Come 20/25 min. before your first class. This is one of the best things a new student can do for him or her self. Besides filling up a short application we like to have some time to ask you about injuries and surgeries, old or recent. Any conditions, temporary or permanent that might preclude you from executing the postures. We need to know if you are currently taking any medication for any reason. With all this information, we might give you a couple of suggestions about some postures, pick a good spot for you in the room and put you at ease.

Come on an empty stomach. In any type of Yoga, but especially in this one, you will find some postures where a mild to vigorous massage of the internal organs is included. Some postures are specifically designed to work on the digestive and elimination systems. For this reason, you shouldn’t go through the digesting process in a Yoga class.

Suggestions: for the 5pm class, eat at noon. For the 7pm class, eat at 1 or 1:30pm. For the 9am class, you can try some fruit around 8am or earlier. Keep in mind that everybody has a different metabolism. After a few morning classes your body will tell you what’s appropriate. Most of the morning students are having just tea or water or nothing at all.

3 things you need for class. You need a Yoga mat, a large towel and a bottle of water. If you are missing any of these three, we will give it to you at the studio. The first time, the Yoga mat and the towel are free. The water is available, refrigerated, for purchase.

What to wear. Remember that we are practicing in the heat. What you wear shouldn’t be too heavy or too loose either.

For men: running trunks or swimming trunks will do it. You don’t really need a t-shirt but if you don’t feel comfortable without it, wear it. Keep in mind that cotton T-shirts get soaked pretty quickly.

For women: a sports bra or tank top is fine. As for men, T-shirts are acceptable but not a necessity. For the legs, we see anything, from short to mid thighs to below the knee exercise pants. Sweat pants are not recommended. Pants down to your feet will get in the way of several postures. Cotton is not the best material for this type of Yoga. Supplex or other “perspiration wicking” materials are more appropriate to counter the profuse sweating.

If you don’t have Yoga clothes, don’t worry. Come with what you have, look around and ask questions after the first class. Make some adjustments or purchases only when you know you want to stick to this type of Yoga.

How to approach the first class. Take it easy. It is as simple as that.  Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The first class is not the one where you want to push. In fact, we suggest you to go trough the first 5 to 10 classes with the idea of slowly familiarize yourself with the practice and the heat. Give some time to your body and your mind to connect, get in sync and have a feeling of “I have been here before, I can do this”.

You do not need to do all the postures or to be perfect, but you need to keep it together.  It means, no walking around during or between postures. No talking to your friends during or between postures. It means using simple courtesy and common sense to avoid activities that can interfere with the flow of the class and the concentration of your fellow students.

Example: Falling out of a posture is not considered interfering with the energy of the class. Drinking water during a posture is.

The speech. This is what teachers at our studio will say to you before your first class. “Try to do the postures with everybody else to the best of your ability. If, at any time, you feel overwhelmed or overheated or overexerted, wait until the end of the posture, turn around and lay down in Savasana. Your head is towards the mirror, your eyes open and you rest your body and calm down your mind. When you feel better, wait for the posture to finish, get up, turn around and do Yoga again with everybody else.

Regarding the water We don’t drink water in this practice for the first 25 minutes in order to warm up the body inside  and out. After that, there are some spots, every 3 or 4 postures, where the teacher will encourage students to drink. If you can wait with everybody else, great, otherwise for the first class, drink as you need but only between postures. A feeling of dizziness is normal here and there during the first few classes. It will go away later on. If you feel at some point that it is absolutely necessary for you to leave the room, do it at the end of the posture and quietly. After a few minutes, when you fell better, look trough the windows from the corridor, make sure the posture is done, and reenter the room. Take it easy, don’t push too much and let’s talk after class about how it went”

Relax and trust the teacher, the practice and the process.