I Would Like To Try Yoga But…

As a yoga teacher, I often meet people who say they would like to try yoga, but .... they’re a bit overwhelmed by all the different types of yoga (which one should I do?).  They wish they had tried it when they were younger and fitter, and they’re afraid they’re not flexible enough now to do a class.  They don’t want to feel embarrassed if they can’t do the “moves.”  They have bad knees or other lingering injuries.  And they don’t have the time.  Well, I can’t help you with that last one, but I can put your mind at ease with many of the other worries around starting a yoga practice, especially at CSY.

You don’t have to be flexible to do yoga.  Many of our students are stiff when they start our classes.  You will not be alone!  We have had students who couldn’t tie their shoelaces.  By the end of the term,  these are the students who will notice the biggest changes – being able to bend over more comfortably and stand straighter.  We do a lot of warm-ups in our Beginner and Breathe Stretch and Restore classes and then focus on gently stretching the muscles.

You can do yoga even if you are out of shape, if you have bad knees, a bad back, MS, or any number of other illnesses.  Yoga is infinitely adaptable, so as long as you choose the right class (small, so you get some personal attention), and a good, experienced teacher, you can do a yoga class and get many of the benefits that yoga has to offer – feeling stretched and strong, leaving class with a sense of peace and wellbeing.  At CSY, we offer a Gentle and Adaptive class which shows you how to do the yoga poses while seated or by using props.  It’s a dynamic, creative class, customized for people who’d prefer to do their class while sitting or standing with support.

No one is looking at you.  There are no mirrors in the studio and believe it or not, everyone is very focused on themselves, not the people around them.  You can proceed at your own pace without worrying about a sense of competition among the people on the floor.

You can do yoga at any age.  Our students range from toddlers (Itsy Bitsy class – Saturday mornings) up to people in their 70s.

~Cheryl Smith