All posts by roger

Ten top tips for making the most out of your first Yoga class

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , , ,

So you’ve decided to go to your first yoga class?

Well done.

You’ve overcome the perceptions that yoga is some sort of religion, involves impossible to get into poses and sitting around on mats chanting. You know it can benefit you physically and mentally and help you get stronger, more flexible and can help your posture. But there is still one barrier left. Going to your first class.

Don’t worry. Don’t feel intimidated! Here are ten top tips for your first yoga class to think about before you go that will make your first class go well for you.

1) Read a book or watch a video beforehand.

It will help if you know the basics of yoga then you will have an idea of what to expect in your first class. There are hundreds of yoga poses and styles. But there are also hundreds of books and videos both on and offline. I like the videos they have on YogaToday.com but a simple search on YouTube would suffice.

photo credit: myyogaonline via photopin cc
photo credit: myyogaonline via photopin cc

2) Pick a yoga studio convenient to your home:

It might be a fitness club offering a yoga class or a dedicated yoga studio, but make sure it is close to home. Also check out the advert boards in your local shops as they often carry ads for yoga classes in community centres or church halls.

3) Get there early so you can have a look round.

Get there at least 15 minutes early: This will give you time to fill out any necessary forms, get yourself a locker if available and start to unwind before class. if you can get into the studio, set your yoga mat in a comfortable place in the room – and don’t assume that as you are new that you need to hide at the back.

4) Eat sensibly before your class

Keep food on the day of your first yoga class light and simple by having healthy food at least two to three hours before class. Not heavy, fried, fatty, saucy, spicy, and high-acid food as they might make you feel sick as you start to exercise. It’s also not a good idea to exercise on an empty stomach either as you may start feeling light-headed as your body needs fuel that is not there. I like bananas before my classes.

5) Drink drink drink

Drink plenty of water before and after the class. You must be hydrated during class because you will sweat even in less physically demanding types of yoga. Best start drinking water at least two hours before so your body can absorb the water properly. If you are doing hot yoga or bikram yoga make sure that you’re fully hydrated before you start. Because you will sweat buckets.

your first Yoga class
photo credit: BozDoz via photopin cc

6) Wear really comfortable clothes

Wear comfortable clothes that aren’t so tight that they restrict your movement. You don’t need to wear long pants, just wear something you feel relaxed and confident in. Ladies can wear quick-dry Capri and tight tops where gents may put on shorts and baggy t-shirts. Remember that unlike gym exercises, you will be bending and stretching a lot, so loose clothes tend to fall in your face during downward poses and it will become difficult for the teacher to check your alignment.

7) And take off your shoes and socks

You practice Yoga barefoot. This freaks some people out. They don’t like espousing their bare feet. But being barefoot gives you more grip on the mat especially in the standing poses. If you have any problem being barefoot, ask your instructor if you can keep your socks on—or you could buy a pair of yoga socks.

8) Talk to the teacher

You might be shy or uncomfortable talking to the teacher, but they are there for you. Yoga teachers are very helpful and encouraging—they want new students to have the best experience possible during their first class. If you don’t talk to the teacher before the class starts he or she will always ask if there is anyone who hasn’t done yoga before. I find that even when I ask this question some people still stay silent. Don’t. Make yourself known. Also let your teacher know of any medical conditions you have that might affect your practice. Your teacher will offer changes if needed as you can adjust most yoga poses to your needs.

your first Yoga class
photo credit: lululemon athletica via photopin cc

9) No mobiles

Keep your mobile off. Maintaining silence in the room is difficult with irritating ring-tones going off. Be mindful of the other students sharing their love and energy with you.

10) Don’t go too far

Gyms are quite competitive especially when men try to out do each other with the weights they can lift. But yoga shouldn’t be like that. No one is going to criticise you and there is no prize for “Most Intense Pose.” It doesn’t matter if there are poses you can’t do or you are not super flexible. Always listen to your body—don’t go too far just to keep up with the rest of the class. If it gets too much, spend time in child’s pose until you are ready to jump back in.

And most of all enjoy yourself!

Your turn: I’d love to hear your stories about your first yoga class. What was it like? How did you feel. Do any of these tips resonate with you? Click below where it says “Leave a Reply” and share your thoughts.

Behind the scenes Body Balance release 61 rehearsals

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , , , , , ,

When you are stretching and flexing away in a Body Balance class, combining Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates, you rarely think about the company behind the class – Les Mills.

For each of their many fitness classes, they release a new set of routines and music every 3 months. And in order for everyone in clubs all over the world to enjoy a fresh new and challenging experience they work to a time-table 2 quarters ahead.

So if you are working out to Body Balance release 59 – Les Mills will have already filmed Body Balance release 60 – and will be prepping and rehearsing for Body Balance release 61.

Recently they have started releasing teaser videos of the imminent next release. Now here is another treat. A video showing the preparation and rehearsals for the release after that. We won’t see Body Balance release 61 in the UK until June/July 2013 – so enjoy this little insight.

Your turn: What do you think of this sneak look behind the scenes Body Balance release 61 TWO releases ahead? Is it too much too soon? Or do you like the treat of a teaser? Click below where it says “Leave a reply” and share your thoughts.

Behind the scenes Body Combat release 56 rehearsals

Fitness and Yoga, , , , , ,

When you are sweating away in a Body Combat class, kicking and punching and fighting for your fitness, you rarely think about the company behind the class – Les Mills.

For each of their many fitness classes, they release a new set of routines and music every 3 months. And in order for everyone in clubs all over the world to enjoy a fresh new and challenging experience they work to a time-table 2 quarters ahead.

So if you are working out to Body Combat release 54 – Les Mills will have already filmed Body Combat release 55 – and will be prepping and rehearsing for Body Combat release 56.

Recently they have started releasing teaser videos of the imminent next release. Now here is another treat. A video showing the preparation and rehearsals for the release after that. We won’t see Body Combat release 56 in the UK until June/July 2013 – so enjoy this little insight.

Your turn: What do you think of this sneak look behind the scenes Body Combat release 56 TWO releases ahead? Is it too much too soon? Or do you like the treat of a teaser? Click below where it says “Leave a reply” and share your thoughts.

Thanks to Simon Philp for sending me the link to this. Check out his blog here.

Why Complaining to the Managing Director is the only way to get things done?

The Crazy World in which we Live, , , , , ,

Imagine 9 weeks without Wifi in your home. No WiFi internet access on your PC, iPad, iPhone or other essential device.

Imagine no surfing the web, streaming TV and Films, listening to podcasts, downloading books and articles.

Complaining to the Managing Director
BT Logo

I don’t have to imagine because it happened to me when I moved house recently. I was initially shocked when British Telecom (BT) told me that it would take 4 weeks to fit a phone line and activate my broadband network. That month dragged as they denied me access to the internet (my iPhone was no use either because we were out of range of any mobile internet signal).

Then on the day that BT were supposed to install everything they moved the date forward another month. The irony is that they emailed me with this news and of course I had no access to email and so waited in vain for the BT OpenReach van to arrive.

Furious, I phoned the customer help line. After pressing 1 for this and 2 for that 4 for something else and 6 for whatever, I spoke to a useless person reading a script from a cubicle in India. He couldn’t help me because the answer to my problem was not in his script. So I asked to speak to a supervisor.

Of course the supervisor was as hopeless as the first person because he too was reading from a script and had no way of actually helping me.

Complaining to the Managing Director
BT OpenReach Van

Finally I Googled the name of the managing director of BT and took a guess at his email address (hint: name.surname@bt.com). He replied only 8 minutes after I pressed send on my complaint email. Within minutes he had put me in touch with the Executive Complaints Team. Now I had a personal manager dealing with my problem.

Although it still took a few weeks of messing around they did manage to get me connected a little earlier than the ridiculous date they had originally given me. Finally they reconnected me to the world of surfing the web, streaming TV and Films, listening to podcasts, downloading books and articles.

Why should I have had to complain to the managing director to get a good service from BT?

And it’s not just BT is it? Most of the bigger companies expect their customers to phone call centres in remote corners of the globe and speak to people who can’t help them. Complaining to the managing director usually means you can bypass this awful process.

But most people won’t. They’ll put up with unacceptable service and spend hours of wasted time on the phone. It means companies can get away with it.

The fact that companies have “Executive Complaints Teams” for those who do choose to seek out the top person proves that they can give good service if they have to.

Your turn: Have you ever had to resort to complaining to the managing director? It’s not on is it? Please share your stories and experiences. Click below where it says, “Leave a reply” and feel free to RANT!