Hi Perselus,
I’m glad you found my post useful.
That was how i started(just over 4yrs ago); i had a free pass because of the income bracket i was in( in the uk you get council-run leisure/gym facilities where the ‘fitness’ classes are free for low-income/unemployed folk), and i just forced myself to go, even though i felt a bit odd with all the females(m/f ratio) in the class.
After about 9 months i graduated to a swanky studio.
Though i trust, or rather hope, you won’t make the mistakes i made.Long , & slightly complicated,story… but It pays to be as well informed as possible, and to find the best teacher in town you can find for the particular style you might feel drawn to.
Learn good habits from someone that really knows their craft- an asana teacher.
Just keep on exploring and absorbing: and of course [B][U]practicing[/U][/B]; that is how you learn this art and science.
You might not get this now, i certainly did’nt when i started, but The essence of yoga can be missed if we don’t address all the limbs, and likely we will get less than optimal results too.
Use this forum, use videos, books but try to attend a few classes.You could be a natural but i could’nt have concevied back then just over 4 years a go starting off with learning the asana through a book having not attended at least one class- i think my motivation would have been lacking- i would’nt have had the patience…You need to be sold the benefits first…The first class was the introduction; then once i was hooked sucessive class a couple more were the motivation to start practicing at home.For me this was about 6 weeks into it. I do remember looking around at other students on my first or second class- this was my cue and working out where exactly which limb went where…
Rememeber the elements of-
-Your breathing
-One pointedness of mind-a relaxed mental focus but simultaneous surrender such as while in the pose.
-staring straight ahead-drishti-:o also helps, as can closing the eyes which assists the process of going inwards (which is really what yoga is all about- the asanas prepare one , the body-mind,for the real business of meditation- that is their purpose)- the gaze however can vary with respect to direction( see for example the manual i enclose).
Some stuff might take a while to take in fully or one won’t quite have got it, or at least absorbed it into our practice.Levels are kinda misleading in yoga;the stuff we practice is what helps us in our living so that can depend on the person.
Finally ,assuming you are fit & healthy, and if ashtanga vinyasa yoga might pique your interest then i include a manual for training purposes.
Even if you elect some other style of asana practice that is more alignment based and safer then you should get alot from this manual , at least about some of the principles and a worded summary of the essence, that are common to alot of the styles.It was written at a time when there were no manuals as such, just teacher-student relationships.This was the way yoga was taught in the past before it was brought to the west and we no doubt kinda watered it down into a fitness pursuit and commercialized it like everything else.Better you start somewhere though than not at all, in my view.If you visit any high-street book shop you’re likely to encounter a lot of bumpf – glossy pictures and feeble instructions of folk in positions- the shatkarmas often are’nt mentioned, or basic pranayama or the patanjali’s n model of the eight limbs etc etc
You can pick up regular pvc mats at online yoga shops or ebay should be able to for under ten british pounds- don’t know what that is in dollars. And if you see posh-looking plush studios- don’t be intimidated as you’re really best to start off with a senior asana teacher with preferably decades of experience.Learn good habits from the start and all that- like breathing for example.Much of yoga can be found in the breath.
By the way, in Sivananda Yoga,another popular style/school, - there is generally about 12 classic asanas( though i would’nt recommend shoulderstand or plow pose for everyone- i for one don’t practice these) but they are held long- i am generally in favour of this like sometimes up to 5 mins or more. I think you can get better results from this and it cultivates the letting-go attitude that is so helpful to going deeper.There’s a book called ‘yoga-mind & body’ by the sivananda yoga vedanta centre, that is a nice wee introduction.
Hope this helps.
