Breaking into the yoga scene is difficult. You have to be willing to put yourself out there. Many may equate their first yoga experience to dancing to a song you don’t know, surrounded by strangers.This judgement isn’t necessary,though it is perfectly natural. Remember your reasons for investigating yoga and set the intention to experiment! Building a strong awareness of your body and it relation to your mind and spirit is a beautiful thing. Please don’t let your fear or insecurities stop you from developing every humanizing skill you can.
Yoga is an umbrella term for many practices of meditative movement. There is a wide range of specialties and points of focus. The consistent theme in every form of yoga is the focus of breath attached to specific movements. As you breathe inward you preform a movement and as you breath out you do a different one. This idea of ‘one movement, one breath’ should be the focus of every beginner. After you feel comfortable with the concepts then it will be productive to look into the different types.
Don’t feel bad about starting out in the comfort of your home. It’s important that you feel comfortable as you explore if yoga is right for you. If you find that you enjoy the experience I strongly recommend you go to a studio eventually. Yoga studios can be powerful places of intentions and provide a wealth of information. Once you make the leap to a studio pay attention to how you feel. Does this studio make you feel good? Is it a productive experience? Making a strong personal connection is key to finding YOUR studio. Don’t feel in the least bit crazy for not wanting to be at a certain studio! No one is wrong, it just isn’t for you, and that’s fine.
The video below is a great place for new people to start. The focus isn’t on the technical side but enough attention is paid to the specifics to stop you from hurting yourself. If you can’t reach or bend or bow as far as the instructor take a moment and thank your body for what it can do. Regardless of mental hang ups and judgments, your body is amazing! Do your best and try to have fun.
The one element i found lacking in this twenty minute session is that no intention was set before hand. At my studio this is a common practice. Setting a reason or dedicating your practice to someone or something takes a lot of pressure off yourself. As you don your yoga outfit think about someone who could use some of the positive ju-ju your about to create. As you build yourself relate that experience to the world around you.