Things we wish we'd known before going to our first yoga class

New Year, New You?
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​Christmas is widely accepted as a time of over indulgence and in turn, January is full of declarations of “New Year, New Me”, wildly optimistic resolutions and deprivation diets on a scale not seen anywhere else during the year.  Towards the end of January and into February the air is full of the sounds of new year's resolutions being broken and people falling off the wagon, hard.
 
Why do we do this to ourselves?  We set ourselves up to fail and then berate ourselves when we don’t live up to the unrealistic expectations we set at the start in a fit of good intentions and determination.  
 
Yoga isn't about deprivation, or punishment.  It's not a punishing fitness regime that you can’t stick to and it's not about fitting into some physical ideal.  Yoga is about building a solid foundation of self care.  Taking care of your mind and your body. 
 
It doesn’t matter if you’ve broken your new year’s resolutions, you can start again anytime. It’s not the succeeding, it’s the trying, the doing and the learning.  

At Office Om, we love it when people say our workshops have inspired them to go to a yoga class. If you're inspired to try one or have been meaning to get back to a class, why not do it? It's so easy to make ALL the excuses, but you'll thank us when you do.
 
We asked our followers what they wish they’d known before going to a yoga class for the first time. Here's what they said:
 
1. It’s not about changing the way you look - although it can change your physical appearance  Yoga is about self care and overall health.  Yoga teaches you to stop, take a breath and take time out to concentrate on all areas of your well-being.  
 
            “I think sometimes I’m not in the mood to do yoga and kind of settle down to do it begrudgingly because I know I need to so when someone says “take the time to congratulate yourself for showing yourself and your body some love today” it really shifts my perspective” Natalie J
 
Our lives are jam packed with family, work, commuting and we are constantly bombarded on social media. We struggle with brain space and overwhelm.  Yoga enables us to take the time that we need to listen to our bodies and find some peace and stillness.
 
2. You don’t to wear fancy stuff in fancy places - on social media, there's an image presented of people doing yoga in either a bikini or some psychedelic leggings in beautiful places. You really don't need to throw on Lycra and jump on a jet. Yoga is about the connection between the body, mind and breath. You can do it anytime, anywhere and wearing anything.  All you need is your body, your mind and to be breathing.

“To be reminded that the time on the mat is a gift to yourself ” Alison M

3.  You don’t have to be 'good' to start - It's about the practice and about listening to your body. It's about giving it a go. Some people are stronger, some people are more flexible. Everyone has something they need to work on in whatever condition their body is at the moment. Just like with anything else in life, to deepen the benefits of yoga can take time and practice, but yoga isn't about being perfect. You'll start noticing the benefits in just a few sessions. If you can't touch your toes, that's all ok. 

“Being told there is no such thing as being bad at yoga” Chrissy K

4. You don't need to know all the names of the poses - yoga poses do have names, but the teacher will explain everything you need to do clearly and demonstrate the poses too - you can just copy.

            “Being told not to worry about the pose names yet but to follow the moves with my means, as you can feel overwhelmed by all the terms and moves combined” Saief K
 
And if you do feel confused by anything, just ask. We're a friendly bunch. 
 
5. It doesn't matter if you do something different to everyone else or your body makes any noises -   sometimes people move in different directions to the teacher. Someone might wobble in a balancing pose. Sometimes someone's tummy might rumble, someone might cough and someone might giggle. We're all human and our bodies do these things. It's all ok.
 
            "It didn't happen to me, but the yogi reassuring new people that when you twist and bend and sqidge up your insides in new ways it is normal and fine for gases to want to escape always seemed like a nice thing to say." Phil L
 
Whether you want to increase your strength, learn how to relax or improve your mental health, yoga can help.  From relieving the effects of depression to improving digestion and quality of sleep yoga is not for the few, it’s for the many.  Don’t let your fears or preconceptions around yoga prevent you from experiencing its benefits first hand.
 
At Office Om we want people to feel less stressed and improve their overall wellbeing.  We want you to feel better, cope better and live better. Find out more by joining our mailing list. 

Or if you'd like to be supported whilst trying out the benefits of chair yoga in our NEW five week online course, you can find out more here