How to Choose Your First Yoga Class
The yoga world is vast. It can be very difficult to know where to start if you are new to yoga, or even where to go next if you’ve been practicing for a while. In this second installment of ‘How to Start Doing Yoga’ I’m going to give some guidance on how to choose the right yoga class for you.
As you know if you’ve read part one, my recent favourite quote is that ‘there are as many yogas as there are yogis’ (Colin Hall in Yoga International). I think this perfectly encapsulates how yoga has the potential to be accessible and enjoyed by everyone, but at the same time how dizzyingly vast the options are for what kind of yoga to do.
So you’ve decided you’d like to give yoga a try, but now you discover there are thousands of different classes available to you, and all the yoga teacher bios say roughly the same thing, how are you supposed to choose a class? In this guide we’ll cover whether to practice online or in person, choosing between styles of yoga, how to decide if a class is right for you and what to do next. I’d love to know if it is helpful or if you have any questions in the comments.
Online or In Person?
If I had written this piece this time last year, whether to practice in person or online would not have been a remote concern. I might have mentioned the swathes of pre-recorded video yoga sessions available on YouTube, Yoga on Gaia and Yoga International, but the idea of live, in-person classes was non-existent. However, in 2020 the majority of yoga teachers have been offering their classes online for several months now, and we’ve gotten pretty good at it.
We’ve learned how to engage our students through a screen, how to create an atmosphere and how to offer adjustments without being in the room with our students. I think almost any teacher will say that teaching/practicing in person is better, but online is now pretty damn good. I’ve also loved that so many people who have come to my classes online have said they never would have stepped foot in a yoga studio otherwise, as they’d find it too intimidating.
Your first decision to make is whether to practice online or in person, here are some things to think about.
Online:
Have you got a stable internet connection? This is the only thing you really need to practice online.
Have you got/can you carve out enough space in your home? You just need enough space to roll out a yoga mat.
Does the idea of going to a class in person make you feel self-conscious or nervous? Practicing online can feel a bit safer, you know that no one else except the teacher can see you (you can even turn your video off but I don’t recommend doing this as having it on helps the teacher to give you personalised cues and see how you are responding to the class).
In Person:
Are you comfortable exercising indoors with others? You will be well-spaced out and there will be Covid-19 safety measures in place but it’s ok if you are still not ready for this yet.
Do you think you are likely to be distracted or interrupted at home? A yoga space is great for taking you out of your daily life and encouraging you to focus on the task at hand.
Do you want to feel the energy of others moving and breathing together in the same room? This for me is the absolute best thing about practicing in person, we can build a really magical atmosphere together this way.
There is no right answer. Ask yourself these questions before you decide which way to go. In fact all my classes are available to join online for the moment, and I’m teaching in person on Tuesday evenings.
2. What style of yoga should I do?
Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Yin, Restorative, Power, Forrest, Kundalini, Jivamukti, the variety of yoga styles available can be overwhelming. These practices can be so distinctly different that it is hard to see how they could all belong to the same tradition. Yet they have a few crucial things in common. Firstly they all help us to build connection between the mind and the body and the breath. This is embedded in the meaning of the word ‘yoga’ which means to ‘yoke’ or connect. Secondly they will all include some combination of moving your body in a deliberate way (this is what Vinyasa means) and a breathing practice. This is pretty much where the similarities end.
The really important thing to keep in mind is that each of these named practices contains multitudes. Every teacher brings their own style and experience to the practice. Some teachers also prefer not to use these labels at all and to stick to teaching ‘Yoga’. I think the labels are useful to set up some basic expectations about the yoga that you will be practicing, while acknowledging that two hatha classes can be very different. Later on we’ll get into these variations in more detail, but when you’re choosing your class it’s useful to have an understanding of what you can generally expect from each style. This list is by no means exhaustive. It is here to be a starting point. So, a quick fire impression of what to expect:
Hatha - The most general descriptor of a class type, because in a way most of the yoga we practice in the west today can be described as Hatha yoga. Expect to move through a sequence of poses fairly slowly, holding each one for a few breaths. The poses may be linked with transitions but it won’t be as flowing as Ashtanga or Vinyasa.
Ashtanga - a fixed sequence of poses which flow one to the next. Ashtanga is usually fast paced and challenging, designed to build up a sweat and achieve challenging poses. You probably won’t use any props. In Ashtanga you’ll repeat the exact same sequence every time, building up your strength and flexibility with repetition. Getting to know the sequence can also allow the movement to become meditative.
Iyengar - Expect a slow sequence using a lot of props for support and guidance with a very particular attention to alignment. This is a precise style, designed to be helpful for those working with injuries. While it’s slow it can still be very strong as a practice. BKS Iyengar who invented this practice previously taught and studied Ashtanga yoga. He is in many ways one of the forefathers of modern yoga and there’s so much more to know about him but for brevity I’m going to direct you here to find out more.
Vinyasa - this is inspired by and derived from Ashtanga but leaves behind the fixed sequence in favour of a more creative ever-changing sequence. Vinyasa can be fast paced and challenging but tends to be a bit easier on the body than Ashtanga, which can be harsh. Vinyasa is very commonly taught in the West as it is flowing and energetic, but has room for teaching yoga philosophy as well as anatomy and physiology. I mainly teach Vinyasa yoga and you can book a class here >
Power - Power yoga is all about the workout, it is designed to make you work hard. This is inspired by Ashtanga and Vinyasa practices so tends to follow the same idea of flowing between poses and building heat in the body. There tends to be less focus on yoga philosophy in Power Yoga classes and more emphasis on anatomy and physiology and modern movement patterns.
Bikram/Hot Yoga - You may have heard of Bikram Yoga and it’s notorious founder Bikram Choudhury (if not I recommend ESPN’s 30 for 30 podcast series on him it is fascinating). I wouldn’t recommend a specific Bikram class for this reason, but hot yoga is still well worth a try. (Many teachers who trained with Bikram now teach hot yoga and have differentiated themselves from him and his proprietary style). In terms of what to expect, you’ll be in a hot room, designed to mimic the heat of India, and then will move through a yoga sequence. The sequence itself can vary between classes but it will generally be a bit slower than a vinyasa class thanks to the heat. You will be sweaty, you may also find the heat makes you more flexible and hot yoga can feel a bit like a trip to a sauna.
Yin - Yin yoga brings together yoga with the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. In a Yin class you will work through a series of poses, supported by as many props as you need, and holding each one for several minutes. This is a much slower pace of yoga class than the others mentioned above, but it’s no less intense. The long holds can release muscles, fascia and even emotions throughout your body. It can be very calming while also being fairly physically demanding.
Restorative - restorative yoga does what it says on the tin. Everything in a restorative class is about relaxation, restoration and rest. Again you will probably use a lot of props and hold poses for longer than the average class, but these will be much more restful and comfortable poses than in a yin class. Restorative yoga is probably the style of yoga that we all need the most, although it can be difficult at first to take things so slowly and calmly if you’re used to a hectic life.
I have missed many wonderful styles out here, but if I tried to list them all we’d be here all night. So some others you may want to research include Kundalini, Scaravelli and Forrest, as well as Aerial and Acro yoga. You may disagree with my characterisation of the above styles, that’s ok, I’ve tried to give the most general description of each style that I can based on my own experience with them, but I am no expert in them all.
I highly recommend you try more than one style before you make up your mind about whether you like yoga at all and which style is for you. Many yogis combine a few different styles in their practice which can be a nice way to bring about variety. There may be a style which you really dislike, and that’s ok you can still find a yoga that works for you.
3. What else do I need to think about?
What time of day do you like to exercise? Are you an early bird or an evening owl? Do you want to fit a class into your lunch break?
As well as trying different styles of yoga, try different teachers too, two teachers can even take the same sequence (e.g. Ashtanga) and teach it in completely different ways. In many ways the teacher matters more than the style.
This trial process might sound expensive, but many studios and teachers offer a first class for free or a discounted rate - and it really is worth trying a few.
4. How do I know if that yoga class was right for me?
Here are some questions to ask yourself after a class to work out if that was the kind of yoga class to suit your body and mind.
Did you feel welcome and comfortable in the space?
Did you feel able to access at least half of the class, it’s ok if you couldn’t go for some of the more challenging poses, you’ll get there
Did you like and trust the teacher?
How did you feel during the class?
Does the style of movement work for your body and your current ability?
How do you feel now after the class?
Is it at a convenient time and location for you to fit into your regular routine?
5. I’ve tried lots of different yoga classes, what next?
Once you’ve found a class/teacher/style that works for you, do stick with it for a while in order to build up your knowledge and experience with some consistency. However it’s important to remain open minded in your practice and keep trying new things every now and again. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 10 years now and my preferences have changed a lot over that time. I recommend you keep trying things out for as long as you practice yoga, there is always something new to learn or a new perspective to be gained.