- I've been doing yoga for 25 years, and in that time, I've learned a lot about the practice.
- In my 20s, I did yoga to lose weight and didn't appreciate the mental-health benefits.
- There are many different poses and types of yoga, so find the one that fits your body.
I started taking yoga classes over 20 years ago to work off the last few pounds from my first child.
Back then, it was all about weight loss, having flatter abs, and comparing myself to others. However, that child is now 25, and a much older and wiser version of myself still practices regularly — for different reasons.
Here are some of the biggest lessons I've learned that would've been nice to know when I first started yoga.
From aerial to yogalates, there are so many different types of yoga.
There are more than 30 different types of yoga, so if you don't like a class, I suggest you keep trying to see if another style suits you.
I've tried 20 varieties, including aerial, chair, restorative, hatha, prenatal, yogalates, and even a floating sound bath. I still like to try new practices to challenge myself, but hatha and aerial are my favorites.
Hatha yoga is great for finding balance between the mind and body to prepare myself for meditation. Aerial yoga is a fun challenge that involves doing different poses from silk strands attached to the ceiling.
Vinyasa or flow yoga isn't for everyone.
Vinyasa yoga, also referred to as flow, is one of the most popular kinds of classes. It's probably the first thing that comes to mind because it's the main type of practice I see on TV and social media.
Typically, a class consists of a continuous series of poses matched with the breath.
Over the years, though, I've figured out it's my least favorite way to practice yoga. I prefer to hold poses instead of constantly flowing from one move to another.
Yoga is meant for everybody, and every body is different.
I used to get frustrated when I couldn't do the poses that my instructor or the person next to me in class pulled off with ease. However, eventually, I accepted that everyone's body is different.
After 25 years, I still can't get my heels on the ground in a downward-facing dog. Some days, I can ease into a half-moon pose, and others, my balance is so bad I stumble while doing a basic warrior one.
Get to know your body and listen to it. Good practitioners offer modifications to make moves easier or harder and explain how a move should or shouldn't feel so you can prevent injury.
This also means doing yoga from a mat on the ground isn't going to work for everyone. I love that practices like chair yoga and aqua yoga make it more accessible.
Yoga is more than just a physical workout.
I used to have a hard time meditating — the second I laid down, my head went into overdrive thinking about kids, work, to-do lists, and my next project.
However, at the end of a good yoga practice, I can more easily calm my mind, take deep breaths, and just be.
When I started yoga in my 20s, it was all about burning calories. Now, I know it's not about perfection or doing difficult poses. It helps me build a mind-body connection that improves my physical and mental health.
You don't have to lie down flat to meditate.
Savasana or corpse pose, where you lay flat on your back with your arms and legs slightly splayed out, is often done at the end of a practice to help put the body in a meditative state.
Unfortunately, I keep a lot of my stress in my neck and shoulders, so lying flat is uncomfortable.
When I started doing yoga, I used to think it was the only pose for meditation, and I was just out of luck. However, I've found some great Savasana alternatives, like putting my legs up on a wall or sitting cross-legged.
Downward dog isn't restful for me.
Downward dog is a resting pose that's used in all kinds of practices.
Before I started regularly practicing yoga, I thought it was a calf stretch, but I now know it's much more about lengthening the back. Unfortunately, my stressed, tense shoulders take a hit whenever I try to get my heels down on the floor in the position.
I eventually had to admit that the pose just isn't restful for my body. Now, I'm not afraid or ashamed to substitute it for something else, like child's pose.
Using props isn't a sign of weakness.
Some hardcore yogis despise props, but I love them.
When I have sore muscles, I ask if I can use a foam roller during class. A foam block brings the floor closer and makes difficult moves possible for me. A yoga strap can help keep me from overextending in stretched-out poses.
You're not weak or a failure if you use a prop during class. In fact, there are some yoga positions that can't properly be done without them.
