Don’t panic!  Every single person in class has had to take their first yoga class.  I remember my very first class.  I get to the studio before my friend and felt very claustrophobic by the small check in space and huge group of “all-natural” looking folks.

I rented a mat and was told to place it within the tape lines.  I was so confused, and of course, when I got into the actual room I was overwhelmed by the heat and humidity.  As class went on I smelled a few funky smells, I got dripped on by another man’s sweat, I thought I was going to faint once when I stood up too quickly and I nearly had a panic attack because the humidity and closeness to the people next to me was just too much.

A lot has changed since then.  I was aware of all the benefits and was determined to do it.  Now I can master intermediate level poses.  I always place my mat at the front of the room and embrace the humidity and even a little bit of neighbor’s sweat!

Just show up and guaranteed, you will feel calm within minutes.

Just to preface this blog, I am referring to a heated vinyasa practice, though these rules can be applied to any class.

Here are the helpful hints to your first time doing yoga:

What To Wear:  Well, it seems like a given, but you definitely want to wear pants perhaps like these!   Shorts may show a little too much off to your fellow yogis but if you really want to show off your asana, then stick to tight shorts.  Crops are also a good choice – they will keep you from sliding off your mat or out of your arm balance.

A tank is also a good call since a t-shirt may feel a little too restrictive and hot.  I love my Lulu Lemon Tanks but trust me – you don’t have to wear Lulu to fit in!

Clean feet are also a good idea since you’ll be barefoot, and of course, bring a hair tie!

What To Bring:  A mat or money to rent a mat.  Generally all studios have mats to rent for a minimal fee.  A mat towel is another good idea, but if you have no idea what a “mat towel” is, then you most likely don’t own one and you can just bring a big beach towel.  A face towel would be a good call too – I would die without mine.  The feeling of sweat trickling down my cheeks or shoulders is just too much for me to stand!

Water.  Trust me.  You won’t guzzle it, but you will need it.

An open mind.  You may find yourself twisted like a pretzel or doing weird breathing techniques, but just roll with it.

What To Eat: Don’t make any changes to your normal eating habits.  The only rule of thumb here is to not eating 1 -  hours before class.  Sorry if this is TMI, but as you digest your food your stomach might not feel comfortable in some of the poses.  Many vinyasa classes include a lot of twists which stimulate the digestive system as it is, so having an empty or empty-ish stomach will help prevent this awkward feeling!

Oh, and btw, people don’t really “let ‘em rip” in class!

Be prepared though – after class you will definitely be hungry so bring a snack like this

What To Expect: Expect heat and humidity.  My studio is heated to 95 degrees before class, which means it gets hotter as we practice.  I go to other studios that are heated to about 80 degrees which is not as stifling.  Many studios also have humidifiers so it will feel like a sauna but this aids in helping your body open up quickly.

Expect happiness.  Yoga teachers are seriously the happiest people on earth.  They welcome their students with smiles, cheers and big hugs.  Everyone in class feeds off of this energy and it’s almost odd how much each class is like a celebration.

Expect to work hard.  Yoga isn’t just stretching.  We strengthen.  We balance.  We twist.  We stabilize.  We stand on our heads.  We jump upside down.  Sure, some classes are slower paced than others, but most of the classes I attend I walk out feeling like I had my butt kicked a little, but like Santa just brought me new, much more open hamstrings!

Expect to breathe.  Yoga is all about the breath.  With every movement you breathe in and you breathe out.  Sometimes you may get into a pose that makes you feel really unbalanced or even anxious, but you just breathe and you will get through it! Yoga teaches amazing deep breathing techniques that can help lower your heart rate in any situation.

Expect to relax.  In a Vinyasa style class we work hard to strengthen our muscles and warm our bodies up so we can open them with floor work.  That’s where the magic happens!  When you stop holding tension in your shoulders and your hips, you can finally know what it is to relax.

Check out this video I shot in a few of my classes:

Do you have any tips you’d like to add to this list?
If you have any questions about yoga, ask away!  I highly encourage a regular yoga practice so I’ll be happy to answer and tell you anything you’d like to know!

Kyra,

The Get In Shape Girl

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I had heard about the Twins – Amy and Ali – two blonde girls who opened their own studio in south Florida, guiding students through a practice which brings them together as the Twins have been together their whole lives.  I knew Twin Power Yoga would be a perfect place for me to get my yoga on while I was traveling.

The Twin Power Yoga studio I went to is on Clematis Street, but they do have another studio in Palm Beach Gardens.  I was able to park right out front of the studio at a metered spot, but I know their is at least one garage nearby.  Although it is on the second floor, it was really easy to find because of the large sign on the sidewalk.

I was greeted by a really sweet girl who signed me in.  I borrowed a mat (which by the way I was stoked when I realized they rent Manduka mats to their students, which is my favorite brand of mat, what I always practice on) and paid for one class which was $20.  That’s a bit steep for a drop in class but I paid and went into the room.

The space is really large.  The reception area was decorated gorgeously with crystal chandeliers and your standard Buddha statutes.  The space is brand new – with gorgeous tile floor and walls the color of the ocean.  The studio itself is also enormous – I believe the room fits over 100 mats.  The floor in the studio is a beautiful dark hardwood floor and the walls are also blue/ green except the ones on the corner that are made of floor to ceiling windows that allow the gorgeous Florida sun to shine through.

The teacher who lead the practice at Twin Power Yoga was great!  Her name is Cat Cabot and her energy was the exact energy of a teacher I enjoy practicing with.  She showed us child’s pose first and offered easier and more advanced modifications for all of our poses.  She moved quickly through all of the sun salutations and guided us through a flow that would energize us for the rest of the day.  Her sunny attitude matched the radiance of the southern sunshine.

I cannot wait until I get to go back to Twin Power Yoga!

Positives:

• Great location
• Gorgeous space
• Awesome teacher

Negatives:

• $20 drop in rate + tax
• Room only heated to about 90 degrees
• Not enough classes

Kyra,

The Get In Shape Girl

Want to begin strength training to help you get stronger in your yoga practice?

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Goldie studied Psychology at the University of Florida and lead group and one-on-one therapy sessions as a Mental Health Counselor.  As she pursued her career in medicine she found yoga.  She has completed a 200+ certification as an instructor and is working trward a 500 hour certification.  To read more about Goldie and find out when she’s teaching near you, check out her site HERE.

Not that this article is targeted towards men, but one of the first things a guy says when you mention yoga is, “ I’m so inflexible!” Honestly, guys and gals, yoga is not just about being flexible. Yes, that is one byproduct of asana (posture or physical practice) but it’s not the one and only. There are many layers involved in why one practices yoga, and the benefits each individual derives from the ancient practice dating back over 5000 years ago. I could write at length about my viewpoints on why yoga is so incredibly beneficial, but instead, I will hone in on why yoga is valuable for athletes and weight lifters alike.

Skeletal muscle is made up of bundles of muscle fibers called myocytes, which is just a silly word for muscle cells. Within each muscle cell there are strands of proteins that connect to each other and pull, thereby shortening the muscle and causing it to contract.

Then there are something called slow twitch muscles and fast twitch muscles. Slow twitch muscles are more efficient as using oxygen to generate ATP, or “energy” for an extended amount of time when muscles are contracting. These muscles are in use for marathon runners and/or allowing yogis to practice yoga for a 90-minute yoga class or even a three-hour workshop. Fast twitch muscles on the other hand use anaerobic metabolism to create energy or fuel for the body, and are put to use when needing short bursts of strength or energy. These muscle fibers are used for weight lifters or sprinters, for example. Now that we understand what a muscle is actually composed of and how they react to activity, we are able to discuss why yoga is advantageous to any athlete or weight lifter.

The keep it short, sweet, and not boring, (let’s be honest- we all want to get off our computers and outside or to a yoga class, right?) We have all lifted weights at one point or another, and if you haven’t, heavy groceries or moving boxes counts, and we have all done some stretching or made our way into a yoga class. These types of movements make our bodies feel different depending on which form of exercise we choose. When lifting weights, our muscles contract, fill up with blood, and we often times feel “pumped.” The reason this happens is because lifting weights causes microscopic tears to form in the fiber and connective tissue of muscles, and these tears fatigue the muscles and also lead to the rebuilt muscle to increase in size, strength, and muscle capability. Over time, this constant contraction of muscles and the microscopic “damage” it’s causing your muscle causes tightness and can lead to injuries.  This is where the yoga or stretching comes in.

Yoga lengthens muscles, increases flexibility, gives service to bruised muscles, eliminates toxins, and also teaches us how to breathe with less effort, less force, and more ease. As many of us athletes and weight lifters know, stretching is normally the last thing that’s on the agenda when you’re at the gym, and before you know it you’re distracted and hungry and ready to leave without having stretched. Adding yoga to your weekly routine is beneficial in that not only will your muscles thank you, but you can also apply some of the knowledge you learn on the mat, and bring it into the gym. For example, some lifting techniques promote inappropriate flexibility and range of motion (ROM) around joints that need stability, such as squatting with hyper mobile lumbar spine or overhead lifting with hyper mobile shoulders. These are very dangerous if done the wrong way because of being misinformed or uninformed. No one says you have to stop weight lifting altogether, just sprinkle some lengthening love into your life in the form of yoga!  My advice; add a few yoga classes to your weekly routine. The body awareness and knowledge you can gain on the mat can be applied off the mat and in the gym.

The other day, I sang in front of a room-full of people for the first time since I screwed up a rendition of “Happy Birthday” in an elementary school audition. I LOVE singing… in the shower, in my car, and anywhere that’s far far away from another set of ears.  But, despite that “I-think-I-might-pass-out” feeling that arises with the worst of nerves, I did it. The notes weren’t pretty, they weren’t perfectly on key; in fact, I didn’t even get some of the words right. But, by the end of our singing session, I was using my own voice in new ways and singing with less self-consciousness than ever before. I was singing out of joy and blending with others who didn’t think they could carry a tune along with professional singers. No one stared, no one criticized, no one judged. We encouraged each other, supported each other, and felt our voices become one through song. With every note, we got stronger collectively and felt more empowered individually.

Such is yoga. As individuals, we often carry around so many tensions, anxieties, responsibilities, self-criticisms, and stresses, which can weigh us down and over time lead to dis-ease in body and mind. But through a regular yoga practice, we can begin to reconnect with what’s real for us and start to let go of some of the “stuff” that weighs us down. We can return to the beauty and ease of breathing deeply, relax physical and mental tension, and create more openness and flexibility.  A yoga class is full of so many different energies… but the overall commonality is that most everyone in the room is there to focus on their breath, their body, their practice, and letting go of those tensions, stresses, and anxieties that build up over the course of our busy lives.

Moving through a yoga practice is like moving through the notes of a song. We often start off a little distracted, nervous, anxious, self-conscious, feeling separated from everyone else in the room; but through the journey of heating up, strengthening, and stretching, we soon find ourselves lost in our breath and our own rhythm, releasing tightness and tension and creating space in our bodies and minds. By the end of class, there is a beautiful energy that has fallen upon the room, encompassing the new practitioner, the advanced practitioner, and everyone in between.

As a beginner, it’s hard to imagine walking into that first class. Yoga can certainly feel intimidating. I remember when I first started and finally got up the courage to walk into a studio for the first time. Similar to that fear of singing in front of people, I feared that I wouldn’t know the moves, that everyone would be watching me, that I wouldn’t be able to do the poses, that I would look silly, amongst so many others. But what I experienced was so far from those misguided fears. Sure, I couldn’t do all the poses, just like I can’t sing all of the notes of even the simplest song, but it gave me something to work towards and I found peace in appreciating whatever it was my body could do at the time. I realized that no one was looking at me, no one was judging me and no one was pressuring me to do anything that I wasn’t ready to do. We were all practicing individually and could choose to do as much or as little as we wanted. And yet together our energies merged and we created a vibrancy that connected us all, leaving beginners and advanced students indistinguishable from one another.

The other night I read this meditation:

Learn to change your energy. When your mind starts to flag, move your body around. Go for a walk, take a bath, get a drink of water, work out at a gym. You’re doing more than moving your body; you’re changing and rearranging your energy field.

Listen to your body. It will say what it needs, what it would like, what would be helpful. If you let it, it will even move quite naturally to what would do it good. Stretch your legs. Stretch your arms. Go outside. Do some deep breathing. Call a friend. Meditate. Tell a joke to a co-worker. You don’t have to be stuck in the energy you’re in. You don’t have to be a victim to the way you feel right now.

One of the powers we learn is the ability to shift, refocus, and rearrange our energy. When we get stuck in a particular emotion or reaction or mind-set, when we get too bogged down or too fired up, we can save ourselves a lot of time by changing our energy, instead of hammering away at a change in the situation. Learn to tell when it is time to do that. Then discover what works for you – the little acts as well as the big ones.

Be gentle with yourself when you get stuck,

when you need a fresh viewpoint. Learn to

change and rearrange your energy as needed.

Upon reading these meditations I always take time to interpret them for myself and for my own life.  To me this means:

• All afternoon I sit at my desk and work.  When I begin to get sleepy, lose focus or get frustrated I need to physically get up and move around, call my Girlfriend or cook dinner.  The work will be there when I get back.
• On days I plan to do a two-a-day or plan to go to hot yoga (when it’s already 90 degrees out) and I just don’t feel like it, I listen to my body and do what it asks.  Fortunately my body craves a good workout, but for many you should listen to your body because the heart wants exercise!
• The days I would get so upset with myself over a binge during my Bikini Competition preparation, I should have taken a walk outside rather than to the kitchen.
• If I’m in a bad mood I should head to yoga and meditate for an hour – chances are I’ll let go of whatever is bothering me.

After reading this passage, I want to know, what does it mean to you?

The Get In Shape Girl

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This is an event for anyone.  If you can or want to run, its 2 miles around the Common, the Public Garden and back to the Carousel where we initially meet.  It’s totally optional if you don’t want to run you can just do the yoga portion which starts at about 9:30am.  The Lulu girls are so fab to bring their mats for us to use, but last time they brought 50 mats and we had exactly 50 participants, so as it picks up, it’s probably a good idea to bring your own lightweight mat.

The yoga portion is being taught by a different instructor each week.  Last week we did an hour of flow which was not super strenuous, but a great flow to strengthen & relax the muscles after our little jaunt.

My favorite part was being surrounded by like-minded people who want to have fun, appreciate the nature and serenity in the midst of a busy city and stay fit & healthy.  My other favorite part was Savasana.  In the cold winter months I would always imagine myself on a warm beach and I would imagine the feeling of the sun kissing my skin as I laid on this beach.  Well, during this Savasana I actually FELT the sun kissing my skin and I laid there and relaxed.

I know LuluLemon Burlington Mall is holding one of these events by their waterfront on Saturday mornings too, and most likely your Lulu Lemon location will have something like this going on all summer too.  LuluLemon is such an amazing company because they bring in fitness professionals from of a wide variety to come in and put on free workouts in & outside of their stores!

It’s a super fun way to stay fit & active and have a good time doing it!!

The Get In Shape Girl

Have you gotten your FREE copy of The Get In Shape Girl’s Ebook on How To Get A Better BOOTY?

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I figured I needed a new mat towel because my Kulae one is so slippery I don’t even like to use it.  So I got THIS TOWEL.

Here is my review:

I had so many bright, pretty colors to choose from so I chose teal.  It arrived and I was so excited to try it out.  I brought it to yoga as soon as it stopped snowing.  I was so excited to try it, I put it down on my mat before class started.  Usually I just use my Manduka ProLite Mat with no towel until we come down to the floor.  I LOVE my mat.  I mean, love would be an understatement.  I don’t need a towel to keep from slipping because it’s so sticky.  I will never recommend any other mat to anyone, ever.  It’s sticky when you need it to be sticky, but it lets you slide your toes when you need to slide.

So this time I put the towel down and thought to myself, “I’m definitely not going to get any traction on this unless I add some water,” which it says on the Manduka site, that it becomes slip resistant when damp.  But so will any towel.. even a bath towel!!  So I put water down where my hands go and they were then fine.  But my feet were sliding.. oops!  I stopped in the beginning of one of our first salutations to add water to where my feet go in downward dog.  So I was fine after that.  The rest of the class was great.  It soaked up my sweat for sure!

I brought it to a second class last night.  I didn’t use it until it was time to come down to the mat.  No different than when I use my other towels.

At this point I feel like I just don’t like to practice with a towel until it’s time to come down to the mat.  I don’t drip horribly because the sweat tickles too much, and I constantly towel myself off.  haha.

• I do like this towel better than my Kulae towel.
• It does soak up sweat.
• Awesome color selection.
• You definitely need to add water for it to become slip-resistant.
• Not crazy enough about it to pay $40 for another one.

However, I cannot tell you enough how much I LOVE my ProLite mat.  Everyone who practices should own one!

Kyra Williams,

The Get In Shape Girl

These are the Run: Speed Short.

I am so particular about my shorts.  They can’t be too long because then they make my legs look stumpy, and I think I have pretty decent legs, so I like to show them off!  But I don’t want my goodies hangin’ out, so they have to fit just right.  These do just the trick!  They’re neither too long or too short and they don’t give me camel toe!  They do have a granny panty liner inside which I guess is useful to some, but it creeps up my butt cheeks, which I am not crazy about.   I may look into cutting that out.

This is the Power Y Tank.

This is def one of my favorite tanks, solely based on the color.  It’s comfortable, fits well, allows my body to breath and looks awesome!  If I could find more in bright colors that I love like this, I would own many more!

I also go the Premium Technithong.

If you think you are getting a picture of me in these, you are CRAZY!!!  I had a couple of girls tell me they stay in place throughout all different kinds of training, and that they are awesome!  Well, maybe I have some kind of weird wiggly crotch problem, but no panties stay in place during CATZ.  Sure, they stay in place for runs or for yoga, but so do all panties.  Unfortunately if you are side shuffling, towing a partner with a band wrapped around your hips, jumping onto 3 foot boxes and doing plate pushes, your panties are just NOT going to stay in place!!

Kyra Williams,

The Get In Shape Girl

Astavakrasana

I ALMOST got into that one!  But I did practice my crow, side crow, single arm side crow and side crow with extended legs.

Then we practiced all kinds of inversions.  I could already do tripod headstand, supported headstand & shoulder stand, but I’ve been super scared for a long time to do a hand stand.  Even against the wall I’ve tried so many times I throw my feet up, then kick myself away from the wall because I freak out!  I giggle & squeal so much there’s no way I’m going to dare try to do it in a yoga class where it’s quiet!  Anyway, I tried and my friend Carrie laughed & I laughed then the assistant came over and helped me get both of my feet up & I held my feet against the wall in a hand stand for a while.  I tried to tuck my belly button & get my hips over my stomach to stay with my feet in the air away from the wall but i fell pretty quickly.  Oh well, I accomplished something I’ve never been able to do before just by keeping my feet up on my own!!  We also learned forearm stand & I felt really comfortable here, like I could almost do a back bend from here one day…

Pincha Mayurasana

It was an overall incredible experience.  I had never been to the studio in Newton before & I can say it’s definitely a very nice place.  I really like my Winchester studio the best of any place I’ve been so far, but everyone was super nice & it was really clean here too which is HUGE for me.  Alex, the instructor gave really great cues on how to get into each position & between him and the assistant we were all able to do nearly everything they taught us.  I would love to take one of his classes because he is so well spoken.  Now I can’t wait to practice again tomorrow and hopefully try out some of the new poses I learned!!

Kyra Williams,

The Get In Shape Girl

*Photos courtesy of Yoga Journal.com*

When I moved to Medford I was bored one day and decided to drop into one of the yoga classes at Boston Sports Club.  I had taken a few yoga classes in the past but thought it was slow and boring and certainly didn’t blow my hair back.  As soon as we began our sun salutations I realized that this was an actual workout!  That drew me back to her class & I eventually found myself only wanting to take her classes!  She moves quickly but it’s good because it gets the body warm enough to get through some of the more difficult asanas.  She goes through a lot of very difficult core moves that I have incorporated into my every day workouts like knees to elbows, walking planks, shoulder taps, etc.  And now that I am a personal trainer, I even make my clients do those.  If I ever receive a compliment on my upper body tone, I always give “Sammi, my yoga teacher,” all the credit!

Now I completely swear by yoga and it’s because of Sammi.  While she takes her classes through a very challenging practice she is great because she always gives modifications & reminds us that child’s pose is always there for us.

+ Part of my gym membership

+Fits into a schedule easily because she had many class times

+ Challenging

+Totally increases core strength

- Class fills up quickly

- She moved to DC!!  :(

Kyra Williams,

The Get In Shape Girl