There are two kinds of people in this world—those who yoga and those who don’t and transitioning from the category of the latter to the former could be one hell of a journey! The body and mind have to enter a whole different dimension to be truly in yoga, and though there is no one formula-fits-all guide to be a yogi, there is a pattern of common mistakes tenderfeet in the yoga way make, that, with a little care can be avoided.
Attiring Up Wrong
Yoga is a call of the East, bringing into mind the 60’s counterculture and the hippie-ness, fashion-wise. Yoga makes anyone want to dress like Janis Joplin or Joan Baez—all loose and floral flairs. The aura is so strong, that you will find a lot of enthusiasts today signing up for the intensive yoga teacher training in India- the land of its origination.
Baggy and breathable in yoga wear may seem reasonable, but this is only deceptive. In actuality, the slack dressing has a higher chance of slipping off shoulders or flowing the wrong way when doing one of the harder straddles, inversions, or forward bends from your posture book. Imagine the kind of discomfort and cautiousness you need to maintain in dressing like that!
Instead, you can define your style with athleisure —a take on sportswear that makes the look as suitable for yoga classes as for running errands, a day at the beach, or even go to work maybe! Athleisure may mean fitting yoga pants that guarantees comfort and make your curves look good, and cropped tees teamed with a long coat. It’s the perfect fit for a busy scheduled day where a couple of hours of yoga and workout need slotting in with much effort.
Remember to choose your fabric wisely. Preferably, moisture-wicking polyester!
Going On the Mat with Footwear On
Sounds ridiculous? But happens all the time. Yoga underlings in 200 hour YTTC performing yoga in their initial learning stage are often found bend into poses with multi-padded socks and shoes on, trying to hype some rugged gym feel. This can undermine the entire notion of shraddha or mutual vibes of respect that a yoga class must ideally nurture. You really don’t want to shove the flat of your shoe on a fellow practitioner’s face.
Come with full mindfulness over your body and being, the level of awareness should be such, that even the tip of your toes could be sensed in all profundity. Don’t limit the range of your sensations with shoes or socks clamped shut on your feet, just leave them to the door.
Getting the Bad Jitters
The jitters of attempting a new activity is something we all have experienced but check your mind thoroughly, is it happening from comparing yourself with a fellow learner lying next? The perspective has to change. From feeling insecure and incapable, rise to absorbing inspiration from other talents. Don’t be hasty, jumping to advanced postures just to match up with someone else. Be an observer with an open mind instead, hang on to the challenges, and everything else will come. You are going to be a newbie just once!
The Impulse to Show-off
You could be doing the postures amazingly well or going a tad low with the performance. What is important is, your intent is in the right place, to be mindful and wholly involved in the process, body, mind, and spirit. Refrain from the impulse to go overboard with your well-done postures, secretly everyone to look at you and shower with praises. That’s very wrong approach and will eventually undermine your discipline of mindfulness. Be calm and delve deeper to connect with your inner self, nothing else matters.
Keeping the Phone On
It’s a simple matter of common sense to hush the phone while you are toiling it out on the mat. Minimize distractions and benefits of yoga maximized are going to be all yours!
Mixing Up Spaces
To have one’s own space is of the utmost importance in a discipline which is by nature introspective. You really don’t want to be caught in another person’s energy web as the discipline deepens. Be careful not to go for yoga classes that huddle up the students in a bunch inside a small room. The ideal setting for this kind of introspective discipline is to choose an island of calm secluded from the usual hullabaloo of life, like a weeklong retreat of yoga and ayurveda program in India.
Rushing Up Your Yoga
It is advisable to leave your busy bee spirit out of the door when entering the sanctum of yoga practice. The height of insensitivity in beginners is found when they think it is okay to leave the mat in the last phase, the rest period of savasana at the conclusion of a dynamic asana practice session.
Don’t make that mistake, the most beautiful part of the session will then be missed!
