Q&A: Thinking About Starting Yoga? A Beginners Guide

As 2016 year comes to a close, our first full year open in the Hillsborough community, we are both honored and humbled at the number of beginners that we have spoken to about starting a yoga practice; students that have wanted to give yoga a try for a long time but never felt comfortable going into a yoga studio until Honor Yoga came to their community.

Many of these students have had the same concerns and questions when considering a yoga practice, so we wanted to share the top 5 here in the hopes that this will find other ‘to be’ yogis that have not stepped out to give it a try.

1. Question: I have hip, knee, shoulder, or [fill in the blank] injury or illness. Can I still do yoga?
Answer: Unless your doctor has indicated otherwise, then absolutely. Our yoga instructors are trained to modify poses for injury and illness and all poses have modifications. The important thing is that you let your instructor know prior to the class, so they can offer the appropriate modifications and watch you during class to ensure you are keeping safe.

2. Concern: I’m not flexible enough to do yoga. I can’t even touch my toes!
Answer: From a physical perspective, that’s WHY we do yoga. There are very few people that practice yoga that started out as flexible as they are after a consistent practice. Just like anything else that takes practice, your yoga practice will continually improve with continued practice (and by the way, no one in class is noticing that you are not touching your toes). You may never be able to touch your toes and that’s perfectly ok. Is touching your toes really the goal? There is a saying that goes: Yoga is not about touching your toes. It’s about what you learn on your way down.

3. Question: Can I go to any class that fits into my schedule?
Answer: At Honor, we strongly recommend participating in a beginners’ series before going to regular classes on the schedule. The beginners’ series is very limited in class to allow for more individualized attention and allows you to ask questions of the instructor. It provides you with a good foundation and understanding of the poses to better prepare you for the regular classes offered on the schedule. Having said that, if the beginners’ series is not available or does not fit into your schedule, it’s important to start with the Roots (beginner level) classes. All the Honor studios have several Roots classes on the schedule as we want to provide a welcoming and accessible environment to ALL students.

4. Question: What if everyone is better than me? (Full disclosure: I paraphrased this one as no one has actually come out and said these words, but it has been implied but the various questions I have received alluding to this fear)
Answer: Everyone is not better than you. There may be people in class that, after years and years of practicing can do poses that they weren’t able to do as a beginner. The commonality amongst all students is that everyone has been a beginner and we are all at different points in our practice and in our journey. Yoga is not a competition. It is about self-care, self-compassion, checking the ego at the door and not concerning yourself with what others are doing. This is your practice – for you to enjoy, cherish, learn from and heal. Refer to the side note in the answer to #2 – no one in class is noticing if you can touch your toes.

5. Question: What if I can’t do everything?
Answer: Think of your teacher as a guide, offering suggestions, none of which you are required to do. If you don’t want to do something, don’t do it. I have had students that come into class and spend the last half of it in savasana and tell me after class what a wonderful practice they had. I have gone to classes and done the same thing. Standing on your head or putting your legs behind your head does not make you an advanced yogi. The most advanced students are the ones that honor their bodies and take breaks when they need to. So, start where you are, practice consistently and pay attention to what’s happening on the inside, not the outside.

Looking to start your yoga practice but not sure where to begin? The next Intro to Roots Beginner Series at Honor Yoga begins January 10th. Learn more>>