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Nervous about your first yoga class and don't know what to expect? You need not be. There is always a sequence to what happens in a yoga class. Here we take you through a typical sequence that happens in any style of yoga.
Centering
The class begins with some form of centering. Depending on the teacher, centering will be one of the following: chanting of OM, awareness of breath, meditation or moments of complete silence. Centering brings you into yoga mode.
Warm-up
Some gentle stretches, twists and a breathing exercise prepare you for the postures ahead. Warm-up poses like cat and cow loosen your back, free up stiff muscles and increase body temperature.
Sun Salutations
These are a set of 12 postures to be done in one rhythmic flow. Coordinating your breath with every motion is the key. Inhale when you stretch and exhale when you contract. By the end of it you may break out into a little sweat. Sun Salutations can be done separately at home too; they build up strength, stamina and flexibility.
The asanas
Depending on the yoga style, you'll be taken through an hour or so of specific postures called as asanas in Sanskrit. There are literally hundreds of asanas in yoga that benefit every aspect of health. Your class will incorporate a set of them chosen by the guru who developed that style. Asanas can be standing poses, seated poses, twists, inversions, backbends, balancing poses and many more.
Seated poses like hip openers, side bends and forward/backward bends are energetically grounding and improve flexibility. Child, boat, camel, cow, dog are some of the westernized names for these asanas.
Standing poses require both strength and flexibility. Dancer, warrior, triangle, hand to toe, folds, half moon are some of the names you will hear.
Twists literally twist your body and make the spine feel good. Abdominal organs get a good exercise and toxins in the body are wringed out. Half-spinal twists and sage twist are good for digestion.
Inversions are poses in which your legs are free and you stand on your shoulders, back or head. Half-shoulder stand, headstand, plow and dolphin are great for circulation, thyroid and metabolism, brain functioning, facial features and nourishment to the upper body.
Backbends like bow, bridge, crab, cobra, one-legged bridge, tiger, upward dog, downward dog, etc. have their own benefits. Everybody loves the lion pose in which you have to stick out the tongue, pull cheeks back and roar like a lion. It is rejuvenating for the face.
Balancing poses bring mental balance and concentration. The tree and eagle poses are tests of stability.
Savasana and closing
At the end of the session, you cool down with savasana, the corpse pose. You lie down on your back motionless and relax every part of your body one by one. Be careful not to doze off. Savasana is extremely beneficial to allow the generated energy to work on the body. It is blissful to experience that energy after a long workout.
Finally you sit up and say OM or whatever the teacher prefers at the end of the class, and take leave.
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