A Journey For the Beginner Yogi
You've gotta start somewhere. This has never been more apparent for me than the last six weeks that I've spent living at my brother's house with his three-year-old son and 1.25-year-old daughter. These little people, my nephew, and niece are brand new in the world. For the most part, everything around them is unfamiliar, uncharted, and unusual. Still, they wake up each day with unbridled (and seemingly unlimited) curiosity.
Stepping into your first yoga class, you might discover the same otherworldly experience a toddler has while making their way through the world that adults have (in theory) learned how to navigate successfully. Suddenly there is a new vocabulary in a foreign language, many other people who all seem to know exactly what they are doing. To top it off, you're asked to stand on one foot with your arms in the air for what seems like an eternity while the teacher tells you to remember that "this is temporary."
And that might be your first and last yoga class. Ever. Period. End of story.
That was nearly my experience. In my 20s, I attended my first yoga class. The room was cold. So were the people; no one said hello. The teacher called out names of poses, but there was little explanation of how to achieve them or, at a minimum, make your attempt feel like an achievement. After that, it was about five years until I went to another yoga class. The second experience was entirely the opposite. It was inviting, warm, exciting, energizing. And best of all, it was the beginning of my yoga journey that is now approaching its second decade.
If you're reading this as someone new to the practice of yoga, I hope you'll join me for Beginner Yoga on Sundays at 12:30 pm. You can anticipate a 45-minute block of time to do the following:
An exploration of some basic yoga poses
Encouragement to explore each pose and understand how it works for your body
The connection between breathing and movement
Some commentary about the non-movement parts of the practice (like meditation and cultivating compassion)
As a yoga teacher, my job is to foster a judgment-free space where we can wiggle and move and put the body in all sorts of odd shapes and let go of the fear that can often accompany movement-based activities. For me, it heals the wounds of being a little gay kid who couldn't hit the baseball in gym class. This is a space to be physical and push ourselves at our own pace without the anxiety of perfection.
Your job as a student in a beginner yoga class is to be open to whatever shows up. Be open to exploration and discovery. You'll find joy on the mat as you become increasingly familiar with the poses. And you'll also experience frustration (I still do) when you notice the limitations of your body on any given day. You might not like this--trust me, I don't either--but there's nothing to do but accept it. If we try too hard, we can get hurt—an unexpected discovery of your body. Be open to showing up with your whole heart, have fun putting your body into different shapes, and enjoy practicing in a room of people who are all sending each other good vibes. Not a wrong way to spend 45 minutes of self-care time!
Okay: You've decided to join us for class on Sunday at 12:30 pm. Great. Here are a few more thoughts about what you can be on the lookout for during your yoga classes as a new(er) yogi.
Breath. At a minimum, if all you do is show up on your mat and sit there and breathe, that's yoga. Seriously. The movement stuff is just about helping you shift your mind’s focus away from thinking and merely doing. Breath and movement are linked together. You'll hear me cue movements and connect them to inhales and exhales. Don't worry about getting it right. Just be present to the experience.
Let go of the preconceived notions you have about your body. Listen to your body and move in ways that make sense to you. Just because I cue us to move into a downward dog does not mean you can't go into a child's' pose. I'll offer options for poses that can help make them feel more intuitive and accessible.
Don't work too hard. We spend so much of our lives trying to get somewhere, and usually, it's doing so pretty fast. When you step onto the mat, tell yourself that it's okay to let go of the world around you and find a slower place where every seated forward fold is beautiful regardless of how deep it is.
Be present. When you are standing on both feet, be present to that experience, just as you know your feet when you stand on one foot. And at the same time, when standing on one foot, be present to the same ease that can exist when you're standing on both feet.
Journey over the destination. When you pay attention to the trip, you will notice amazing things and have a great time. I forgot this during my teacher training and missed catching the first time my heels touched the ground in downward dog. It happens each time I go into the pose, but I am sad I missed this milestone. It's like missing a child's first word. So stay focused on all the cool stuff that happens each time you practice and don't stress your yoga goals.
Childlike wonder. Cultivate this sense of exploration and discovery. Just like my nephew and niece, we are all learning how to move around in the world. Yoga class is a safe space to fall and get back up again.