How To Prepare For Your First Yoga Class

If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering what to expect for your first yoga class. How exciting! Yoga is a life-changing practice and plays such an important role in mental and physical health, but going to a yoga class can be intimidating if it’s a brand new experience for you.No need to be nervous. I’m going to give you a few tips to help you feel at ease for your first class whether you’re walking into a yoga studio or simply stepping onto your mat for the first time. 

Things You’ll Need For A Yoga Class

The first thing you’ll need is a yoga mat. Luckily these are easy to find at any department store. Something inexpensive is great to get you started. Next you’ll need a couple props like a strap and a couple blocks (2 is great for beginning a practice). In the case that you don’t have a strap or blocks you can use a towel or a belt for a strap and water bottles or pillows for blocks (let’s get creative).

What is Vinyasa?

Vinyasa is a beautiful style of yoga where the breath and the movement come together as one. In a vinyasa yoga class the movements form a flowing, fluid sequence that aligns with the breath. I love this style of yoga because it allows space for you to move at your own pace and modify any shapes necessary. A very common breath-to-movement sequence you find in a vinyasa class is Chaturanga, Upward Facing Dog, Downward Facing Dog which also have different variations and modifications depending on what you need.

 Breathing In A Yoga Class

There are many different breathing techniques used in yoga but the most common one is Ujjayi Pranayama which translates to victorious breath (it has been described as sounding like an ocean wave crashing). Here’s how it goes: begin by breathing in and out your nose and let your breath be natural. Take a few rounds to notice how your breath feels. Now let’s fire up the Ujjayi breath. Continue to breathe in and out your nose, but add a slight constriction in the back of your throat on the exhale. The best way to execute this breath is to pretend you are trying to whisper to someone across the room and that feeling in your throat is what you want throughout your breathing practice. It can seem like a lot to think about at one time, but if you let your breath be the most important part the more you practice, the less you’ll have to think about it. This is the most important part of a physical yoga practice (yes, EVEN more important than the poses themselves).