Step Two: Self Awareness

This is the second part of my series on safety tips that people should consider when starting yoga instruction. In Step One, I talked about the importance of consulting with your doctor to ensure that you have no health issues that could affect your yoga practice.

Having consulted with your health care professional, you are now ready to move on to Step Two, which is making an honest assessment of your own fitness level.

Are you someone who works out all the time, takes hikes, and is physically active on a regular basis? Or are you someone who leads a more sedentary lifestyle with very little fitness-focused activity? These fitness benchmarks will help you decide if one yoga class a week is enough to start with, or if you need to look for a more regular commitment of three classes a week.

Many people have given up on yoga after only a few classes because they tried to push themselves too hard at the beginning rather than ease their way into a new practice. Make sure you discuss with your yoga teacher any challenges or injuries you may have, and also let them know what your level of fitness is. Try to not push beyond your level of experience and personal limitations as this will only serve to discourage you and may even cause an injury.

Stepping into yoga is a challenging experience, but it can also be a joyful and exciting one as it will enable you to reconnect with your body, mind and spirit, leading you to a healthier lifestyle on both a physical and emotional level.

Safety Tips for Starting Yoga:

• Step One: Starting Out Yoga
• Step Two: Self Awareness
• Step Three: Leaving Competition Outside the Door

[tags]safety tips, fitness level, daily activities, yoga classes, how to avoid being injured during yoga practice, reconnection with your body, healthier lifestyle[/tags]