So You’re About To Take Your First Yoga Class? Relax! It’s Not As Intimidating As You Think

“This isn’t intimidating at all”, said no one when walking into their first yoga class. You’ve been reading about yoga everywhere. Yoga does this for you, yoga does that for you, and you can’t help but think, what doesn’t yoga do?! So with all of the positive buzz surrounding yoga, you have decided it’s time to take the plunge. The hype has worked and you’re sold!

Now that you’re about to take your first class, you start to get a little nervous. Understandable! Yoga can feel like a different world but this part is important to know. It’s a misconception that yoga has a snobby or elitist feel. It really does NOT! We can’t stress that enough. As a matter of fact, the first tenant of yoga is to do no harm. That’s right, do no harm. Once you attend yoga class a few times, you start to see it’s usually a welcoming environment with a lot of friendly people. People are going to yoga class to feel more calm and at peace with themselves. Not to outdo the person next to them. Because of this it has a more spiritual and even hippie like vibe compared to other workouts.

When it comes down to the physical practice of yoga, it will take some time to learn the poses, the lingo and everything else that goes along with yoga. In the beginning it may seem like a foreign world. Think- like the Aladdin theme song “A Whole New World” playing as you walk into your first class. Especially if you’ve taken more high-intensity classes or only worked out at a gym before. The best piece of advice we can give before going to your first yoga class is, go in with an open mind. Anything new at first can feel strange or uncomfortable so don’t write it off immediately. And don’t quit after your first class. It takes time to learn yoga and understand what it’s all about. Think of the first few times as a lesson about what yoga is and give it a some time before even forming an opinion.

As for the yoga class itself, many people assume you’ll be in class with a bunch of Gumby’s and super advanced yogis. Not the case! No matter what the kind of yoga is that you’re doing (there is many!), everyone is at a different level and it’s not a competitive environment. Even though you may assume that everyone is staring at you as the newbie, it’s highly likely no one has a clue it’s your first time. And if they did, they aren’t judging you at all. That’s the thing about yoga you’ll learn quickly as you start going to class. It’s all about you on your mat (get a pretty one at Sugarmat!), not your neighbor on theirs (tell them to get a pretty one at Sugarmat!). Let’s face it, some people can touch their toes with ease while others can barely reach their knees. It is what it is. Yoga is about doing what feels right in your body, not someone else’s.

Don’t let insecurities or fear keep you from going to yoga class. You never know, maybe you’ll be one of those people who can’t stop talking about how yoga changed your life. Hey, maybe you’ll even become a yoga instructor someday! Sky’s the limit right?! You won’t know how you feel until you do it. So go do it and let us know at Sugarmat how it goes, we’d love to hear about it!