capacity to enter your whole life – and that doesn’t necessarily mean giving up all worldly possessions and living in a cave to meditate (although it might!); every breath can be our yoga practice, our homelife, our jobs, the company we keep can become an exercise in awareness. The asana help us to strengthen our body, the pranayama (breathing) becomes our guide to the present moment, each thought a seed for meditation.
…Don’t let all that stuff spook you though! Concentrate on the moves you’re learning and matching movements to your breathing – the rest is yours for the taking, but entirely optional.
Q: What can I expect from a class..?
We start with ‘grounding’ – usually sitting or laying down and taking a few moments to relax and bring our attention to the present moment and to our breath.
We then move on to some warm up movements, and then onto more dynamic asana (poses) – there are always adjustments available, so don’t feel you have to do anything that doesn’t feel right to you – yoga is about listening to your body.
The class finishes with Savasana and relaxation; we allow the work we’ve done in the class to be assimilated into our bodies through full relaxation.
Q: But I’m so inflexible! I could never do yoga…..
All the more reason to come along to class! Yoga isn’t about being flexible, although it can be a lovely side-effect of practicing. It doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes (I couldn’t when I first started), or if you don’t feel ‘bendy’ (I don’t consider myself to be a naturally bendy person either!) – it doesn’t matter how fit you are, what shape or age you are – if you can breathe, you can do yoga.
Q: Am I too old to start yoga?
Certainly not! There is no age-limit and people start at all times of life.
Q: Do I have to be fit to do yoga?
Nope. Practicing yoga can help build strength and fitness from whatever starting point you are at. Take the classes at your own speed – there are always variations and adjustments to make the poses accessible to you; start from where you are and build gently from there.
Q: What do I wear?
Something comfortable you can move easily in, tracksuit bottoms or leggings are ideal. It’s a good idea to layer up – a vest or t-shirt along with a jumper so that you can cool down and warm up at different parts of the class.
Q: What should I wear on my feet?
I always, always recommend practicing with bare feet. It helps you grip the mat, spread the toes, stops you from slipping, and helps you feel grounded and connected to the earth. Release your feet! I promise I don’t care what your pedicure looks like! I do care about your alignment, that’s what I’ll be looking for.
However, bring some socks with you for the relaxation part of the class to keep your toes warm 🙂
Q: Is yoga just for women..?
Absolutely not! Yoga is truly for every body. And let’s be clear: yoga does not make you dainty or feminine – it makes you strong and durable. Many ‘male orientated’ sports and activities, weight lifting, contact sports, etc, leave muscle fibres tight and shortened, leading to reduced flexibility. Yoga tones muscles, increases flexibility and range of motion, all of which helps to increase muscular endurance – which in turn helps you to lift heavier weights, run faster (and longer), with less chance of injury. Whether you’re trying yoga to compliment your training regime, or as a new way to exercise, you’ll find that the benefits – body and mind – extend far beyond gender.
Q: I don’t have a mat…?
No problem, I have lots of mats available in classes, so don’t feel you have to go out and buy your own. If you already have a mat, feel free to bring it along!
Q: Is yoga a religion?
No. Yoga asks no pledge of allegiance, nor does it exclude anyone, of any walk of life or religious belief. However, for many yogis, yoga can become a spiritual practice as much as a physical one. For me, yoga has a spiritual element that offers us the opportunity to realise our own uniqueness, our personal divinity. It doesn’t offer an external god or gods to worship, rather, if at all, it opens us up to the godliness inherent in ourselves.
Nor is yoga a cult or a fad or new-agey nonsense – there’s a reason it’s been around so long! Yoga gets us back to basics – what is real, what we have, who we are, right now.
Q: I’ve no one to come to class with….?
Whether you come alone or with friends, you’re always very welcome in our classes. You don’t need a partner or a group – come and be part of our yoga community!
New beginners 8 week course starting Tuesday 28th January (12-1pm @ Selby Osteopaths Studio) – come along and discover yoga for yourself! Contact me to reserve your place!
Love & light,
lucyogini xoxo
