There were 10 blog posts during the month. We actually talk about 12 posts below. The first of the Mysore series was published in March and the last of the Yoga Etiquette series will be published during the first week of May.
Mysore class is scary
I started teaching Mysore style Ashtanga classes at the studio on Tuesday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Lots of people commented to me that they were afraid to try a Mysore class. The following 4 articles provided some information about Mysore classes.
- I don’t want to go to Mysore class. It sounds scary to me. This article describes a Mysore class from the chaos and silence to it being a personal practice in a group setting.
- The Benefits of a Mysore class. In this article I talked about six benefits of a Mysore style Ashtanga class including: flexible start time; and your breath your pace.
- The Etiquette of a Mysore class. What should you do when you arrive. What should you do when the teacher is assisting you and much more is covered in this article.
- The objections to attending a Mysore class. So after reading the other three articles you still have some objections. This the last article of the Mysore series I call the Yes, but … article. I talk about 5 of the common objections to attending a Mysore class: I don’t know the sequence; I am not flexible enough and I will look stupid among others.
How to fail or succeed at yoga
Some people took exception to the topic of this blog post. One person commented that you do not fail at yoga. I agreed with them that no one fails at yoga, however they do fail to continue to practice yoga and that is the sense in which I titled the article.
- Why do people fail at yoga? In this article I talk about 6 reasons why people stop practicing yoga. These reasons include: having a closed mind; and being over competitive. Read the rest of the article to find the other 4.
- Why do people succeed at yoga? There are 8 reasons why a person succeeds covered in this article. Some people find a teacher they like and get a practice buddy and this keeps them going. Others decide that their practice is good enough for now and strive to improve it gradually over time. Have a look at the article for the rest of the reasons.
Do you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?
I recently read a book called mindset – The new psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck. In this book she talks about two basic mindsets that a person can have. One is the fixed mindset where you believe that your ability is fixed. You are born with all of your ability and you go through life with that set amount. The other mindset is called the growth mindset. With this mindset you accept that your abilities have limits and that they can grow. You can improve your ability. Read the complete article called A Growth Mindset moves your practice forward.
It’s interview time
On a Saturday afternoon in April Siobhan Russell contacted me on Facebook chat and asked me a series of very penetrating questions that I tried to answer as best I could. The result is this article. She is a very good interviewer. Read the article Jack gets interviewed to see what I think about adjustments and how they should be done.
Yoga Etiquette – 31 things to think about
A lot of people when they start thinking about going to yoga class for the first time they get concerned about how should they behave. What is appropriate. What is not allowed. Going to yoga class for the first time can be like going to Starbucks for the first time. How do I order a small cup of coffee. I do not see the choice on the menu.
What should I wear to yoga class? How close should I set my mat to the next person? Is flirting okay in class? I want to talk to the teacher after class, is that alright? Read this series to find out what you should and should not do.
- How should I behave in a yoga class? In this article we talk about what you should and should not do before class. I talk about 9 things to think about including: noisy jewelry (no) ; perfume (no); cell phones (no); comfortable clothing (yes) and many more.
- What to do with my yoga mat in class? There are 7 things to consider when you enter the practice space including: respecting other people’s space; do not steal other people’s props and mats are not bed sheets.
- What to do during a yoga practice? There are 10 things to think about during a yoga practice. Respecting the teacher tops the list and Drink water sparingly is the last item. This is the article where we talk about flirting.
- What to do after the yoga class is over? There are 5 items in this article. I cover cleaning up your space and your sweat to talking to the teacher. You can not read it yet, because it has not been published. It will be out during the first week of May.
Let’s see now:
- 9 things to think about before you come to class
- 7 things to think about when you are setting up in the practice space
- 10 things to remember during a yoga practice and
- only 5 things to follow after a yoga class.
That’s a total of 31 points of etiquette to remember when going to a yoga class. Who knew there was some much etiquette involved in doing a yoga practice. When I started doing yoga, oh so many years ago, all I thought you had to do was wear the right clothes and bring a yoga mat. That shows you how little I knew.
You should share this series of articles with your friends that are thinking about starting a yoga practice.
