Do you think Yoga is NOT for you?

So did I.    I thought yoga was people sitting still with their eyes shut and chanting or something. Are you nervous about trying a Yoga class?   I certainly was.   I even wrote a blog about my first yoga class.    I’m going thru recovery now after a medical procedure, but I will definitely be attending more yoga classes when I have the doctor clearance to do so.   Why?   I think it helps with my Pilates practice (see Carey’s blog about this) and with the things that are happening in my life right now, I need all the mindful movement I can get!    I did some research about starting a yoga practice, and I thought maybe it would help others who might share the stereotypes I had.  I found these three tips written by Brooke on YogaTravelTree.com, and I wish someone had told me these before my first yoga class!

• Be gentle with yourself. Like anything new, you’re not likely to be a master the first several times you attempt a posture or a class. Yoga is not a one-time experience; it’s a path, a journey. You’ll grow and improve as you keep going back for more.
• Yoga is not a competition. Do not compare yourself to other people in the room. That girl who can put her foot behind her head while balancing her entire body on her forearms is not your competition. You have no idea if she was a gymnast back in the day, if she’s been practicing for 25 years, and/or just blessed with insanely flexible hips. You only need to focus on where you are on your mat in that moment.
• Yoga is an individual experience. While a class might have 10 people in it all breathing in unison, it’s still just you and your mat. It’s probably the one hour where it’s not only acceptable, but EXPECTED, that you be completely focused on yourself. Indulge in that.

Don’t be like me.   I had judged the benefits of yoga based on one class that I had taken 10 years ago. I have no idea if I went into that class open to learning yoga or not.   I know, I had a completely different experience when I tried a yoga class at Rivercity Pilates.   Get out there and give yoga a try!