You have nailed your first week back to yoga and for some new faces it may have been your first ever yoga class! Often after this week, there are lot of thoughts and feelings flying around so here are 3 things to expect from your first yoga class…
1.You will feel every muscle - even the ones you didn’t know you had!
It goes without saying that when we start a new exercise our muscles may feel a little sore the next day, even from a yoga class and you are not alone - 3 weeks off over the festive break and even I was feeling a little tender the next day. So why does this happen? Although we move slowly in yoga, and we do not over exert the body, the positions we hold challenge us to use the whole body, whilst moving slowly with control.
In the short term, a lovely hot bath will help reduce the aches and pains (even better with some salts!) Practicing regularly will reduce the aches, as well as building a strong and a healthy body, however it is important in each class to remain present on your own practice, and try not to compete with your neighbour!
2. You feel like giving up before you have started .
Your first yoga class can feel overwhelming, with new poses, and a lot of new words and names - it can be daunting to remember everything. Over time through our practice we do build new and better understanding of ourselves, however it may take a few classes to understand the basics before you start to flow seamlessly through a class.
Be patient, like all good things, it takes time. Being consistent and practicing some small movements daily will also help!
3. If you can’t do a certain pose don’t stress
Sometimes we fear that we are not good enough for a class as we cannot do the movements, or try to keep up with our neighbour. Yoga is so much more than being able to do a perfect head stand, it is about learning from ourselves, and being present in the moment.
There are adaptations to all yoga poses, and you are encouraged to stay with the variation that feels good for you.
AND if you feel like skipping a pose, that is not working for you, it is perfectly acceptable to skip a pose and take a Childs pose.
