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Basic yoga may look easy, but it’s a tough flexibility and strength workout. One of the easiest ways to learn the skills you need for yoga is to take a class. However, as with all kinds of classes, it is important to understand the basic rules of etiquette before you sign up. By following these rules, you and those around you will be more comfortable.

A Positive Attitude

First of all, keep a positive attitude. Don’t lose patience. Like anything else, yoga takes time to learn and to develop proper skills. Don’t let the frustration drive you away. (Though, if after awhile in a class you’re more frustrated than before, you might want to try a different instructor or class.) If you’re feeling negative, don’t voice your frustration during class, instead speak with the teacher afterwards.

Stay in Your Own Sandbox

Don’t put your mat too close to or too far from the other students around you. You need enough space to stretch out your arms and not touch your neighbor. On the other hand, don’t take any more space than you need. Crowded classrooms need all the space they can get.

Proper Yoga Clothing

Don’t wear clothes that will fall off or show too much skin. Wear clothing that is comfortable and will stretch, but bear in mind that you might be doing such unusual positions as turning upside down. Showing skin can make others feel uncomfortable and can create embarrassing situations if your clothing slips.

Respect

Don’t stare; you may be more advanced than those around you, or you may be the only first beginner in the room. Everyone starts somewhere, and everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses. Respect that. Staring at someone who is or is not doing the techniques correctly is unfair-stare at the teacher instead, that is what an instructor is for.

Know Your Limits

Don’t overstrain yourself-if you can’t perform a stance, just do it as far as you can or substitute the alternate stance that the instructor will probably suggest. Don’t force yourself to do something you can’t yet just because you’re too embarrassed to admit that you need the alternate stance. Don’t overestimate your abilities. Injuring yourself can disrupt the entire class. Avoid other interruptions as well and don’t draw attention to yourself. Respect other students and yoga’s goal of peace and overall balance (inner and outer). Avoid chatting and loud breathing, and turn your phone off.

Don’t be offended if the instructor corrects your pose. You can’t see what you’re doing; he or she can, and the instructor is there to help and teach you. It’s meant to be help, not an insult. That is what classes are for-help with your technique-so by learning the rules of etiquette, you can be sure to enjoy class and keep it an enjoyable place for those around you.

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When you begin practicing yoga, one thing that you must consider (and many people forget this step until it’s too late) is what you’ll wear. Yoga is unlike most exercises in that you will find yourself in many different positions in a single routine. Therefore, the clothing you’ll need must be comfortable and won’t create problems as you move in unconventional ways. Wearing the correct kind of clothing is especially important when you begin going to a yoga class. Fortunately, since yoga is becoming more and more popular, many clothing companies offer a wide variety of products made just for yoga.

Consider Your Body Type

Choose yoga clothing that is comfortable for your body when you are moving. Clothing that is too tight may “ride up” and shift uncomfortably as your limbs rub against one another. You also want clothing that makes you feel good about your body-no matter what your shape or size, you don’t want to spend the entire class feeling self-conscious because you think your pants make you look fat. In all honesty, everyone is probably too engrossed in class to notice what you are wearing, but poor clothing can be a mental block and prevent you from learning.

Organic Cotton Yoga Top

Organic Cotton Yoga Pant

Embarrassing Choices

Poor clothing choices can also be embarrassing. Remember that yoga involves inverting your body in many cases. Clothing that is too loose can sag or fall, revealing excess amounts of your body. This is embarrassing for you and makes others in the class uncomfortable. Clothing that is too tight can be stretched too far and rip during class. Tight clothing can also be too revealing if there are members of the opposite sex enrolled in your yoga class. Be respectful of those around you and stay covered as much as possible while still feeling comfortable.

Yoga Sweat

Yoga is an exercise, and like all exercises, you will sweat. Take this into consideration when choosing the fabric that you want to wear. Some fabric absorbs sweat more readily than others do, allowing you to remain dry during your workout, at least to some extent. If your clothing is wet, it could be dangerous to attempt some positions, and the same is true if your clothing is too loose.

If you aren’t sure what clothing to wear, practice some of the basic and inverted positions at home in various outfits and choose the one that is most comfortable. Your teacher or an advanced student may also be able to offer advice. Yoga clothing is an important thing to consider when beginning a yoga class.

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Like the term “Hatha,” Vinyasa Yoga can be used to refer to a number of class types. As a specific type of yoga, it refers to yoga with poses that flow into each other consistent with the breathing. This breathing-oriented flow of poses makes it swift and vigorous in most cases. This is included in Ashtanga yoga (better known as “Power yoga”).

In reference to poses, Vinyasa can describe the poses performed between repeats of “Downward Facing Dog” in a Sun Salutation: Plank, “Four Limbed Staff”, and “Upward Facing Dog”.

To enter the Plank pose from Downward Facing Dog, bring your torso forward until your body is straight and your shoulders are directly over your wrists (comparable to a push-up position). Press down firmly through your forearms and hands, widen your shoulder blades, and press back through the heels, regardless of whether your heels touch the floor or not. Make sure your neck stays in line with your spine. Once you’ve mastered it, you can try performing the pose with one leg lifted at a time.

From Plank, enter the Four Limbed Staff by bending your arms straight back, hugging your upper arms to your sides. Lower yourself to the floor until your forearms and upper arms are at a right angle, keeping your body level throughout. Push back on your heels while pressing into your palms. (Beginners can leave their knees on the floor until they build the strength to hold up their bodies.) Once you’ve mastered this pose, you can try shifting into this pose while leaving one leg up from the advanced Plank pose.

To progress into Upward Facing Dog, tuck in your toes to roll over your feet as you come forward. Don’t let your thighs touch the floor. Keep the legs tensed and off the floor, pressing into the floor with the tops of your feet and with your palms. Make sure your shoulders remain over the wrists, and drop your hips. Beginners might find it easier to transition by dropping their thighs to the floor, flipping their feet over one at a time, then raising their legs again to move into Upward Facing Dog.

These beginner yoga poses require concentration to master. Many beginners find it difficult to master these poses, much less to do them swiftly in time to breathing, which is where the difficulty in Vinyasa Yoga arises.

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