There are many things you should and should not do before stepping into a yoga class. Here are some helpful tips for those new to yoga on what do for your first class.
First, fast at least 1 hour prior to class, but 4 hours is best. When you begin to do twisting poses after a heavy meal, you WILL feel nauseated and acidy. Try to evacuate before class if possible.
Secondly, try to be at least 5-10 minutes early to class. This will allow you to tell your instructor about any injuries that may affect your practice. You can also get a good spot in class and get the props you like if you are early.
Third, avoid heavy perfumes. Being next to someone who is heavily scented is like being in a gas chamber while doing asanas. Most will agree even being next to someone who has bad BO is better than someone who is trying to cover that BO with eau d'toilet. If you are concerned about how you smell, take a shower before class.
Fourth, if you are going to bring a cell phone--turn it off! It is best to leave it in your car if you drive to class as many phones have a ringer silencer, but still ring when you get a text.
The fifth is for women. If you are menstruating, it is best to simply tell your instructor at the beginning of class these magic words: "I am not going upside down today." That will give the instructor a heads up on how to give you alternative poses when taking the class into inversions.
Fifth, please don't talk to your buddy in class while in session. It makes me feel un-yogic to treat adults like children by having to separate them in class.
Lastly, avoid all the yoga drama. Don't breathe loudly unless asked, or OM indiscriminatly. If you want to see how ridiculous this is, please view "The Inappropriate Yoga Guy."
Peace Within,
Yogiromero
How can you avoid heavy breathing if poses are challenging..
ReplyDeleteGreat question! I am referring to the "dramatic" ujjayi breathing which comes from many students from the Yoga Fit Flow (TM) style classes. These are the people in Tadasana you can hear across the room, like they are trying to psych you out with their breathing capacity.(See Odgen in cobra pose hissing like a snake.)
ReplyDeleteToday I was doing Urdvha Danurasana and I was breathing heavy, but trying to do it with control. As you know the sutra, Sthira Sukham Asanam, do the pose to your capacity where you are steady and happy, not huffing and puffing like a marathon runner. Many poses lend themselves to heavier breathing, but the yoga happens when I use my intelligence to decrease the heaviness until there is less effort--prayanta saithilya ananta samapattibhyam.
It sounds like you have great teachers who will let you know when you are straining to the point that you are not receiving benefit from the asana.
Thank you for your question and your wonderful blog.
Michael