Beginning Yoga

When a recent grad suddenly expresses interest in yoga, you know that they are either extremely hungover or have recently been thinking about “the future” and got depressed. Maybe they’re not exactly sure what’s wrong, but they know they need a lifestyle change to get back on track. Simply “working out” will not suffice. They feel the need to address the mind-body-and-soul trifecta in its totality…preferably all at once, for about an hour at a time.

Within the twentysomething psychology, yoga is often privileged as a “cure-all” for a life gone slightly off the rails. No “get right by life” plan is complete without a little downward-facing dog thrown into the mix. I know because I’ve walked down the path to…uh, the yoga studio…with little more than a vague sense of purpose. “If I don’t start stretching soon, I’m gonna be in a wheelchair by the time I’m 40,” I’d think to myself. “I need something to counteract the stress of being unemployed.”

Yoga fit the bill on all fronts, and even after watching a girl start crying in the “frog position,” I still recommend that people try it. That said, I made some beginner’s mistakes and got myself into some positions that I literally didn’t enjoy, so I thought I’d share some tips for entering the world of semi-meditative exercise. Don’t expect it to make you a better person (don’t tell the instructor I said that!), but do expect to have some fun and feel pretty good.

An Extremely Brief and Borderline Offensive History of Yoga

Well before Christ, people in India were living abstemiously and meditating all the time in hopes of achieving the Hindu holy grail of “enlightenment.” This sort of thing went on for thousands of years (and it still does in some places), but it really has nothing to do with the yoga-as-exercise craze that has swept the Western world. (Fun Fact: Yoga is a $4 billion a year industry in the U.S. alone.) Many of the practices you'll find today were "invented" in the '90s and are just as likely to feature wisdom from Michael Jordan's biography as the Hindu scriptures. Think self-empowerment and "good living" rather than spiritual enlightenment—Spice World!

Choosing the Right Yoga Class

The yoga spectrum stretches across many incarnations of the practice, though most classes that you’ll find skew more toward exercise than the meditation/spirituality, or they combine a little of both. It’s worth trying out a few types when you’re first getting started, though if you know your goals you can narrow down the field a bit. Here’s an imperfect but helpful breakdown of your options:

Meditative/Stretching-Oriented

• Hatha. “Hatha yoga” pretty much just means yoga, but if you see a class described as such you can bet your booty shorts that it will be on the gentler side, focusing mostly on stretching and simple breathing techniques. There may also be some seated meditation thrown in. Hatha is a good starting point for getting a sense of what yoga’s all about.

Moderate

• Anusara. This is a “change your whole life” type of practice, but in a lighthearted, non-cultish type of way. The exercises include a lot of movement and alignment work, but props are used that help make most poses accessible to people of different skill levels. Philosophically, there is an emphasis on positivity and opening your heart—the practice doesn’t end when you leave the yoga studio! Bring it to the world and let your light shine, player.
• Vinyasa. Like Hatha, this is a broad term encompassing a range of classes, but the basic practice is a little more fast-paced in nature. Vinyasa is often called “Flow” because it involves transitioning between poses on the inhale or exhale in a smooth, fluid set of movements. Strengthening poses are often held for a long time and involve a lot more than just stretching. You’ll almost definitely sweat.
• Jivamukti. Russell Simmons and a lot of Hollywood-types are into Jivamukti. It’s a relatively strenuous, vinyasa-style practice with a healthy dose of chanting and philosophizing.

Physical

• Ashtanga. Ashtanga utilizes the concept of “flow,” but classes are generally longer and offered at a number of skill levels. This type of yoga encompasses a number of different “series,” each of which uses a progression of poses and thus appeal to OCD people.
• Bikram (aka Hot Yoga). Invented by living yoga master Bikram Choudhury, “hot yoga” gets its name from the fact that it’s done in a hot-ass room (usually the temperature is somewhere between 95 and 100 degrees). I like to imagine that it approximates the actual conditions in India, but I don’t think that’s the official purpose. Instead, the heat is supposed to loosen you up and help you sweat out toxins (so if you go on a Sunday monring, be prepared to be overwhelmed by the stench of booze). The majority of classes involve a series of 26 poses, each performed twice in a 1.5 hour class. When you go the first time, you may feel like you are going to pass out within about half an hour of stepping in the room. Wear comfortable and light clothing and drinks loads of water before and after to avoid feeling horrible.
• Power Yoga. Power yoga was first mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita in 1100 B.C., and it was considered by many ancient gurus to be the most spiritual of all yoga practices. Just kidding—it came about in the early 90s when yoga was gaining popularity but Americans wanted to feel like they were getting more of a workout. Again, it involves a vinyasa-style practice, and it focuses on a combination of strength and flexibility. Chanting and meditation is kept to a minimum—it may not even factor in.
• Yogalates. This is like running in the pool, or playing BASEketball. You’re on your own—I’m not really sure how this spiritual hybrid sits with the gods, so I steer clear.