The yoga class is coming are you prepared?
This is the third warning from the weather station. Hurricane Mabel is definitely going to hit our coast and it is a category II. This is a big deal. Now is past time to prepare for the hurricane.
Shirley and I have a list of things to do and things to get that we prepared a few years ago.
- tie down the patio furniture
- put the bicycles in the shed
- insure our bottled water is ready
- get gas for the Coleman stove
- check our groceries
- close all the windows
Once the hurricane comes we will be prepared.
Getting ready for a yoga class is much the same as getting ready for a hurricane, expect that the arrival of your yoga class is not announced several times on the weather station.
Preparing for yoga class
When getting ready for yoga class you prepare your body and everything around you including:
- eliminate hunger
- clean body
- yoga mat and clothes ready to go
- practice buddy, baby sitter lined up
One of the more challenging things to do when going to yoga class is taking care of your hunger.
Eliminate hunger
When you go to yoga class you should be neither full nor hungry.
Avoid eating a big meal within 2 – 3 hours before your yoga class. If you do eat a big meal you will have several problems.
- – Your full stomach will get in the way when you do some yoga poses.
- You will be sluggish because all of your energy is going to digesting your meal.
- Your meal may threaten to leave your body when you do twists or head below the hips poses.
Conversely you should not go yoga class hungry either.
- – Your energy will be low.
- Your growling stomach will distract you and your neighbours.
You need to find a happy balance between starved and stuffed when you prepare for yoga class.
Once you have taken care of your stomach it is time to clean up your body.
Prepare for Yoga class:
– eliminate hunger
– clean body
– mat & clothes
– support staff
Clean Body
You will have a more successful practice if you have a clean body. A quick shower before class will reduce the possibility of body odour.
After the shower do not put on any body lotion. Applying body lotion will make your skin slippery. Slippery skin will make it hard for your teacher to help you in a pose. You will find it difficult to stay in a pose even when your teacher is not helping you.
Now that your body is ready for yoga class you need to think about the things you need.
Yoga mat and clothes
Putting your yoga mat by your bed and getting your yoga clothes ready in the morning when you are leaving for work will make sure that there is no crisis in the evening when time is of the essence.
Getting everything ready to go and in one spot, helps you to get out the door quickly after your quick shower.
There is one last detail to arrange for. Have your support people lined up.
Practice Buddy, Baby sitter
Arrange for these people well in advance of your yoga class. Book your baby sitter to be there early so they can manage the family while you are getting ready to go.
Co-ordinate with your practice buddy who is picking up whom, when and where.
Summary
Once all of these arrangements are made you will be able to get out the door quickly after work and have a successful yoga class.
Hurricane Mabel brought lots of wind and rain to our area, but you survived it easily because we were prepared. You will have a pleasant time at yoga class because you prepared in advance like we did for the hurricane.
Next Step
It is time to make your very own getting ready for yoga class check list. You may have some or all of the items on my list. Go ahead and add your items that you feel are necessary.
Additional Reading
The article Why eating a big meal before your yoga class is not the best plan goes into more detail about large meals and your yoga practice.
Why you should avoid hunger when you do yoga tells you more about the problems of doing yoga while you are hungry.
Avoiding body odour in yoga class is a good plan otherwise you may have the same problem that Alice had with Rex. Learn more in the article How to avoid being the skunk in yoga class
Body lotion can make you like a greased pig as you will discover in Why the greased pig effect is bad for your yoga.
Finally all of your planning may fall apart when chaos hits. How to keep your practice going when chaos strikes shows you what to do when it happens.
