Yoga is not only an extremely popular form of exercise, but
depending on the form you practice, can be exciting or calming,
social or meditative, energizing or relaxing. No matter which of
these best describes your yoga class, here are a few tips to
help you get the most out of every class you attend.
* Go to yoga class with an empty stomach. Yoga is full bending,
twisting, lengthening, stretching, and strength moves. Eating a
big dinner before that kind of movement could result in you
cramping up or feeling nauseous and having to leave the class or
not participate as fully as you'd like.
* Communicate with your yoga instructor. If you have a bad back
or a sprained ankle, let your instructor know before class. She
or he will offer you adjusted versions of poses or give you a
nod when you should skip a pose that could make your condition
worse.
* Leave your cell phones and pagers outside. Don't just put them
on silent mode, but literally keep them in the car. This is not
only a favor to your classmates and their focus, but your mind
should be focused only on yoga and not concerned with whether
not someone is trying to contact you about work or spilled juice
on the living room carpet.
* Don't be late and don't leave early. This disrupts the
instructor's train of thought and the concentration of others in
the class. Also, you certainly won't get everything you can out
of your hour if your hour is cut to 50 minutes before you've
even begun.
* Be respectful of others in the class. This means keeping your
voice down when you talk to others and in general, keeping
conversation to a minimum. Bring your own towel or yoga mat if
you need to and make sure that you are clean and not wearing any
perfumes or strong scents. If props are used, make sure that you
put yours away when you're finished and by all means, leave them
there for the next class.
About the author:
Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino,
California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines
and provides yoga tips on
www.your-yoga-resource.c
om.