Episode Transcript
[00:00:11] Hello, friends. This is DeeP in your practice and I am your host, Lauren Leduc, yoga teacher, yoga studio owner, teacher, trainer I love yoga. So let's get right into this episode today.
[00:00:25] This is for beginners, for people who are looking to restart a yoga practice, or for people wanting to just spice things up a little bit. So a great way to start yoga, to restart yoga, or to spice up your yoga life. So I have five tips for you today. Create a spark in your practice. So tip number one, start where you are. Everyone has different bodies, different stories, different energy levels, different injuries. There are all kinds of things that makes each of our experiences on the mat unique. So it's really important to be really accepting with that as we start our yoga practice. And I'll say that I've had beginners come in before who feel like maybe using props. So yoga props like blocks, straps, bolsters indicate maybe that they aren't very good at yoga, that they need extra help. But they are for absolutely everybody. They're wonderful tools to use in yoga, so those are available to you. But I'd say yoga is absolutely about the practice itself. There's no end goal necessarily. It's not about perfection. It's really about observing where you are with curiosity and then responding to that by making choices that work for you. So start where?
[00:01:53] Listen to your body. And I'd say, especially for a beginner, start with classes that are marked beginner friendly. They might be called beginner yoga, they might be called hatha yoga, which isn't necessarily easy yoga, but they're styles that will teach you the postures and help you feel more embodied within them. So that if you want to go a little faster, at some point you'll be able to know exactly where your body is going and know what your own internal and external cues mean and how to make choices that work really, really well for you that particular day. At True Love Yoga, we have flowchart on our website that helps direct beginners to which classes they can take. So I recommend if you're in the Casey area and want to try a class with us to look through that and see which one kind of vibes with you. So tip number two is find a style or multiple styles that work for you. There are so many styles of yoga, from really active and sweaty to very, very relaxing. There's one yoga nidra yoga of sleep. So huge spectrum. So I'd say if you have tried a few classes and haven't really found what works for you, be open to trying a few more and see what really vibes with what your needs are at the moment and also be open to variety of styles. There might be days where you need something a little more active, a little more dynamic and vigorous, and there might be days where you need to relax. So you get to choose your own yoga journey. You get to choose what works for you. I've tried many styles of yoga. Some have resonated with me, some absolutely haven't at all. So I think it's important to know that yoga isn't just one thing, it is so many things. And in my opinion, there is a good fit for every single person. Tip number three is find the right teacher and community. And this is so important. Whether you're online or in person, you want to like the teacher, you want to feel respect for them, you want to enjoy listening to their voice. And every teacher has something unique about them. Some are wonderful at curating playlists. Some are so good at like somatics, like helping you tune into your internal sensations. Some have really fun, creative flows. Try a few different teachers and you might not even be able to put your finger on why somebody resonates with you. I think everyone can find the right Fitzhen and maybe after a while you try somebody new too and see if they have something different to offer you. There are so many teachers, and it's completely fine learning from different people and getting a variety of information and experiences from your trusted guides and yoga communities. There are so many, just like there's a spectrum of styles and classes and teachers, so many yoga communities out there. If you're lucky to live in a place with a lot of them, I'd say give a few a try and really feel what vibes and fits for you.
[00:04:51] For me, as a yoga studio owner, it's been really important to create a very welcoming and inclusive community. So I'd look for things like that. Like, are you greeted when you walk through the door? Do you know, like, are you told where things are, where to put your mat? Those little things can make such a difference. Or maybe it's important for you to have, you know, showers available or something like that, or to have community events. Every yoga studio has a little bit different flavor and vibe, or every gym yoga space. And I think. I think it's great trying a few out and seeing what works for you.
[00:05:27] Tip number four is be patient with your progress.
[00:05:32] This is really important. I don't think that rushing anything in yoga is going to be helpful. Anytime you're pushing past what we call your edge, which is this edge of challenge. Anytime you're pushing past kind of the point where your challenge needs to be into a place of pain, misalignment, overexertion, you risk injury, and you also risk burnout. I've seen people do, you know, multiple classes a day for a few weeks, and then suddenly they're not coming to yoga anymore. Maybe they're tired, maybe their body's hurt. Maybe they need a little bit more time to restore. It's a good idea to figure out what a good pace for you is. And then, of course, to be patient with your progress. Yoga isn't just about physical progress. It's about mental, emotional, spiritual progress. So you haven't gotten into crow pose yet, which is usually an entry level arm balance that we offer. It can take a year or years to find it. If we get so frustrated with whatever that goal is that we stop doing yoga, then we've really defeated the whole purpose. So I think really noticing the positive changes that incrementally happen over time is really important. And then you also can set physical goals, of course, but be patient with yourself and accept yourself wherever you are that particular day, however, you show up on the mat and maybe just be open to eventually being able to attain a specific posture and then don't hold on to it too tightly. Life happens. We have injuries, pregnancies, whatever it might be, and maybe it won't be for your body anymore. So I think, like, embracing and enjoying the moment and whatever progress you are making is a really great strategy. Not holding on to anything too tight. There's no prize for the winner, right? There's no winner at all. There's just the practice itself. And it's a really beautiful thing. Tip five is embrace the full yoga experience. So, yes, yoga can be great exercise. Of course, it includes physical postures, but there's so much more. There's this deepening relationship that happens with your own body. There's a curiosity and a compassion that can be cultivated over time. There's a different relationship with the breath, with the nervous system, with your emotions. It's a really beautiful process. And I'd say that if you're enjoying yoga and it's working for you, it can be really worth it to go a little bit deeper. What is the philosophy behind it? And you can do that by, of course, continuing to go to your favorite yoga teachers and yoga classes and studios. But you can listen to podcasts like this. You can read books. I definitely recommend the yoga sutras, pardon living the sutras, as a great starting point that you can go to yoga workshops to get deeper.
[00:08:36] There are so many fun rabbit holes to go down. It is a deep and ancient practice. You really can never get bored and there's always more, I think, to satiate curiosity. So again, the five tips are tip one, start where you are tip two, find a style or styles that work for you. Tip three, find the right teacher and community.
[00:08:59] Tip four, be patient with your progress and tip five, embrace the full yoga experience. I encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your beginning yoga experience or about diving back into yoga or diving more deeply into yoga. And if you are in the Casey area or want to try online yoga, check out trueloveyogasey.com dot. We have all kinds of classes that are appropriate for beginners. We'd love to help you along your beginning yoga journey. Thank you so much for listening to deepen your practice. If this resonated with you, please let me know. Reach out via Instagram or you can email me laurenrueloveyogacasey.com tune back in for another episode coming soon soon. Shanti om peace. Have a great day.
