What Do You Do in Yoga Class?
Attending a yoga class will help you realize how vast the practices and teachings of yoga are. There are many tools used in yoga, from breathing techniques to poses to meditation and cleansing exercises. For many new students, it can be confusing to identify poses that will positively impact your mood. Here is what takes place in yoga class:
What Takes Place at a Yoga Class
There are different yoga teachers and many styles of yoga practice. Classes generally follow a specific structure, which helps new students to get accustomed to the class fast. Here is what takes place at a yoga class:
Before Coming
The first step is looking for a teacher you like and identifying the right class. If you attend the class and don’t enjoy the session, try another one. Consider talking to the new teacher on the phone before attending the classes to get an idea of who they are.
Going to Class
Wear stretchy or loose-fitting clothes that you feel comfortable in that will allow you to perform different movements. If you don’t like leggings, look for other comfortable clothes.
Arrive at the class a few minutes beforehand to have time to settle in. Use those few minutes to roll out your mat and collect any props or blankets that you may use. Let your teacher know if you’re feeling unwell or have any injury.
Centering
Short centering involves taking several minutes to check how your body feels, observe your breathing, and clear your head before the class starts. During this time, you may notice stiffness or niggling pain that you weren’t aware of during the day.
Postures
The majority of a yoga class is made of a sequence of postures, or asanas. Your teacher will start with warm-up poses to help release tension and keep the joints warmed up before doing anything serious. They will break the lessons down into steps and try their best to explain everything clearly.
Most yoga teachers provide a variety of difficulty levels so students can experience a pose without strain or pain. The teacher may adjust you slightly to make you feel comfortable.
Relaxation
When the class is ending, students usually lie down in a way they feel relaxed and comfortable. Many people enjoy this part of the session. Relaxation helps your mind and body to absorb all the work done in class.
Pillars of Yoga
Understanding the pillars of yoga will make the practice more accessible and clearer to you. They include:
Body
Many people join yoga to maintain a healthy body. The poses done in the classes have many benefits. They can improve flexibility, strength, and range of motion for the limbs and spine in all directions.
Physical yoga helps provide optimal energy flow for the body by clearing the energy pathways. Yoga helps to connect your breathing to your movements and create mental focus, which eventually helps to stabilize your entire body.
Breath
Breathing techniques act as a bridge between energy flow and your body. Different breathing techniques have different effects on the mind, nervous system, and energy system.
Yoga helps control and regulate your breathing to prepare you for meditation and more advanced practices. Having good control of your breath can help to restore balance when you are under strain and stress.
Breath control is practiced during a physical class and during meditation or mindfulness. Some instructors will place more emphasis on breathwork, or pranayama, than others.
Mind
Yoga practice often focuses on addressing challenges of the mind. Many people experience challenges with meditation. The advantages of meditation are deep relaxation, stress reduction, mental focus, better sleep, digestion, greater creativity, more clarity, etc.
Yoga will help you separate your mind’s untruths and start focusing on the truth. Separating those mind traps will help to reprogram how you think, which helps to remove unhelpful or negative thinking.
Even a very physical practice will usually end with a few minutes of relaxation and mindfulness.
Find the Best Yoga Class
Look for the best yoga class in your city that focuses on a movement method to help you become a better version of yourself. Some classes are more traditional, while others are grounded in principles of neurodevelopment training and physical therapy. Consistent practice can help you find freedom through safer and smarter movement patterns.
