Starting something new is always hard. Especially if we are putting ourselves in the potential position of being embarrassed, feeling like we don’t belong or showing that we aren’t as ‘capable’ as others in the room. Its all about self-preservation.
That’s why as a yoga teacher when anyone new walks into my class I am filled with a huge sense of ore and love. You have walked in, found your mat and you are now about to move through a practise you have never done before….you are amazing!
My first yoga class was terrifying. Having been a bit of a runner I was stiff; I could NOT touch my toes and the bendy Wendy next to me was putting me to shame. I can’t say that I enjoyed the whole experience although the savasana at the end was amazing! I did however keep coming back. The movement, the breathing fully and deeply, the connecting with my body, it all had me hooked although it would be a few years and a lot of home practise before I could touch the floor without bending my knees in forward fold.
Now when I teach beginners, I see that same sense of apprehension I had, the same looking around the room at others, and the same worry about how you look. So let me tell you now. There is no need to worry!
Everyone in your yoga class is there for different reasons, they are different ages, abilities, experiences. You don’t know who is hypermobile, who has just recovered from surgery, who is coping with loss, they all have stories just like you. Not one of them is judging you because they are all there with their own shit.
As a teacher if you come to class and you cant touch your toes, do you know how bothered I am? 0% or less if that’s possible. All I ask of you is to honour your body, take everything from the practise you need to take, be open minded even to the bits that might feel a little woowoo at first, and breath. That.is.it.
And when you leave the room, carry on home and think about your practise please don’t think about the things you couldn’t do or the poses you struggled with. Think about this….you took an hour for yourself today. You gave yourself something nourishing instead of punishing it. You were able to move, to breath and to live in those moments on your mat. You did AMAZING!