Online Beginner's Yoga
If you’ve never tried yoga before, you may feel nervous about attending your first session, especially if it’s online. You’re not alone. Many of us had misgivings before starting a yoga practice. So I’ve put together my answers to some of the questions I’m most frequently asked by people who are thinking about beginning yoga online right now.
I’ve never done yoga before and I’m worried that I’ll feel self-conscious because I don’t think I have a ‘yoga body’: is yoga really for me?
You’re not alone in thinking that way. For lots of us, it can take ages to pluck up the courage to try our first yoga class. I remember being worried that I was too unfit to do yoga and that my body didn’t look anything like the ones I saw in adverts/books about yoga. I’ve heard many people say something similar.
But there’s no need to worry.
It’s a myth that you need to be flexible to do yoga. Or that you need to be young, strong, fit, highly mobile or look fabulous in a fancy pair of leggings.
If you can breathe, you can do yoga. It can be practised by anyone, regardless of age, mobility or fitness.
In our small and friendly sessions the focus is on building a safe and sustainable yoga practice which works for you and your body.
But I also have a medical condition/I’ve undergone recent surgery. Can I still attend?
Before you begin, I’ll ask you to fill out a health questionnaire. The information you provide will be treated in strictest confidence but will help us look at how we can adapt the yoga practice to work around any issues you may have.
What equipment do I need?
For our online beginner’s course, you will probably want to have a yoga mat but you don’t need to buy an expensive one. When it comes to all other props, you can improvise. I’ll make suggestions of different household items you can use as props each week.
What should I wear?
Wear comfortable clothes and have an extra layer handy as it can get chilly when we’re lying down on the floor for relaxation. You don’t need any fancy gear - a pair of old jogging bottoms and t-shirt will do just fine. You’ll need to take off shoes and socks, as we practise in bare feet.
Should I eat before the session?
It’s best to avoid eating a large meal for about 3 hours before your yoga session. A light snack about an hour before is fine. Do keep a drink handy in case you need to hydrate.
I haven’t used Zoom before. How does it work?
It’s pretty simple. Before your first session, I’ll send you details of how it all works. If you haven’t used Zoom before, we can have a practice run beforehand if you like, so that you get the hang of things.
What if I have to miss one of the 4 sessions?
Each session will be recorded and sent to you afterwards. You’ll have access to it for 7 days, so it won’t matter if you have to miss a session. You can also use the recording as many times as you like during the 7 days to practise what you’ve learned in each session.
What will I learn in 4 weeks?
We’ll start and finish each session with a gentle relaxation. In between, we’ll look at different breathing practices and how we can link our breath and movement. You can expect to become confident at practising lots of different yoga poses and how you can vary these to suit how you feel on any given day. We’ll look at different meditation techniques too and at some of the teachings of yoga, which can help us in our daily lives. There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions. And in our final week, we’ll put it all together, so that you will hopefully feel confident enough to join a regular class or to begin building your own home yoga practice.
I can’t make this course? Will you be running it again?
Yes, I will be running the beginner’s course at intervals throughout the year.
Do you offer any in-person yoga sessions?
Not at the moment, no. Before lockdown, I offered weekly sessions in Fradley, Wall, Stonnall and Shenstone and a monthly Restorative yoga class at Humble Warrior Studio in the centre of Lichfield. I also offered one to one sessions or small group sessions in the privacy of your own home and corporate sessions. However, for now, all my sessions remain online via Zoom. I do hope to return to in-person teaching once social distancing measures and the procedures we currently need to follow in community halls and the workplace have been relaxed.
One more thing ….
If you have any further questions about the course, please feel free to get in touch. If you’d like to chat things through before deciding whether to commit to the course, I’m more than happy to do that too.
I look forward to meeting you online soon!
Maria