New To Yoga

Before Class

• Register for class online or in-person at the studio.
• Avoid eating for at least 2 hours before class. You’ll have a better experience practicing on an empty stomach.
• Arrive 10-15 minutes before the class start time.
• Check-in at the front desk, even if you signed-up online.
• Inform the instructor of any pertinent injuries or limitations.
• Remove shoes in the lobby area.
• Leave your belongings OUTSIDE of the yoga room.
• Turn cell phones OFF and leave outside the yoga room.
• Be familiar with Class Etiquette (see below).
• New to practicing? Place your mat in the middle or back of the yoga room so that other students may be your guide.
• Try to stagger your mats so that you can open your arms out to the side without bumping your neighbor.
• Be prepared to sweat and stay in the yoga room for the entire class.

What to Bring

• Bring a yoga mat, full-length towel and bottle of water to every class.
• Rental mats, rental towels and bottled water are available.
• Bring your smile; this is YOUR yoga practice!

Hydration

• Come to class fully hydrated and drink lots of water after class to replenish lost fluids from your yoga practice. Did we mention HYDRATE? In a heated yoga class, you can sweat up to a liter and a half of water (that’s a couple of pounds of water weight) and it needs replacement. So drink lots of water BEFORE you come to class.
• We recommend drinking 32 oz. of electrolyte-enhanced water a minimum of one full hour before class, giving the water time to hydrate the body on a cellular level.
• If you find yourself guzzling water during class or experiencing headaches or dizziness after class, you may be dehydrated. Try drinking more water before you come to class.
• Add a natural electrolyte enhancer to your water. We recommend Ultima Replenisher, an all-natural, zero sugar, zero artificial electrolyte replenishing powder. Ultima Replenisher is available for purchase at the studio.
• Coconut Water has all five key electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and calcium. Great to drink before or after class. Coconut water is available for purchase at the studio.

Class Etiquette

• Arrive early to every class. All classes start on time!
• Please refrain from wearing perfume or scented lotions or oils. Your fellow practitioners may be sensitive to these smells.
• Observe silence in the yoga room, before, during and after class. The Yoga room is a quiet meditative space. How you enter and leave the yoga room is part of your practice. The lobby is a great place to connect and catch-up with others.
• Make room for others. Everyone should feel welcome.
• Don’t leave class early (front door is locked).
• Understand that becoming lightheaded or nauseous is completely normal the first few times you practice yoga in the heat.
• Clean-up your area after class.
• Know that yoga is a practice, it takes time to cultivate!
• Our instructors are always available after class for any questions you may have.

Practicing in the Heat

Be prepared to sweat! The heat combined with the sequence of the postures is what makes heated yoga so special. The room is heated to warm muscles, which allows you to work deeper in a shorter amount of time, seeing results faster. Heat takes the trauma out of stretching, heals and helps prevent injuries. Yoga is not just about working muscles: you are massaging deep tissues, glands and organs as well. As you work deep within your body, you may start to release “poisons” or “toxins” that have been stored there a long time. Your skin is the largest elimination organ in your body. Sweating helps flush toxins from your body, giving you a wonderful glow from head to toe.

Learn to love your sweat rather than constantly wiping. Wiping causes you to sweat more. Your sweat is your body working to keep you cool. Embrace it.

It is not unusual to feel nauseous or dizzy during your first class. Practicing yoga in a heated room reveals to us our present condition and inspires us to take much better care of ourselves. Usually the problem is that we do not drink enough water for daily living, let alone for exercising in a heated room. Nutritionists tell us that we need 64-80 ounces of water a day to help the body function properly. If you feel disoriented or like you need a good nap after your first few classes, this is likely because your body has begun to cleanse itself as a result of the yoga practice. Don’t be scared. After the first few classes this sensation will pass. The more you can relax as you give your full effort during class, the more energized you will feel throughout the class and throughout the rest of your day.

Take it to the Finish

Stay in the room for the duration of the entire class. Come down into child’s pose or savasana if you need to rest, and please try not to leave the room except in cases of illness or other real emergency. The intention is to keep everyone focused and in the present and to allow your body to acclimate to practicing in a heated room.

Your Drishti, or Gazing Point.

Where we look affects our balance, affects our alignment, and can transform the pose. There’s no need to follow the teacher with your eyes. It’s natural to want to watch the person who’s speaking to you, but unlike other types of movement classes, unless a teacher specifically asks you to watch a demonstration, you don’t need to watch him/her. They’re not usually doing anything worth watching. In yoga classes, teachers are usually walking around, assisting students verbally and manually. Lifting your head in down-dog to look at a teacher when he/she’s not really doing much more than adjusting the stereo volume or getting a student to straighten his elbows will just take you out of alignment.

Embarking on a new yoga practice is so exciting. Be safe, be happy, and enjoy! Contact us if you have questions!