Beyond beginnings
6 things to help make your first yoga experience enjoyable and rewarding. By Dawn Wesselby
Feeling excited or apprehensive about your first class? Here are six things to consider that will help to make your first experience of yoga both enjoyable and rewarding:
1. Be honest about health
Whether you’re attending a class face to face or online, expect to be asked to complete a health questionnaire. This provides the tutor with information about any medical conditions or health issues. There are any number of physical and mental health issues that might be of relevance to your teacher so be honest. The more your teacher knows about you, the better your experience in class will be, because any appropriate changes and modifications can be made, without drawing attention to you personally. If it’s a face to face class, arrive a little before it is due to begin, because it can be daunting as a new practitioner walking into a room of people eagerly sat on their yoga mats. If it’s online, join early or ask to have 5 minutes with the teacher in private beforehand. Teachers should offer you the opportunity to discuss your health and assure you of confidentiality and compliance with GDPR regulations. You should feel confident that any health information disclosed will be respected.