What my first yoga class was like
I walked into the studio enthusiastically and left surprised by how difficult it was. I discovered muscles I did not know I had. My body, which I thought I knew, caught me completely off guard.
But after class I felt exactly like one of the girls in Sex and the City. As if I had done something for myself. Not for anyone else, not because I had to. Simply for me.
That is yoga at first meeting: harder than you expect and more satisfying than you can imagine.
"I am not flexible" is the number one excuse
It is the most common thing I hear from people who want to start yoga but keep putting it off. "I am not flexible, it is not for me."
And every time I say the same thing: you come to yoga to become flexible, not because you already are. Nobody was born able to do the splits. Flexibility is built and yoga is exactly the tool for that.
"Yoga meets you where you are. Not where you think you should be."
The same applies to strength, balance or coordination. The first class is not a test, it is a starting point.
What the first half hour of a class looks like
We always start with a short meditation. Nothing elaborate, just a moment to connect with the body. A kind of check-in: how are you today, what do you feel, what do you need. Many people arrive straight from the office or from traffic and their body is still there, not in the studio. This moment brings them back.
Then we begin with gentle movements, a flow I feel suits the profile of that day's class. It is always a balancing act to create a class that works for both first-timers and more experienced practitioners. It is not simple, but it is exactly what I love about teaching.
You do not need to keep up with anyone in the room. The class is with you, not with the others.
The man in jeans and other true stories
I once had a gentleman come to class in jeans. He had forgotten his trousers at home. I lent him a pair of leggings from the studio's spare kit and he participated without any problems.
Ever since he wonders why men have to wear shorts and not perfectly fitted Lululemons. A valid question.
The point is that equipment does not matter at your first class. What matters is that you showed up. Comfortable clothes and a water bottle are all you need. I take care of the rest. Mats and blocks are at the studio.
The biggest myth about yoga
That you sit in a meditation posture for an hour and do absolutely nothing. That it is boring, too slow, not a "real" workout.
A good yoga class will make you sweat, make you feel muscles you did not know existed and leave you with a mental clarity you would not trade for anything. It is not an hour of sleep, it is an hour where you allow yourself to be truly present.
The moment I know someone has "got" yoga
It is a simple moment and I recognise it every time. When I tell practitioners to use their left hand and they actually use their left hand. Not the right hand, because they see me "in the mirror" and copy mechanically.
When the body responds to instruction without thinking, that means the connection has been made. Until then I say "the other left" and we carry on.
It is normal for it to take time. The body needs time to learn to articulate itself at a yoga level. It is not a flaw, it is simply a process.
Why yoga sticks more than other sports
Because it is easy to practise. You do not need good weather, a mountain or a partner. Unroll your mat and you are there.
But more importantly: yoga has an implicit and accepted connection between mind and body that other sports do not have in the same way. It is not just about how far you can reach with your leg, it is about how you feel in your body while you are doing it.
"Yoga builds the connection you have with your own body and gives you a new appreciation for the fact that your body is your home. And that it deserves to be treated with care."
How to start
Book your first class and go. Stop searching for videos, stop reading articles, including this one. It will not be as hard as you are afraid it will be.
The first class is always the hardest. Not physically, but mentally. Walking into somewhere new, not knowing what comes next, feeling awkward. That is normal and it passes within the first 10 minutes.
I teach Yin Yoga on Saturdays in Romanian and Yin-Yang Yoga on Sundays in English, at Piața Plevnei 4 in Timișoara. Both classes are suitable for beginners and if you are not sure which one to start with, write to me and I will tell you.