Comments on: ask a yogi: how to begin yoga

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:25:07 +0000

I recently started taking a 60 min Hot Yoga class with my older sister. I just turned 30 and she is turning 42 soon and neither of us regularly exercise. She was able to convince the studio to give us 10 sessions for a TOTAL of $20 (for both of us!) She surprised me with the purchase and told me “by the way Jen, we’re taking a Hot Yoga class tomorrow.” I had nothing on my schedule so I said “um…ok, why not.” We have been going 3 times a week for 2 weeks now and both of us are completely addicted. I have never felt better than after I complete the class and we have our ritual “sit outside on the bench to cool off before she goes home to her husband and 2 kids”. We have both noticed that we can stretch so much further than before we started and that we are gaining more strength and balance with every class. I thoroughly enjoyed my first class but I drank far too much water during and ended up getting pretty nauseous doing the camel pose and had to take a 5 min break and lie down on my mat. I was disappointed that I didn’t do all 26 positions but I made sure to really hydrate well before my second class and I didn’t get nauseous once and participated the entire time! Slowly I am able to do more advanced poses (still not able to do the most advanced version of some of the poses) and it is so rewarding seeing the improvement. I highly recommend Hot Yoga to anyone of any age. Truly a life-changing experience!

By: yogapanda

yogapanda — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:40:46 +0000

Finding a yoga instructor that matches your need makes a big different in your journey into Yoga. Personally, I find it better to start with a studio which has a smaller class size. A yoga instructor who can give you some personal attention would help a big deal.

Never force yourself into any Asana (yoga pose), it’s more important to do the Asana correctly without worrying about the extend. Focus on your breathing (pranayama) and you will find yourself get into the pose sooner or later.

By: callah

callah — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:34:25 +0000

And also- the passport to prana is a great, inexpensive way to test different styles and studios if you live in bigger cities! http://passporttoprana.com/

By: callah

callah — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 01:33:24 +0000

Another good tip is that most studios offer new students great deals- such as the first 1-2 weeks for a great discount, or first class free! That would be a good way to test out different styles as well before committing to a studio!