Never been to yoga before? Now is your chance! September kicks off National Yoga Month and lots of studios across the country are offering free classes. (Check out YogaMonth.com to see how to snag a free week pass!)But before you head to class, Kay Kay, the head of Teacher Training at the posh Pure Yoga studios in NYC, shares what you need to know to go from “huh?” to “OM.”MORE FROM SELF: Find The Right Kind of Yoga for Your PersonalityFirst Time Yogi Tips:1. For your first yoga class you should walk in with no expectations of yourself. Just be wherever you are that day in your body and have not judgment of yourself. (Bonus: Find your yoga personality here!)2. You can count on that everyone else in the room feels like the least flexible person as well! So take comfort in that.3. Sit in the second row during your first 10 classes so you have someone in front of you to model the poses in case you feel lost, especially if you are a visual learner.4. Bring water and a towel (check with the studio beforehand to see if mats are supplied, they may cost extra, or if you should bring your own).5. Don’t be afraid of props! Grab a yoga block to sit up on, it is so much more comfortable than sitting on the floor!6. Wear comfortable yoga clothing, something that feels flexible. (Note: if you’re trying any hot yoga classes, dress as minimally as possible!) Try to avoid anything that’s really baggy. Not only will a loose t-shirt prevent your instructor from seeing your alignment, it might also expose a little too much skin when you’re upside-down!MORE FROM SELF: Meet Your New Diet Best Friend– It’s The Easiest Way to Lose Weight!And while I’m no yogi, I’ve learned a few tricks through my practice:1. Yoga is not a competition. Bouncing off Kay Kay’s first tip, yoga is your practice. Don’t worry if the person next to you is jumping into a handstand while you’re still trying to master downward dog. Yoga is a practice that takes time you learn, but you’ll still receive the mind-body benefits by just showing up and trying.2. A lot of times yoga instructors will call out what pose to move into by its name (sometimes in Sanskrit). Don’t worry and don’t be intimidated! Just follow their example (or that of the people in front of you). There’s no need to learn the different pose names, you’ll learn them by practicing regularly.To help you ease into your first class, I got Kay Kay to share how to do a downward dog (it’s a staple in most yoga practices) so you can practice at home. Then try these fun yoga for beginners moves!MORE FROM SELF: Get Sexy Abs With Yoga“Down Dog is like creating an upside down V with your body. Start in a plank position, hands are shoulder width apart, arms are straight and strong. Move the hips high to the sky. Thighs are moving back, heels are drawing down to the floor. Don’t worry if they don’t touch the floor, it’s not important and it doesn’t make you a bad yogi.”Namaste! (It’s a yoga salutation said at the end of class and can be translated to mean, “The divine spirit in me bows to the divine spirit it you.” If it’s too “woo woo” for you, just think of it as a way to acknowledge the good in others. PS- it’s pronounced na-mas-stay.For daily fitness tips follow SELF on Facebook and Twitter.Get SELF on your iPad!
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