I am considered an unconventional yoga teacher, possibly because I started out as a bodybuilder. For many years I performed West African dance in Harlem based dance company, then got into bodybuilding, which eventually lead to a very tight muscly body. This inspired me to begin practicing yoga in addition to my lifting heavy things. I guess due to my unique yogi beginnings, I am often asked how to begin practicing yoga, by those who come from backgrounds like mine and those who are just plain nervous about the whole yoga thing. We have all read about the benefits of yoga, how good yoga is for our bodies, minds and souls, while simultaneously being inundated by images of contortionist in yoga poses. on social media. For the beginner, these images represent what they think yoga is; a practice for people who are already incredibly flexible and/or strong. This is far from the truth. While I do know some who started practicing yoga already flexible, they were not necessarily strong or vise versa. The practice of yoga can accommodate ALL. I started out very strong, not flexible at all. However, what I deemed strong was a different kind of strong, I have noticeably increased my flexibility and mobility through my years of practicing and I’m very new to the practice still. So, from a relatively new yogi who was once a beginner, to the yoga curious, nervous and/or intimidated, here’s some advice to get you practicing.
First, why do you want to do yoga? Like most new ventures, we need to have a reason as to why we want to do it. It’s like joining a gym because your partner says you should do it for your health but when you do, you hate it and everything about it then quit all together. Identify for yourself you why you want to do this. It could be for the most base reasons. Honestly, I started yoga because I thought it would be cool to be flexible. Years of heavy lifting and no stretching in my 20s/30s lead to increased tightness and mobility issues. I have also suffered from back spasms most of my life noticing the reduction in my mobility coincided with an increase in spasms; some of which keep me immobilized for days. As I got older and more knowledgeable, my reasons for practicing changed, but initially being able to put my leg behind my head is what motivated me. (I still can’t do that by the way.) Identifying what will motivate you to take up this practice is essential to sustain your practice. Yoga is a continuous and to obtain the benefits, a level of commitment is required.
Secondly, once you’ve decided why you want to practice, find a good place to start. In my humble opinion, that place IS a yoga studio and NOT a health club. I teach at one of the best health club chains in the country. I also teach at a yoga studio chain, so I have experience with and can offer perspective on both.
Here's my analogy. Health clubs are like your supermarkets and the yoga studios is your specialty shop. You can get all kinds of food at the supermarket, but if you’re in the market for a particular cut of beef imported from wherever, the supermarket would not be your first choice. A health club is your supermarket, a yoga studio is that specialty butcher on the other side of town. In a health club, you have access to all kinds of fitness offerings, from your weight lifting areas, to the cardio machines, and your fitness studio and yoga classes. This allows for health clubs to cater to a wider audience and in turn bring in more people. “So, you have no interest in lifting weights? Allow me to offer you classes instead.” A yoga studio offers primarily a variety of yoga classes with sprinklings of fitness classes like barre or pilates. “So, you're interested in yoga? Great! What type are you interested in? We offer beginner to advanced, Iyengar to vinyasa.” For the newbie, this is where you want to be. Let me use a fitness example. You’ve decided you want to be a mixed martial artist or MMA. Where are going to train for that? To your health club?! Your health club offers kickboxing classes that are choreographed to the beat of some really good music. You taking those skills into the octagon?! OR… are you going to a boxing gym or a martial arts studio to develop your skills because that’s what they do? This is the same approach you should take when starting to practice yoga. Yoga classes at most health clubs are not designed for newbies and mainly offer classes that will attract the most participants, which in most cases are not beginner classes. Health clubs generally offer mainly generalized vinyasa yoga in various forms (power, alignment flow, etc) because at the moment, the masses want vinyasa (a flowing or continuous movement yoga form accompanied by breathing techniques. It’s what the cool kids take.) Also, when beginner classes are offered at health clubs, they are few and far between and at less desirable hours. In comparison, yoga studios offer all levels, at all hours, all the time as well as a variety of yoga styles, giving practitioners the opportunity to choose which form they prefer and allowing for deeper study into that form. What’s most important about beginning and foundational yoga classes, beginners are taught to use props such as blocks and straps and how to modify postures if necessary and learn posture variations which make practicing fun. Once a yoga foundation has been established, in most cases you will be able to take any class (even the ones in the health club), safely. A safe practice is a sustainable practice.
Next on my list is the studio’s vibe. When searching for your yoga home, look for an atmosphere that will get you in the building day after day. It could be demographics, it could be gender, it could be the price point (yes price point can lead to a vibe) etc. I have tried various studios and the energy is EVERYTHING! I’ve loved the space and hated the teachers. I’ve loved the teacher and hated the students. If you don’t vibe with the space, your practice will suffer which in turn will eventually turn you off to practicing all together. You need to want to walk into that building. Take advantage of studios that offer a free class or week of yoga to try the studio or check out Class Pass or Groupon for deals, travel around and sample a variety of classes and studios and see how you feel during and after the experience. If you like it, that may be your new yoga home.
Lastly, short and sweet, where is your studio? Location, location, location, right? The distance to and from your chosen studio is important. If it feels like work to get there, you’re not going to go there. I’m relatively lazy when it comes to these things. I live in Brooklyn and won’t travel past Chelsea to do most things. Anyone living in the city knows what I’m talking about. Luckily for me, I have found quality offerings, at most, 30 minutes from my door.
After so many years of practice, I know just how important has been to my overall wellness and regularly encourage everyone I know to start. I am a movement practitioner, and in my late 40s, my primary initiative is to move well for as long as possible. I have no intention to stop lifting heavy things as I find strength sexy as hell. However, I want to move my sexy freely, uninhibited and for many more years to come. Practicing yoga has aided in this endeavour. I hope to see you practicing in your favorite yoga studio soon! Namaste!