Step Three: Leaving Competition Outside

In Steps One and Two of my series on safety tips for people who plan to take up yoga, I suggested that you check with your doctor first, and then assess your personal fitness level.

Once you have consulted with your doctor and assessed your fitness, you will be ready to select which level of yoga class will best suit you, and you can begin your adventure into the exciting world of yoga.

One of the first things you’ll probably notice is that there are people with varying degrees of experience in your class. Some, like you, will be new to yoga, while others will be advanced practitioners who have the ability to move through the poses with a grace that can be inspiring. However, it can also be little intimidating to watch these advanced level yoga practitioners as they twist and turn their bodies in ways that you think you will never be able to accomplish. This is the time when you might make the mistake of feeling tempted to try and keep up with your yoga neighbor.

So Step Three in my series into yoga is very simple:
DON’T COMPETE!!!

Your yoga class is not a time for you to compete to be the best. Instead, it is a time for you to be as good as you can be at your current fitness level. I assure you that, as a yoga teacher, I find it more rewarding watching a student take three full breaths while sitting in meditation than watching someone twist themselves into a pretzel!

So do yourself a BIG favor – leave your judgmental brain outside the studio door, and get to know you and your yoga body one breath at a time.

Safety Tips for Starting Yoga:

• Step Two: Self Awareness
• Step Three: Leaving Competition Outside the Door
• Step Four: Pushing Too Fast

[tags]yoga class, competition in yoga studio, fitness level and yoga level, know your body, beginner’s yoga guide, how to start yoga practice[/tags]