I’m back this week with Tip Tuesday and we are talking Yoga.
I’ve recently taken up Yoga and boy do I love it! Nothing feels better than walking into a session with tight muscles everywhere in your body to walking out feeling so relaxed, refreshed and like I could move to the circus I’m that flexible haha.
So without further a due I have some tips for any beginners or anyone thinking they want to get into it and if it is right for them. Below I'm going to cover 4 topics; What to wear, what to bring, how to prepare and some general tips for yoga.
What to Wear.
I’m firstly going to start and say you may wear whatever you feel more comfortable in, whether it to tight clothes, loose clothes, covered head to toe or just a sports bra and shorts. It is totally up to your choosing, but these following things will help you get the best out of a session.
Shoes: Yoga is most often done barefoot. You will occasionally see people with some kind of sock or shoe, but it's usually due to an injury or medical condition. But I do recommend bare feet to get the best form.
Pants: There are many different styles of ‘yoga pants’, but you certainly don't have to run out and buy a pair for your very first class. Any comfortable exercise pants or shorts will do. After a few classes, you will start to notice what works for you and what doesn’t. Definitely try different styles including pants you may already own that are shorter/longer/looser/higher waisted/not falling down every time you stretch up. Just avoid practicing in pants that don't stretch i.e. jeans.
Tops: Try to avoid big baggy t-shirts as they are not great since they will slide down every time you bend over (so you don’t have to find that out the hard way like I did haha). I recommend sleeveless tops as they allow freedom of movement throughout the arms and shoulders. You may wear whatever kind of bra you prefer for exercising, but it doesn’t have to be of high support anything that is comfortable and will stop them from falling out.
Mat: If you are headed to your very first class, don't worry about bringing a mat, if you don't have one(unless they tell you to bring one). As you keep going to classes or if you choose to practice at home, you are going to want to invest in your own mat. There are lots of different considerations as to which mat is right for you. It doesn’t have to be an expensive one just whatever fits into your budget will do just fine. Take a look here, here or here for a few comparisons.
Water bottle: As Yoga isn’t high intensity don’t worry if you forget your drink bottle time to time, but to keep those fluids up I suggest definitely bringing one along.
Towel: If you are a sweater or are trying out hot yoga, a hand towel is a good thing to bring with you to wipe down as you go.
Props: In most cases it's not necessary to have your own at first. Studios will provide blocks, blankets, and straps as needed.
Food: It's best not to eat a heavy meal right before you do yoga. When you start moving, everything gets churned up and you may start to feel sick if your stomach is too full. I suggest a light snack, like a small piece of fruit or some crackers and peanut butter on them.
Last but not least I'm just going to go through some general practice tips to help you out for your first time around.
Alignment: Always keep a close eye on the instructor's alignment (that's the way that the body lines up in each posture.) Good alignment is very important to maximize each pose's benefits and minimize the chance of injury.
Look and Listen: When you are first learning the poses, it's ok to glance around the room to see what everyone else is doing, but make sure you also look to the teacher for your primary instruction. Also good instructors will use verbal cues to help you along, so make sure you listen out as they describe how to do the poses.
Stay Positive: Number rule don't feel bad if your teacher corrects your postures. Hands-on instruction is the best way to learn good form. Try not to judge yourself harshly in comparison to what others are doing on their mats. Everyone is at a different place on their path. Don’t be harsh on yourself if their is a pose you can not do straight away. A lot of poses take many hours of practice to get right, so stay light-hearted and keep your sense of humour. Remember to enjoy yourself.
Ask Questions: I may have left the most important tip to last and that is to always ask questions when you don't understand something. More experienced students are almost always happy to share their expertise. Any questions about specific physical postures are best directed toward your teacher, either during or after class.
And that is all I have for now. I hope you enjoyed this Tip Tuesday!
If there is anything you’d like to see me give some advise on for Tip Tuesday or any questions about Yoga don’t hesitate to get in contact with me through Tumblr, email - [email protected] or Instagram @funfitbodies
And remember I hope you smash your workouts!
