I was 17 when I did my first yoga class, and it was on a Wii Fit. I was 18 when I started going to Hot Yoga classes off the U.C. campus. Looking back now, I hardly recognize that girl on that mat. I was ego-fueled and A-Type competitive. I was an insomniac with depression, anxiety, ADD and OCD. I would go to the gym for hours on end during the day and stay up all night studying. I laughed at the instructor who told me that yoga would find its way into my life off the mat…but she was right. Yoga brought me peace of mind, mental and physical health. It has been a constant for me in a world of chaos. Yoga has given me space for myself, time for myself, and taught me to be by myself.

Today I want to share with you the things that I wish I had known the first time I had walked stepped onto a mat.

How To Breathe

Yup, I was not breathing correctly. That is a thing. Yup, this is common.

Put your hand on your belly. Take a deep breath in and a deep breath out. When you breathe in, does your belly inflate or deflate? If it inflates (like a babies belly) on the inhale, and delfates on the exhale, then you are breathing correctly. If it the opposite, bring your attention more to your breath and you can change this over time. This “wrong” way is very common in todays society, and it is a shallow breath that often happens with anxiety. We want to focus more on this deep, calming breath that aids the body.

Gaze

Stop looking around. You do not need to see what Jim and Sally are doing. How their poses look does not matter. And you do not need to look at the instructor for everything, they are guiding you with their voices more than their bodies. Where you look matters.

Your “drishti,” or inner gaze, is important. This is where you set your eyes and your focus/intention. This will help bring more balance to your body and practice. When you are trying to balance and are looking around, you will fall. Find a focus point that works for you, inside and out, and hold your attention there. Let yourself be still.

It’s Okay To Fall Out

If you do fall out of the pose, it is okay. Do not roll up your mat and quit. Everyone falls out at some point. You can be a “master” of the pose one day, and a “newbie” the next. Your body changes, your mental state changes, your practice changes – every day. If you fall out, gently find your way back into the pose. 

Compassion

There is no room for judgement on your mat. This is a safe space where you show up for you. So, move with compassion. Be in compassion. If you feel heavy and bogged down, do not beat yourself up. Have a more gentle practice. Learn to listen to yourself and do what feels best for your body each day. Open the space for love and understanding. You would do that for your best friend, so why would you not do it for yourself?

Not A Competition

Gosh darn it, leave Jim and Sally out of your practice. They have been practicing for 10 years and Sally is a freakin’ ballerina. Their bodies are not yours, their stories are not yours, their practice is not yours. That little rectangle you are standing on is yours. This is your (compassion) zone and your (self-care) time. Stop looking at them, stop trying to go “deeper” into the stretch because that is what “they” look like. Your practice is about you, not “them.” As you continue to show up for yourself, and only yourself, you will find “they” fall away easier and easier. And that is when your practice is your own.

Modify/Listen To Your Body

Just because the instructor says to go into a certain pose, does not mean you have to. You do not have to do anything. Your body is different than anyone elses. And unless you have told your instructor absolutely every detail of your medical/injury history, they will not know! So, trust yourself. Hell, listen to yourself. Never go to pain. If you are wincing in a stretch, that stretch is not for you. You can back out of it as needed, and find (or even ask!) for a variation better suited for you.

Props Are Friends, Not Foes

I LOVE PROPS. I did not used to though.. I let my ego get in the way. The instructor would tell me to get a prop, and I would think that it was a sign of weakness. That I was not able to show my depth of practice if I had a prop. Cotten headed ninny muffin, was that some ego.

Get the freakin’ block, strap, blanket, bolster- all of it! They will help you find the stretch more. Again, for the people in the back– props can help you find the stretch more.

They can help you go deeper. They can aid you in finding the correct alignment for your body. Once you know how to incorporate them, the options are just about limitless!

These are seven tips I wish someone would have told me long ago. I hope they help you as they have helped me over time!

Namaste y’all