| If you have recently started to practice yoga, you may | | | | realise just how inflexible you have become over the |
| be quite surprised at how your body and mind | | | | years. I often see students get cross with themselves |
| responds when you practice. Yoga is a form of | | | | and moan, "I used to be able to touch my toes" as |
| personal development. Regular practice stretches your | | | | they struggle to position themselves in the forward |
| body and opens your mind. To get the most from your | | | | bend pose, or have trouble raising their arms above |
| yoga class, it is essential you avoid the mistakes, I | | | | their head, as they prepare for the seated forward |
| often see new students make. | | | | bend pose. |
| Mistake #1 - You Compare Yourself To Other | | | | Solution: Be gentle and accept your body as it is today, |
| Students - yoga classes attract a wide range of | | | | not how you imagined it to be 2, 5, or even 10 years |
| people with different physical abilities and emotional | | | | ago. You are a living organism and, if you haven't |
| issues. In a class, it is tempting to compare, for | | | | exercised for a while, you're body will be stiff and |
| example, your downward dog pose with other | | | | inflexible. With time and regular practice, you will notice |
| students doing the same pose. Generally, when you | | | | an increased range of movement and ease in your |
| compare you loss your focus and may even start to | | | | body. For example, one of my students, aged 73 |
| put yourself down or heaven forbid, feel boastful and | | | | years can now place his hands just below his knees in |
| proud on how good you look in the downward dog | | | | the seated forward bend. When he first started yoga, |
| pose! | | | | his back and hamstrings were so stiff he reached just |
| Solution: Stay focused on your breath. Yoga is a | | | | to his mid thighs. |
| personal journey. Your yoga class is your "Me-Time" | | | | Mistake #4 - You Miss The Final Relaxation Exercise - |
| and time to relax and let go of the constraints of work | | | | most yoga classes finish with the 'Final Relaxation' - a |
| and home life. Some days your body will feel more | | | | chance for you to lie down on your back in savansa |
| open and flexible and you can touch your toes in the | | | | (the Corpse Pose) and your yoga teacher take you |
| seated forward bend; on another day, you may have | | | | through a deep guided relaxation. The Final Relaxation |
| a stiff back and your body refuses to move into the | | | | can last anything between 2 - 10 minutes. Many |
| pose. By staying focused on your breath and being | | | | students, often due to other commitments, skip the |
| aware of what is going on inside your body, reduces | | | | Final Relaxation and leave the class. As a Yoga |
| the likelihood of you comparing yourself to others. | | | | Teacher and yoga student, I feel the Final Relaxation is |
| Mistake #2 - You Rush Through The Poses - it is | | | | the most important yoga pose of your session. It gives |
| tempting to go straight into a pose and forget to make | | | | the body a proper chance to fully relax and allow the |
| sure your body is correctly positioned, for example, in | | | | energy released to settle and be absorbed into your |
| the triangle pose, you fail to make sure your feet and | | | | body. |
| hips are in correct alignment, you just rush straight into | | | | Solution: Schedule your yoga class at a time that |
| the pose and stretch your arm above your head. | | | | allows you to complete the class and relax completely. |
| Whilst this may look correct, you run the risk of injury | | | | The Final Relaxation/Corpse Pose is the basic pose of |
| and do not get the full benefit of the posture. | | | | relaxation. It helps to release tension from the body |
| Solution: Take your time. All yoga poses consist of | | | | and calms and rejuvenates your mind and spirit. |
| getting into the pose, being in the pose and coming out | | | | Mistake #5 - You Think Yoga Is Just A Form Of |
| of the pose. It is essential you take your time to get | | | | Exercise - many new students do not realise that the |
| into the pose, to correctly align your body and then | | | | way yoga is practiced in the west is only one path of |
| slowly breathe your way into the posture and remain | | | | yoga. There are different styles of yoga, which suits |
| there for at least 5 - 10 rounds of deep breathing and | | | | different personalities - e.g. Ashtanga Yoga and |
| then slowly come out of the pose. For example, in the | | | | Sivananda Yoga are two very distinct forms of yoga. |
| triangle pose, take time to make sure your feet are | | | | In addition, yoga has a whole historical and philosophical |
| correctly positioned - right heel in line with your left | | | | foundation, known as the Yoga Sutras (The Eight |
| arch. | | | | Limbs of Yoga.) which underpins the yoga exercises |
| Mistake #3 - You Get Frustrated and Annoyed With | | | | you practice in your class. |
| Yourself - most basic yoga exercises (asanas) look | | | | Solution: Take time to study the philosophical and |
| deceptively simple and easy to do. They are. | | | | spiritual side of yoga. Sign up for a course which |
| Consequently, a lot of new students expect to be able | | | | covers the wider psychological and practical aspects |
| to go straight into the "perfect pose." However, if you | | | | of yoga. Visit other schools/styles of yoga - there is a |
| have never exercised before, lead a very sedentary | | | | wide choice - from Iyengar Yoga to Bikram Yoga to |
| life or spend most of your working time at a desk | | | | Bhakti Yoga - there is a style and form just right for |
| using a computer, your body becomes stiff and | | | | you. |
| inflexible. The expression "use it or lose it" applies to | | | | If you are new to yoga, take your time, relax, and |
| the human body. Over the years your body adapts to | | | | enjoy your special form of relaxation. With patience, |
| the demands made on it. Yoga exercises require you | | | | love and care you will gain a tremendous amount from |
| to stretch and move your body - although yoga is | | | | this ancient practice. Namaste. |
| gentle, this can still be a shock to your body. You | | | | |