How Do I Choose A Yoga Class?

So, you’ve decided that you want to try out a Yoga class. Maybe your doctor recommended it, or you heard about it from a friend. Or maybe you’ve read about the benefits and are just plain curious. If you’ve done any research at all, you may be overwhelmed by the number of different styles of Yoga out there. How do you choose an appropriate class?

To begin with, it’s important to understand that Yoga is kind of like fruit. Just as an apple differs from a banana, styles of Yoga vary from gentle and meditative up to strenuous and athletic, so it is first important to figure out what you are looking for in a class. Once you’ve determined that, talk to the teacher or studio owner and ask questions about what they teach. Do they welcome beginners? How physically fit do you need to be? Particularly if you have some back pain, you should be careful to choose a style that will support your healing process.

One very important thing to understand  is that there are currently no licensing requirements for Yoga teachers. Anyone can hang up a sign and call themselves a Yoga teacher with minimal training, so you want to be sure that your instructor is properly trained. The National Yoga Alliance (www.yogaalliance.org) was formed about 15 years ago to address this issue. Currently, Yoga Alliance certifies Yoga Teacher Training Institutions. Teachers can become “registered” with Yoga Alliance if they have had at least 200 or 500 hours of training with a recognized organization. So, if you are checking out a new Yoga teacher, make sure to find out if they are registered with Yoga Alliance. (You may often see “RYT 200” or "RYT 500” after their name).

Because Yoga styles are so varied, you may want to visit a few different studios, and see what works for you.  After teaching Yoga for many years, I have found that some students know immediately that this is the style for them and others need to experiment and try some different styles to determine what is best for them. It can take a few classes to tell, so we encourage students to try about 5 classes to see what they think. After 5 classes, you will definitely know if this is the thing for you or not. Yoga can have life-changing benefits for you if you find the right style and give it a chance.