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YOGA 101
DEMYSTIFYING THE PRACTICE FOR BEGINNERS
// ANNA KATHAGNARATH
// PHOTOS BY VALERIE SKURAL
hen Emilie Durgin gets stressed out studying at home, she doesn't reach for an energy drink. She takes out her yoga mat, practices
a yoga stance and takes deep breaths to calm her nerves.
Durgan, Lawrence senior, practices "power yoga," which is a fitness-based type of yoga that emphasizes muscle building, and is taught at the Student Recreation Fitness Center. 1740 Watkins Center Drive. As a beginner, Durgen says she didn't realize she would break a sweat in her classes. "I've only been doing it for a month now and I've seen a lot of changes in my muscle tone." she says. With summer and finals nearing, Durgan says yoga helps her deal with stress management and helps her stay in shape.
For beginners, yoga can be intimidating the language can be highly technical and the practice might be overwhelming. However, beginners can gradually discover the benefits and challenges of yoga by practicing.
According to the American Yoga Association, there are more than 100 different schools of yoga, all of which have exercising, breathing and meditation components. The term "yoga" means "to join or yoke together" the mind and body in Sanskrit. Yoga is both a physical and mental exercise.
Before you begin the practice, think about what you want to gain from the experience, says Katie Harpstrite, yoga instructor at the Yoga Center of Lawrence, 920 Massachusetts St. This will help overwhelmed beginners choose a type that fits their goals and lifestyle. For example, Bikram yoga is practiced in a heated room maintained at about 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Iygengar yoga, which is what the Yoga Center of Lawrence teaches, uses various types of equipment, such as straps and ropes, to achieve certain positions.
Yoga has hundreds of different positions and each pose has a name. Instead of studying the language and terms, Harpstrite suggests beginners focus on the physical practice first and gradually learn each position. "Let the knowledge come as you practice," Harpstrite says.
Once you practice on a regular basis, you might discover the benefits of being in a class or find maybe that environment isn't for you. Harpstrite says beginners might find it more difficult to learn yoga from a video or book. She says having a teacher present can help challenge and safely guide you toward improvement. "If you do a
stretch and you can't really feel it then you're not really stretching," Harpstrite says. "You have to have that balance between pushing the edge of a pose, but also staying safe and not overdoing it."
You might also discover that different yoga instructors have different teaching styles. Seek out a teacher that you prefer working with. Cora Mitchell, Titusville, New Jersey, sophomore, practiced yoga for about three years. She has done Power Yoga and Hatha Yoga, which is slow-paced and emphasizes relaxation techniques. As an experienced yoga student, Mitchell has practiced with various types of instructors. She had one teacher who physically adjusted her body in an attempt to correct her posture. She had another teacher who modeled the correct poses for her.
Beginners might not realize they can physically hurt themselves if they don't do a position correctly, so being aware of your body is important. Mitchell says she once pushed herself too hard, strained a muscle in her neck and had to go to a chiropractor. Listen to your body when you're practicing a position — start slow and focus on yourself. Because you're in an uncomfortable position you might be more self-conscious. "Don't feel bad because you're not in competition with anyone," Mitchell says. "You're
just in competition with yourself."
As you gradually advance in your practice, you'll discover the benefits of yoga. As with any type of exercise the results can vary for each person. For Mitchell yoga was both an exercise and a stress reliever. "It's creating a relationship where your mind and your body are in touch at the same time," Mitchell says. As you practice a particular position your body responds and communicates to your mind whether it's uncomfortable. As she gradually learned to incorporate yoga into her lifestyle she saw the physical and emotional benefits. She says she practiced on a regular basis, ran, lifted weights and are a healthy diet. She gradually lost weight and dropped two pant sizes.
There are some misconceptions about yoga, including that it's just for the slim figured and there are common misconceptions about the practice. Meera Patritica Kerr, author of Big Yoga: A Simple Guide for Bigger Bodies and yoga instructor for 31 years, says yoga classes are not full of fit people. Kerr created a plus-size yoga system for those who find traditional yoga poses challenging because of their weight. She says yoga classes are full of adults of all shapes, genders and religions. Yoga is also not a religion — you
do not worship any god-like figure and it does not derive from Hinduism, which is a common misconception. "It's actually a science," Kerr says. "These poses have been designed hundreds of years ago to work on different body parts." The philosophy of yoga emphasizes working on the individual.
Whether your goal as a beginner is for the physical or emotional benefits, different types of yoga allow you to approach it from many angles. "Get your toes in the water and take what you can absorb." Kerry says. "Gradually, you'll get more and more comfortable."
Yoga in Lawrence:
- Lawrence Arts Center
940 New Hampshire St.
- Be Moved Studio
- 2 E. Seventh St.
- Yoga Center of Lawrence 920 Massachusetts St.
THE TRIANGLE: Trikonasana
WARRIOR II: Virabhadrasana
TREE:Vrikshasana
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