New yogis often worry about doing hot yoga “right”.

Don’t stress about it. Yogatown’s instructors are some of the best in the city and are always happy to answer your questions and guide you through class.

Before long you’ll feel like an experienced yogi.

In the meantime, we’d like to help you avoid 5 common mistakes new yogis make:

They come dehydrated.

Yes, it’s hot in the room. Yes, it’s important to drink water during class (whether the teacher has cued for it or not). But more important, is drinking water before class.

Make sure you’re sipping on water consistently throughout the day so you arrive already hydrated. During class, take water whenever you feel you need it, but try to sip instead of taking big gulps. Drinking a lot of water too fast in the middle of a class will give you cramps – which doesn’t lead to a good first experience! Or second, or third for that matter.

They don’t expect to sweat.

You may not be a ‘sweat-er,’ but you’ll be surprised at how much practicing in the hot room can make you, um… glow. And when you’re trying to balance on a rubbery mat while sweating, you’ll most definitely start to slip around.

Bring a shower towel with you or rent one of our specially designed mat towels to help prevent slipping and keep you on your feet.

They go all out.

Don’t try to impress anyone, including yourself. This is something we all learn the hard way.

Less is often more with yoga, whether it’s your first class or you’ve been practicing for years. Finding a balance between effort and ease is key, and skill that’s hard to master.

If you find yourself reaching too far or pushing too hard to get into a position, pull back a little bit. Often, your body will react faster to a gentle push than an uncomfortable force.

Take it easy, appreciate the journey, and you’ll enjoy your practice that much more.

They don’t take it all in.

You’ve done the work, so be sure you take a few moments to let your body absorb all of the benefits.

When class ends, many new students are up and out the door faster than the teacher can say, ‘Namaste.’ But there’s a reason we always end with a few moments of savasana (final resting pose) at Yogatown.

Savasana allows us to reap the benefits of our physical practice by relaxing the body, integrating the practice, and calming the mind. It’s an incredible feeling of relaxation that you can take off of your mat and into the rest of your day.

Don’t skip the best part of the practice; spend an extra few moments in savasana, and you’ll be thankful you did.

They wait too long to come back.

Unlike some other physical activities that require time for rest and recovery, yogis benefit from consistent and regular practice right from the first class. If you wait a week to come back, you’ll be starting from square one.

We encourage everyone to practice at least three times a week for optimum results, and the more regularly you’re in the hot room, the faster you will progress.

Questions?

We want you to have fun, and avoiding these common mistakes will help.  That said, it’s inevitable that you’ll have questions and be unsure about some things as you embark on your yoga journey.

If you have  questions, give us a call, email, or stop by either of our locations and chat with our staff.