Don't be Intimidated by Your Yoga Instructor

Over the last few weeks, we watched the debate unfold on the potential health risks of yoga, and we did so with fascination.? A recent New York Times article and resulting book that?kicked off a firestorm of conversation but for all the wrong reasons. Rather than taking sides on whether or not Yoga is a healthy activity, (it is when performed properly with qualified instructors), we will explore a more basic question given yoga?s burgeoning popularity. With so much interest directed towards the practice of yoga, many people are actually intimidated to start simply because those teaching this wonderful art form are in such good shape.

?Men and women who have never tried yoga before often say they feel insecure or intimidated about entering a studio full of other students who already are toned, slim, and flexible?, says Erinn Cayehal, Managing Director of Scarsdale Yoga Studios. ?Many people think that you have to be in shape before you even begin a yoga practice. The truth is, we all have to start somewhere. Even the most slim and sculpted ?yoga body? may not have always been in such great shape? says Erinn.

The Yoga Body

The ?yoga body? which is typically slender, sculpted and toned is a goal many people strive to achieve.? But this ideal is hard to compete with when you are just starting out. And although many a yogini (yoga teacher) will tell you that physical appearance doesn?t matter and that the practice is focused on spiritually and internal awakening, the fact is that most people initially come into the discipline for its health benefits. San Francisco Bay Area instructor Christy Brown, of Christy Brown Yoga, reflected on her modest entry into yoga practice as she was initially self taught, telling us ?Taking classes was entirely different from doing it on my own. The instructors and their focus on alignment, repetition of poses, breathing, the group energy, the mental quieting and calming ? all of these things and more exposed me to a layer of knowledge not generally accessible through learning yoga, as a novice, on my own.?

?It was the physical benefits of yoga that initially drew me in.? ? Christy Brown

Yoga is About Long Term Change

Given our society of instant gratification, we asked ex-Wall Street trader and yoga instructor Lauren Imparato, owner of I.AM.YOU., a boutique yoga and wellness center in New York City, what new practitioners should focus on. Not surprisingly, it?s less about the look you?ll achieve and more about the process. Lauren shared three key concepts to consider as you undertake yoga practice as a beginner:

1. Yoga works from the inside out ? ?Unlike other exercise which is primarily focused on your most exterior muscles, traditional yoga is focused on the breath and internal bodily systems?, Lauren says.? ?It cleanses your entire system, not just your sweat glands, and gets everything going.? As a result, it boosts your metabolism.? A faster metabolism is the key to weight loss.?

2. Yoga burns fat ? Lauren says that when you breathe a proper ujjai breath and hold asanas (yoga poses) for 5-10 breaths, you work the deeper layers of your muscles.? This triggers fat burning around the most vital organs of the body, and outer layers of the muscles.? ?Less excess fat makes for a healthier you? she says.

3. Yoga teaches you to listen ? Yoga technically means to unite the body and the mind.? When you practice yoga regularly, you start to be able to hear what your body is actually craving.? ?You may have thought it was a smoothie, but it may actually be saut?ed vegetables.? Maybe you thought it was brown rice and black beans, but actually it was an organic piece of beef.? Maybe your mind is screaming for ice cream, but you are actually just thirsty.? When you practice true yoga regularly, you naturally cultivate the uncanny capability of listening to what your body needs to eat.? Yoga is the natural diet transformer.

Don?t Worry About Fitness Level; Yoga Will Improve That Over Time

Yoga is rife with success stories of both men and women who have taken a long-term approach and see yoga as a lifestyle change. ? And they have learned along the journey that the health benefits eventually come with time. ?I was an unlikely yogini at best? shares Paula Munier, a certified yoga teach at Still Breathing Yoga. In my early fifties, mother of three, grandmother of two, I could not stand on my head or wrap one leg around the other or do a yoga push up (called a ?chaturanga?) or otherwise. But I persisted, breathing through class after class after class, eventually completing my 200-hour yoga teacher training at age 55. Along the way I lost thirty pounds, and dropped from size 16 to a size 10. I never dieted because I didn?t have to, nor did I particularly want to.

?Yoga taught me to quiet my mind, open my heart, and listen to my body. I learned to honor myself?moment to moment.? - Paula Munier, Still Breathing Yoga

In talking to yoga professionals, we found that really anyone can do it in part because yoga incorporates a multi-dimensional path to health involving mind, body and spirit. Meghan Donnelly, owner and instructor at Inner Peace Yoga in Tulsa, OK observed that ?Yoga offers something for everyone; gentle styles that focus on breathing, meditation and mindfulness all the way to very vigorous calorie-burning forms of power yoga that focus on strength, stamina and sweat. Some students stick to one form based on their fitness or stress-relieving goals, but often times, they fall in love with the practice of yoga itself and venture into practicing multiple styles creating a balanced body, mind, and spirit. The beauty of the science of yoga is that everyone can do it, and all yoga poses can be modified to meet each unique body where they are today.?

The Medical Health Benefits of Yoga Matter More Than Appearance

Although it?s easy to get caught up in the appearance you can achieve with yoga?after all it?s easier for us to want what we see?it?s what you can?t see that really matters. Dr. Scott Weiss, owner and clinical director at Bohdizone NYC, an integrative physical therapy center with a mind, body and spirit focus remarks that ?Yoga can also increase bone strength, as well as lengthen and strengthen muscles.? This means a slight increase in lean body mass that is known to boost your metabolic rate or internal engine.? Furthermore, having an increased or overall increase in lean body mass can help you burn more calories at rest and during exercise.?

Yoga Develops Better Body Awareness, Acceptance and Appreciation

Given the long-term change associated with yoga practice, there is more to helping your body and figure change than just the physical workout aspect of practice. Peggy Hall, a certified yoga instructor and the resident Wellness Expert for America Now, told us ?Instead of fighting your figure, you start to befriend your body. Why ruin all that self-appreciation with sugary donuts and fried foods? You naturally begin to treat yourself with greater respect, and that means consciously selecting what it is you choose to eat.?

Strike a Pose, Just Start Practicing

It can be unnerving going into a fitness focused environment even if you have the desire.? Paula Keyes Kun, is a new student to yoga and has only been practicing for a few months. Although her work focuses on the health of others as Director of Communciations at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD), her own health was not optimal at 282 pounds due to hip and knee replacement surgery.? She described her first experience attending a yoga class saying ??the instructor, welcomed me and told me that my goal that day was to stay in the 90 minute class. Do what you can do and focus on your breathing.

Everyone in the class was so warm and encouraging. I barely broke a sweat but for the first time in a long time I was able to stand for the entire 60 minutes. I stayed that day. Five weeks later and I am still taking yoga. I go about 4-5 times a week. I am still the heaviest person in the class but I have lost 10 pounds this month, something I haven?t done in years. I so enjoy the moving mediation that I actually look forward to class and I?ve never done that with any physical activity.?

Results Matter But So Does the Journey

As you consider whether all this hype around the ?yoga body? is worth pursuing, and whether or not you feel you can even achieve that look, it?s important to remember that yoga is a long term mental and spiritual endeavor. It follows a physical methodology to help unify your mind, body and spirit. Avoid being intimidated by the appearance of others as eventually you can achieve a high level of fitness as part of a long term lifestyle change. Says Lauren Imparato, ?Ever since I first step foot on a mat for a true, properly led yoga class, my body has never felt better ? in and out of my clothes.? And that?s really what matters.

Marc Winitz?is senior technology executive, 4th degree black belt and author of the self development blog?Black Belt Guide. He co-founded beforliving.com based on a vision of the convergence of technology, wellness and self development. He practices yoga at YogaWorks in Mill Valley, CA. You can follow him on Twitter?@marcwinitz.

Note: Some links in this post direct to the Amazon Affiliates program.

Source: http://beforliving.com/dont-be-intimidated-by-your-yoga-instructor

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