5 Things I Wish I Knew When Starting My Practice

Jan 30

For beginners in yoga, here are some reflections we gathered from other yoga practitioners that can make your yoga journey more fulfilling.

If you’re a beginner or haven’t practiced yoga in quite sometime it can feel intimidating or that you just have to get it right. You don’t have to be flexible and yoga isn’t all about touching your toes. There are many common misconceptions when rolling out the mat for the first time. Here are 5 tips I wish I knew when I was starting my yoga practice.

1. I wish I made more adjustment to the poses and use props in my practice:
Using props and making adjustments are not signs of weakness, regression, inflexibility. Instead, they bring awareness and teach us alignment to the pose. On top of it, using props can help you to relax even more.
2. I wish I knew that my body is never the problem:
The practice of yoga is there to move more comfortably in your own body through balance, strength, and more importantly, the thoughts you nurture about yourself. Never believe anyone who says that yoga is not for you because of your body or age or ableism
3. I wish I can be more in the moment while I'm doing all these poses:
When we practice, try not to anticipate the next pose or dwell over the ones we did before. There's no gold star in yoga for doing perfect pose or awesome flow, instead, we are simply practicing to be in the moment one breath at a time.
4. Yoga is a life-long journey, and there's no hierarchy:
While there are poses or modification of poses that require more strength or balance, yoga asana is not a practice with levels. You are equally a student in yoga when you are starting as much as you are when you've been in it for 30 years!
5. I wished I knew that yoga is so much more than doing poses on the mat:
The Asana (yoga poses) is just one way we practice the 8 limbs of yoga. Other practice such as breathing, meditation and practice kindness are also yoga.
In conclusion, I trust that the insights shared in "5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Starting My Yoga Practice" resonate with both seasoned practitioners and those taking their initial steps on the mat. As we navigate the path of self-discovery through yoga, I invite you to consider incorporating these reflections into your practice.
If you're eager to deepen your understanding and cultivate a solid foundation, join our Beginners Yoga sessions at The Brooklyn Wellness Club is here to support you navigate your journey. We all start somewhere and we invite you to allow that somewhere to be here.