What to Expect With Yoga Class

If you've been thinking of going in for yoga training sessions to just unwind or boost your health, read on to know what to expect in a yoga class. This article will discuss everything from the duration of each session and what would be taught, to the important health benefits.
Preparing for the Day's Lesson
Before thinking about the actual training, you must know how to prepare yourself for a lesson. Your last big meal should have been two hours before the class begins. Besides, you should not drink water while a lesson is in progress but only before or after it. You'll find students who after arriving at the room assigned for the lessons, ready themselves with some mild stretching or by seating themselves cross-legged on their mats.
Duration - The duration of a lesson is usually one hour or an hour and a half depending on the yoga teacher or the institute you go to.
Attire - When you come for yoga class, you would be expected to be in attire that preferably enables your instructor to clearly see the alignment and movement of your body for the specific poses. Women can go for a T-shirt and yoga pants or leggings, or a leotard. Men can wear a T-shirt with shorts or training bottoms. Bare feet are the norm.
Yoga Mat - The institute would probably provide you with a mat or you will have to bring one of your own.
What Would be Covered - This is perhaps one of the most important aspects of the yoga classes. Expect the lessons to include:
• Guidance towards getting into the present moment and the present practice space
• Stretches and warm-ups to help the body prepare for the difficult postures to come
• Asanas or postures
• Meditation
• Pranayama - it is the ability to manipulate breath and balance energy
• Regulating your breathing for the particular posture to create a safe and natural flow
• Relaxation
A sentence or two about the asanas and the purpose they serve. First, they facilitate a calm mind and a strong body that enables the person to sit in movement-less meditation for 30 to 60 minutes. Secondly, they help to ensure that the body organs function at their optimum level. Thirdly, they help to increase flexibility. These are just some of the purposes.
Some people take more time to get into a particular posture than others. So don't be disheartened if you find yourself lagging behind at any point. You're not learning yoga to participate in a competition, but to get some benefits for yourself. You can always ask the teacher to demonstrate a particular asana again. Otherwise, just watch what your fellow yogis are doing.
Health and Other Benefits
Everyone attending a yoga class would no doubt hope to derive some benefit. Here's a look at some of the possible benefits for you:
• Helps in the development of a toned, flexible, and well-built body
• Improves mood and concentration
• Stretches the muscles, releasing the lactic acid, the buildup of which is responsible for stiffness, pain, tension, and fatigue
• The mindful and deep breathing can improve lung capacity, thereby boosting endurance
• Helps in development of better posture
• Meditation helps to calm the mind and reduce stress
• Provides relief for back pain, asthma and other conditions
• Slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure
Now that you know what to expect with yoga class, you can judge for yourself whether a particular lesson(s) is doing you any good and if it's not, you can change the teacher or training center. Lessons for children may include fun activities such as storytelling and games.
Yoga Classes Long Island - YICG is a not-for-profit Academy that helps to spread knowledge of Indian culture and heritage in the US by providing dance classes and yoga classes.