What does it mean to be a yoga beginner? Are there advantages to being a beginner? Is Iyengar Yoga appropriate for beginners? All of these are good questions. We are drawn to yoga for various reasons. Some of us seek out yoga to help address our aches and pains. Some of us are attracted to the philosophy. Perhaps we were invited to class by a friend and had no idea what to expect. Regardless of the circumstance, each of us, at some point in time, was a raw beginner. Before I go any further, let me say that this is not an article about what yoga is or the types of yoga that are available to practitioners. There is lots of information out there covering those topics. Furthermore, I don’t wish to limit the possibilities of just what yoga is for any one individual. To give us common language, though, let’s simply say that yoga is a set of practices involving body, mind, and breath with the purpose of making us better, more intelligent, and self-aware people.
What Does it Mean to be a Yoga Beginner?
With those preliminaries out of the way, let’s tackle what it means to be a yoga beginner. Some of my long time students still consider themselves beginners, and I, along with many of my teachers, talk about how each time we get on the mat we bring a fresh and open mind. But that concept is not what I am writing about here. I’m referring to the first time or couple of times you open up a sticky mat and anxiously or excitedly await instruction from someone you may have never met. Perhaps you have seen photos of people practicing yoga or have watched videos on the Internet, but as of yet have had no formal instruction. This is the beginner that I’m discussing here. This student is pretty much a clean slate, an empty canvas, so to speak, eager to learn, receptive, and open to instruction.
That new student has a lot to learn! The good news is that there are advantages to being a beginner. If the teacher is well qualified to teach, the student can learn the basics of a few poses in that first class or two. You’ve probably heard of these poses: Downward Facing Dog, Tree Pose, Triangle. A good instructor can teach a newbie the basic shape and actions of these three poses in a short period of time. As a result, the potential for progress is great and progress can happen rapidly.
You Only Get to be a Beginner Once
Looking at this from the other end, advanced students have advanced challenges. The deeper you go into the practice, the more you realize how deep it can go. Kind of like the saying “the more you know, the more you know you don’t know.” But setting all that aside, let’s look at something a little more novel: You only get to be a beginner once. Being a beginner offers a unique perspective into the learning process. As a simile, Prashant Iyengar talks about the unprepared state when students get prepared or warmed up before class. He tells us that the unprepared state has much to teach us. This is similar to yoga for beginners. There is so much to learn when you are first starting out that, with a skilled teacher, the beginner can take advantage of this unprepared state. In other words, yoga does not happen only when you are in a posture or doing poses. Having a warmed up, flexible body does not make you more self-aware. Studying yourself before you warm up, while you are warming up, and after you have warmed up does.
Fortunately the pandemic and yoga on the Zoom platform have not presented much of a hindrance. As a matter of fact, I have seen significant progress in my students over the past 12 months. From a teacher’s point of view, I can still observe most of what I need to see. Just make sure your camera is set up properly so the teacher can see what you are doing. At some studios, classes are recorded and students can take the class a “second” time. This is a great way to reinforce what was learned in the live online class, but don’t overdo this. There is only so much you can learn from a recording. Plan on putting yourself back in front of the teacher live whether online or in person when it is safe to do so.
Yoga for Beginners: What to Look for in a Class
If you are looking for a beginner yoga class, try to find a teacher and classes in your local area. That way, when it is safe to take yoga classes indoors, you will be able to attend live classes without driving long distances. Also look for a studio that is well equipped, meaning there are props such as bricks or blocks, straps, chairs, and perhaps a rope wall. This might be hard to know for sure without being able to go check it out, but most studios have photos of their space on their website. My other advice for beginners is to keep it simple: there’s no need to take classes with goats, beer tastings, or sauna-like temperatures!
And what about Iyengar Yoga? Is Iyengar Yoga the right type of yoga for beginners? Iyengar yoga teachers are skilled at teaching and at teaching a diverse group of students. The current standard to become a Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher is three years of study followed by rigorous examination by senior teachers. Iyengar yoga classes are not simply led by teachers, meaning “do what you see me do.” Iyengar instructors teach, and the instructions are precise and clear. My training as an Iyengar teacher emphasizes being able to see what each student in the class needs, and to be able, if necessary, to modify the instructions for a particular student. In addition, a skilled teacher knows not to overload a beginner with too many details or overly focus on them. Instead, they provide the beginner with plenty to work with and let them feel comfortable in doing something new. Also, Iyengar teachers know how to use props, bricks, straps, chairs, walls, furniture, etc., to make even complicated poses accessible to people of various abilities. This is important! As mentioned earlier, this article is not intended to cover the topic of what is yoga, but there is a body-mind connection. Using props can aid in discovering this connection for a student who would otherwise not be able to experience a pose.
But what if my local Iyengar teacher does not offer a “Yoga for Beginners” class? That’s okay. Undoubtedly he or she will have a class that will work for you. Iyengar teachers are adept at teaching the students who are in front of them, even in a mixed-level situation. Be sure to check the class descriptions at the studio you are exploring to make sure there are classes that are appropriate for yoga beginners.
Don’t be intimidated. Remember, we were all raw beginners when we started, and a fresh face in the room is always welcome.
So don’t hesitate, don’t be shy; in fact, be proud: you only get to be a beginner once.
