Where to start with Yoga

[CHARLonodn90]

I've dabbled here and there over the years, some class-based, some Youtube. However i've never been consistent with it. But I want to. I just don't know how to get to a stage where i'm good at it if I do the same classes over and over. What I mean is, if I go to a yoga class once a week, it's the same sequence and the same poses each time. I like the idea of becomming a yoga at some point in the future but before you start the teacher training you have to be at a good enough level. How do I get to the point where i'm at a good enough level if i'm practicing the same thing over and over??

I've signed up for 6 week introductory Kundalini course but where to go after that??

Thanks and namaste :-D

I would set out to try as many different classes as possible - that way you will find what you click with best. Personally I hated kundalini but love a particular hot yoga studio where classes include a mix of other styles except vinyasa (which I occasionally go elsewhere for). Doing the same sequence every time can allow the meditative aspect to settle and that can be really enjoyable and therapeutic but it’s also good to mix it up a bit too!

To be honest I don't think it's about being good at it. Some of the best teachers are about knowledge not ability. It's about getting something from it. Find what you enjoy and practice. Good luck.

I agree - someone good at yoga does not necessarily translate to a good teacher . You will need a strong personal practice though.

I don't really understand what you mean about practicing the same sequence over and over... Are you going to ashtanga classes? People spend their whole lives on the primary series! A vinyasa class will be varied and different each time, though there are usually a number of sun salutations which you repeat.

I work for a yoga studio, my mums a teacher... I think you need to be a lot further along in your practice before considering TT - otherwise you just won't get a lot out of it.

You will know when you feel confident - there's a balance between effort and ease that we always seek in yoga. This is the sweet spot you're aiming for. I would be patient... Developing your practice can take years and years... There's no rush. Just go to as many classes as you can and try a variety of styles.

I investigated training and basically you need to have done 200 hours in a studio yourself before you can even consider it. ( what I have found out). Practicing the same poses is good though isn't it? But I would agree you could find lots of different classes to find which type of yoga suits you best.

I think you may be getting confused with most trainings being 200hrs soover? Most (decent) teacher training courses will require you to have established a ‘strong, regular personal practice’, for (example at least two years practising at least twice a week) and before you start training they will have some kind of check to ensure your basic understanding of names of common asanas (in Sanskrit) and ability to demonstrate them.

The 200 hours is the length of the teaching time. To qualify as a yoga teacher you need to complete 200 hours of study with a trained teacher on a course. There are also 500 hour courses. The course involves teaching, practice classes, homework, written course work, designing classes etc

Stop thinking about being a teacher, and just find a class that you love. That you look forward to. It's not about being good - because you'll beat yourself up for ages if you compare yourself against other people (who've been going for years and can bend themselves in two) its about enjoying it. And then if you go and enjoy it, you'll want to go more and it'll become part of your life.

The key is to find a class or classes that fit in with your life and that you love.

(I've never done Kundalini btw so no idea what that is - the same sequence is Astanga - but that can be a really enjoyable class -it's what I started with years ago).

vinyasa flow classes or yin yoga do vary each week and I think if the same people go each week, you develop and grow as a group.

sleepwhenidie when I explored and mad contact with schools they said 2 years regular taught practice and that would be about 200 hours of practice. I can't get to classes so that excludes me! It's no use at present for me

And I do know that the teacher training is 200 hours in training ( or 300 or 500). I understood that the school wanted someone reasonably confident with poses and vocabulary. I would probably do an intensive month long course

I wish you could edit! 200 hours of yoga practice in order to be accepted onto a teacher training course is what I mean. It's their rule of thumb

@Sooverthemill I think you should have this experience however anecdotally I know a lot of yoga teachers who were on courses with people who had very little experience. Their observation was that these people didn't get a lot out of the training as they weren't experienced enough. The training course don't do an entrance exam so it's always possible to get on a course.... But whether you're ready is a different matter.

Kundalini yoga isn't for everyone. It's a bit chanty and breathy and quite static.

If you are happy with your yoga teacher, why not have a word with them and see if they know any other teachers in your area that have classes you could try? Where I live, all the teachers know each other and have given me recommendations.

It's not usual to do the same routine every time though. So I'd maybe look into getting a new teacher anyway.

doadeer I get that. At the moment I just can't get to classes as I can only leave the house for about an hour occasionally ( I have a permanently sick daughter who cannot be left). None of the yoga classes locally are at times when I can get a sitter. There aren't many classes where I live anyway. I'm 'lucky' because a pilates teacher has agreed to give me 1-1 lessons once a month for 50 minutes so I can just about do that and get back in an hour ( at £48 a lesson plus £15 for the sitter it's bloody expensive). I've asked yoga teachers and at the moment they can't do it. I keep trying! If I didn't have access to online yoga I'd go mad. When my DD gets well enough to be left longer I will try to go to a class and if she ever gets better completely then I would investigate a residential yoga course

I think until you establish your own practice and are doing yoga regularly (twice a week plus) as part of your lifestyle, for a sustained amount of time, you shouldn’t even think about becoming a teacher.

Great yoga teachers I’ve had genuinely have yoga as a lifestyle, it’s not the same as becoming a spinning instructor, for eg!

blankspace I agree. I practice almost every single morning which is why I would like to train to teach one day. I hate days when I haven't been able to do my yoga!