What should I expect when I
come in for my first visit?
Try to come 15 minutes early, so
that you can get settled. When you
come in for the first time, you will
need to complete a
registration/waiver & release form
and sign in for class. You may bring
personal items right into the studio
with you. If you do not yet own a
yoga mat, you can borrow one of
ours. At the end of class you can
help keep the borrowed mats clean by
wiping it down with one of the
sanitizing wipes that are located on
our mat shelves. This is a kindness
that you offer to the next person
who might use the yoga mat.
What is the etiquette once I
am actually in the yoga studio?
Turn off your cell phone
and leave it outside of class. If
you are expecting an emergency call,
you may leave your phone on vibrate
and keep it by your side. We
practice yoga in bare feet with a
yoga mat that is placed on the
specialized Tatami mat floor in the
studio. There are yoga blocks and
straps available for your use. Go
ahead and get two blocks and a yoga
strap from the shelf, even if you
are not sure what you are going to
do with them. You can scout out a
comfortable part of the room,
position your yoga mat and just
relax until class begins. Feel free
to say hi to your neighbor, too, but
be respectful of the need for peace
of those around you. Once the
practice begins, we work on paying
attention to our bodies and our
breath, so having running
conversations with another student
or with the teacher would be
considered inappropriate. You are
encouraged to communicate with your
teacher about concerns specific to
pain or discomfort felt in any
postures, so that modifications can
be addressed, as appropriate.
What should I wear?
Comfortable clothes that allow you
to move freely in the legs and
moderately fitted tops that will not
fall down over your head when you
are upside down. Shorts, sweats,
fitness clothes work well. We do
yoga in bare feet.
What else should I bring?
Water and a well hydrated and
nourished body. There are hand
towels available for your use in the
studio. We will keep the studio cozy
at about 80 degrees. Expect to sweat
and be at peace with it. Sweating is
a very natural form of
detoxification for your body. The
warmth in the room will benefit your
body’s ability to work effectively
in yoga class---warm muscles are
able to stretch more effectively. We
will encourage you to gradually
build heat within your body
throughout the practice by using Ujjayi breathing (see below).
How do I know which class to
take? If you have never
tried yoga before, it would be best
to begin with the Mellow Yoga class
or the Fundamental Yoga class (see
schedule) so that you can learn the
fundamentals of a yoga practice. To
the casual observer, our yoga
practice can look very easy, but
there are amazing processes
occurring within the body as we
maintain each posture. We enjoy when
you bring friends...make sure that
they are comfortable with and have
adequate experience for the class
that they will attend. When all else
fails, take them to a Mellow Yoga or
Fundamental Yoga class. This will
keep the practice room environment
safer and more enjoyable for all.
Do I have to breathe in a
specific way? You will
learn about how to improve your
breathing ability in yoga class. The
emphasis for the beginning student
is to focus on breathing comfortably
throughout the practice. You will
use the breath to determine how you
are responding to your yoga
practice. When your body is
overwhelmed, it will respond by
holding the breath. This breath
holding is a sign that you are
working too hard. When you notice
this, it will be important to take
rest or modify your posture to a
position that allows for continuous
rhythmic breathing. As your practice
develops, you will be ready for more
precise instruction in nasal
breathing with an emphasis on Ujjayi
breathing. Ujjayi breath is a
sounding breath where there is a
gentle hugging of the throat (while
air is passing in and out through
the nose) with the mouth closed.
This type of breathing helps to warm
the breath as it enters the body,
which facilitates warming of the
entire body, as a preparation for
practice.
Do you chant in class?
You might notice that we
will chant "OM" at the beginning and
end of our yoga practice. This could
vary from class to class. If you are
not comfortable saying Om, you do
not have to do it. You are welcome
to join in if you are comfortable.
Om is actually not a religious
incantation, but simply considered
to be a sound that unifies and draws
together. It is an expression of
community and joy. It also sounds
great and can bring a calming sense
of awareness to our practice. We
also generally end our practices by
bringing our hands together in front
of our bodies, bowing gently and
saying Namaste, which loosely
translates into “The Spirit in me
bows to the Spirit in You."
How should I prepare for
class? We would recommend
not eating for 2 hours before
practice, bringing a bottle of
water, yoga mat and towel into the
room with you. Some individuals
prefer to have a light snack or
juice/tea/coffee not less than 30
minutes before a class to help
maintain comfort during the
practice. Most feel more comfortable
practicing on an empty stomach. You
will know what is best for
you...listen carefully to your body.
Can yoga help with and be
practiced through pregnancy?
Definitely! It is strongly
recommend that you consult with your
OB/GYN, qualified healthcare
provider and/or trained pre-natal
yoga instructor (Nydia) about your
specific abilities and limitations
during pregnancy. A regular yoga
practice can help induce the
relaxation response that can benefit
and facilitate the birthing
experience. The use of muscular
locks or "bandhas" can improve the
strength, tone and elasticity of
abdominal and pelvic floor muscles
which can also facilitate the
birthing experience. There are
definitely a number of things to be
mindful of as pregnancy progresses
that will vary from individual to
individual. These can include
jumping, prolonged supine or “laid
back” postures, extreme heat, deep
twists and postures that put
pressure on the abdomen or uterus.
There are a number of other
modifications, specific to each
trimester. This list is by no means
all-inclusive. Be smart, ask
questions and, again, check with
your doctor before beginning or
continuing your practice, once you
know you are pregnant.
Will Yoga make your muscles
longer and leaner? Will I
lose weight? You will definitely
notice a change in your body that
will occur gradually as you
participate regularly in yoga class.
Your personal physical makeup and
genetics will determine just how
much muscle and or leanness your
body will accommodate towards. A
regular yoga practice can improve an
individual’s mindfulness. This can
lead to greater awareness of what
foods that your body prefers for
optimal functioning. Some
individuals gradually begin to
gravitate towards more healthful
eating practices that compliment
their yoga practice.
Can yoga help you reduce
stress? Yes. Most any
approach to yoga will emphasize a
focused mind and attention to the
breath. Some include separate
meditation or visualization
practices, as well. While a
physically challenging “asana” or
posture practice, alone, will help
to diminish levels of chronic
stressor hormones and release tight
muscles, the addition of attention
to the breath and rhythmic movement
turn the whole experience into a
moving meditation. Practiced over
time, this begins to induce
something known to the medical
community as the relaxation
response—decreased heart rate, lower
blood pressure, highly focused mind,
dilated blood vessels and decreased
secretion of stressor hormones.
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