5 Tips For People New To Yoga On The Outer Banks!

5 Tips For People New To Yoga On The Outer Banks

At Village Yoga we enjoy taking a light hearted approach...laughing is a part of yoga!

We’ve all heard about the benefits of yoga, but if you’ve never tried yoga it can seem pretty scary at first. You might be feeling nervous or self-conscious about trying out yoga, but remember! We were all new at some point. If you’ve never been to a yoga class or a yoga studio you might be wondering, what actually goes on during the practice? Due to the mainstream growth of yoga in the west, many opinions and stereotypes have been formed. Village Yoga enjoys breaking the “norm” of a yoga practice and offering up options and approaches that work for everyone.  Here are 5 tips that we like to offer to new yogis:

 

  1. Choose an appropriate class. At Village Yoga we offer multiple classes per day so that students have options and can choose a class that works best for their body and schedule. If you have never practiced before we would recommend trying out any of our all levels classes. Our Basic Yoga class that is offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. are a great place to start. Funds tight? We also offer pay-what-you-can all levels classes on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 – 11:00 am. To learn more about our schedule click here or to read about our class offerings click here
  2. Leave your expectations at the doorThere’s no such thing as being “good” at yoga. Yoga is an infinite path that will most likely keep offering enough new ideas in your mind and new challenges for your body for a lifetime. There’s also no such thing as being ‘flexible enough’ to do yoga. One of our favorite teachers, Leslie Kaminoff, says that saying “I’m not flexible enough to do Yoga” is similar to saying “I’m too sick to go to the doctor”. We do yoga to gain flexibility – in our minds and bodies. Yoga teaches us that we are enough, and also that our bodies and minds change day to day. Try approaching yoga with an open mind and offer an attitude of acceptance towards yourself. 
  3. Use props. Props aren’t just for beginners, but they can definitely help you out as you start to open your body. Everyone’s body is different and props are a great way to support our physical bodies so that we can breathe and relax our minds. In our studio we have blocks, blankets, bolsters, and straps to help you with your practice. We recommend grabbing two blocks, a blanket, and a strap before practice and asking the teacher to show you how to use them. 
  4. Arrive Early. For your first visit to the studio try to allow yourself some preparation time. Arriving about 15 minutes early will give you time to get set-up and introduce yourself to the teacher. We have cubbies at the studio where you can store your belongings, along with a bathroom if you need to change. Letting the teacher know that you are new to the practice might create some discomfort on your end, but in the long run will help you immensely. This way the teacher can give the class more detailed instruction and assist you when needed. Remember – we were all new at one time! 
  5. Practice. Keep practicing! All good things come with time, right? After your first class you might feel some soreness in your body, or during the class you might have felt challenged mentally. These are both normal parts of the practice. As your body begins to stretch and open, your muscles may have a slight soreness, just like they would with any new exercise. The more you do something the easier it becomes. Yoga is called a ‘practice’ because it is a lifelong path to connecting deeper to ourselves, our bodies, and our communities. A regular yoga practice, usually recommended no less than 1x week, can offer you the following benefits:

Decreased back pain              Increased Mood              Better Focus

Enchanted Physical Ability           Increased Energy           Improved Sleep

Calmer Mind            Increased Body Awareness           Decreased Stress       +more!