For someone who is totally new to yoga and tries their first class for a month, the chance of them returning is not the highest. This is based on Mindbody Online, a company that provides software for the yoga, health and fitness industries. According to them, half of all first-timers usually do not return.
Although the odds may seem somewhat disheartening, Kate Saal, a popular yoga teacher in Sacramento and owner of One Flow Yoga, mentioned that there are a couple of things people can do if they wish to start a yoga practice successfully. In the United States, there are approximately 20.4 million people who practice yoga based on the “Yoga in America” study, published bi-annually by Yoga Journal, a magazine devoted to yoga. These individuals get to enjoy benefits such as increased strength, flexibility and balance along with a calmer, more peaceful mind. More importantly, each of them had also gone through the struggle of a new practice.
Here are Kate’s tips for one to start and stick with a new yoga practice. Firstly, one should not simply jump into any random class. This is because many classes vary in difficulty level and heading to the wrong one as a beginner can leave students discouraged, confused and sometimes even injured. Ideally, one should always look for those classes that are more “Beginner Friendly”. These classes tend to focus more on the fundamentals of the practice and go at a slower pace. At OMG Yoga, we always recommend new students to go for Hatha Yoga first. This is the most commonly practiced style of yoga that is also suitable for all.
Secondly, one should always trust their intuition. Checking out reviews are good, but they can sometimes be skewed. Each individual that writes his/her review has their own expectations and experience along with a certain bias towards their favourite studio. Hence, it is recommended that one tries out a few yoga studios before deciding on the one that fits them best. Most studios have a number of instructors as well. Therefore, it would be wise to try out a few of the instructors too to see how comfortable you are with them. The best choice would be a studio where you have a few instructors whom you can connect with.
At OMG Yoga, we focus more towards private yoga classes. Our policy is that if the student feels that the instructor is not suitable after the first class, he/she can request for a change in instructor. This gives him/her a chance to find the most suitable instructor for them.