Preparing Yourself for Yoga

If you are beginner to yoga or are performing it after a very long time, it is important to check with your medical practitioner to ensure that it is safe for you at this time. This is especially important if you are suffering from a disease or have undergone surgery or medical treatment recently. While yoga is one of the most holistic forms of exercising the mind and body and helping them stay balanced, depending on the form of yoga you choose you need to ensure that your level of fitness is up to it. This is especially true of the vigorous forms of yoga such as power yoga or Bikram yoga.

Preparing yourself for yoga requires both physical as well as mental preparation. This is a form of exercise where you can’t just go through the moves but need to be attuned to your body. It involves not just ‘asanas’ but also breathing techniques and meditative states.

Here is how you can prepare yourself for yoga:
• As a beginner always perform yoga under the supervision of a trained instructor. Do speak to your instructor about what you expect from the routine and what you should be prepared for.

• Choose a yoga class that suits your biorhythm. So if you are a lark, join a morning class, and if you are an owl opt for an evening class. Yoga requires commitment and dedication and practicing at an hour that is most comfortable to you is important.
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Don’t eat 2-3 hours before your yoga class. This also means that you shouldn’t be skipping meals when you are doing yoga as you require both stamina and strength to perform it.

• Use the washroom to clear your bladder and bowels before you are ready for your yoga class.

• You may also wish to wash your hands and face to help you relax for the class.

• Ensure that you stay well hydrated during the day when you will perform yoga as it can be quite invigorating and can dehydrate you. This is especially true if you are performing Bikram yoga, which is done in a hot and humid room. It is a good idea to keep a bottle of water beside you at class.

• Wear loose clothing to your yoga class so that you can comfortably practice the ‘asanas’.

• You will need a yoga mat for your class. Opt for a non-clip mat that tends to stick to the floor and does not slip. Also don’t use a mat that is too soft and may cause you to slip.

• If you are performing Iyengar yoga you would need to also ensure that the required props are either available at the yoga studio or that you take them along.

• You may wish to wear socks to keep warm till it is time for your class and then remove them.

Unless you are ill it is safe to go to your yoga class even if you are feeling stressed or exhausted. In fact you will find that the class will end up invigorating you and take a load of your shoulders and mind.