I ran in to a friend the other day. She was eager to tell me that she went to a yoga class for the first time. And… drum roll… she hated it.
She was so disappointed! She began telling me about how she really wants to improve her flexibility and learn to practice greater mindfulness, but it just didn’t feel like a good fit for her. She knows that yoga can be one of the best ways to meet these needs so she was sad when she did not like the class.
This was such a bummer to hear. And yet, I must be honest, it’s not that uncommon for a first time student. There are many factors that can affect the experience of a yoga class: time of day, style, community of students, teacher, and quality of the space, number of students, sounds, arc of the class… I could go on. With all of these variables, no two classes are ever alike.
Yet, in my opinion, the greatest influence of all of these factors, is the teacher. The teacher can make or break a class. Likewise, my first piece of advice to new students who have a “bad experience” is to try again — but simply with a different teacher. Set a reasonable expectation to try a few classes before you find the one that’s right for you. It’s just about finding the best fit. Need help? Take this survey to give me a sense of what you’re looking for and maybe I can make a recommendation.