Hatha yoga is a physical and spiritual practice from ancient India. Over the centuries, the practice has developed and changed into the many forms of yoga available today. Some styles of yoga are more meditative, others are more physical or involve precise alignment. Take your time to find the type of yoga class most suitable to your needs. Doing so helps ensure you stick with your chosen style and gain maximum benefits.
Step 1
Create a list of what you would like to get out of your yoga class. Figure out if you want a more meditative experience, an intense physical workout, a relaxing experience, a way to learn about the alignment of each pose or a style that educates you about yoga philosophy in addition to the poses.
Step 2
Search yoga alliance websites (see Resources) for classes in your area once you have narrowed down the type of experience you want. Visit area gyms or yoga studios that you have seen or heard about from people you know.
Step 3
Find out more about the teachers of any classes you are interested in trying out. Read the teachers' biographies (either posted online or at the yoga center) to see what style of yoga they teach, how they work with people and how advanced their classes are. Determine whether the teachers are registered with the Yoga Alliance, the British Wheel of Yoga or Independent Yoga Network. These associations provide their "stamps of approval" to yoga teachers who meet training certain standards.
Step 4
Try a couple of classes from qualified teachers, and continue classes with those who offer modifications and warnings for each pose and who start with enough of a warmup and end with at least five minutes of post-class relaxation. This ensures you have a safe and relaxing yoga experience. You can keep practicing with teachers who do not have these features in class, but sticking with those who do is best over the long term.
Step 5
Approach each yoga teacher with questions after classes. Ask the teacher about his experience with yoga, where he studied, with which teacher and any clarifications you need on how to do certain poses. Select the teacher who you sense walks his talk by practicing yoga every day and who has a genuine enthusiasm for teaching the practice.
Step 6
Select the class location and time that are most convenient for you if you are still unsure of which class to choose. This allows you to easily continue practicing.
Tips and Warnings
- For those seeking a meditative experience, Kundalini yoga classes is best. For people looking for an intense physical workout, Ashtanga, Bikram or Power yoga classes are ideal. If you want to learn about proper alignment in each of the yoga poses, go with Iyengar yoga classes. To learn about yoga philosophy as well as the physical practice, choose Sivananda yoga classes. Viniyoga, Ananda and Kripalu yoga suit those looking for relaxation or stretching.
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