Choosing the right yoga class can sometimes be frustrating beginners. Most people who are interested in learning and benefitting from yoga practice are caught off guard by the over 100 different styles of yoga to choose from. Not only the task of choosing which style is right for their lifestyle, the beginner must decided to what degree of dedication they are willing to give to yoga practice.
Researching the styles
Before you run out and join the first yoga class you find in the yellow pages, research the different styles of yoga. Each style has different levels of restriction and dedication. Because some use yoga as a religious practice, it is very important that you inform yourself of any “changes” you might have to go through to comply with each style of yoga. There are a huge variety of books of the different styles of yoga that you can easily check out from the library or read online. Web searches are also a good resource in learning about the many forms.
What’s right for you?
Once you’ve researched the many branches of yoga you have to decide which is right for you. Question you should ask yourself are “Am I prepared to alter my diet”, “How much time do I have to practice?” and “Am I doing this simply for exercise, for religious enlightenment or both”. Once you’ve answered those questions you can compare your answers to the teachings of each style of yoga to find your perfect match.
Choosing a class
Most community gyms offer yoga classes for beginners. Sometimes people offer classes in their homes. When deciding you need to keep in mind the costs, requirements, class schedule, and style the instructor is teaching. If you aren’t already of the gym where the class is being offered you will have to pay for membership fees and sometimes additional class fees. If you choose to practice at someone’s home, you will have to buy all of your own materials. Sometimes gyms require that you wear specific workout clothing for yoga classes and that too can become expensive for a beginner. Making sure your work and family schedule fits the class schedule is also important. You don’t want to sign up and pay for a class you will not be able to attend on a regular basis. It is a good idea to select a few classes that seem to fit your needs, observe each class for one meeting to see how they work together and then choose your class. Yoga is a teaching of meditation and you can’t meditate effectively is you are uncomfortable with your surrounds.
If you can’t find a class in your community that fits your needs, there are thousands of yoga DVDs, books, and websites that can teach you the basics of most yoga practices.