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The Yogi Guide to Better Practices

A few tips to help the ultimate yogi.

By Regina ThomasPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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Whether you are a new or a seasoned yogi, you know the benefits of practicing yoga. You've seen firsthand how it helps you manage stress and anxiety, gives you energy, brightens your mood, and how much more vital, flexible, and balanced you are. Your body feels good, and you are sleeping better. Wanting more of these yoga benefits, the question for you is, "How do yogis get better practice?"

Better practice for yogis could mean any number of changes to your practice. It could mean a longer time, a different space, or changing the times you practice. However, this article will serve as the yogi guide for better practice. It has valuable tips for those new or long-term yogi practitioners.

Eat Light Before Practice.

Eating light before practice is one of the most essential tips for a better yoga session. As with any exercise, eating an hour or two before gets enough sugar into your system to sustain you and keep your energy levels up. A full meal and full belly will make practicing uncomfortable, so the advice is that you eat light. That could be something like fruit, yogurt, nuts, boiled eggs, or a smoothie.

Hydrate Your Body Well

Yoga practice consists of a series of movements that are held while muscle fibers lengthen and realign. Although teachers in yoga classes don't treat students like elementary students and scold them for drinking water, it is hard to hold a pose and a water bottle simultaneously. Therefore, hydrating well throughout the day before the class is essential. Flavored water is easy to make by adding fruit or veggies to water and store. Flavored water is also great to sip on before class.

Strengthen Your Wrists.

Many of the moves in yoga put pressure on your wrists. Practicing yoga may cause pain after class. Therefore, teachers suggest working on wrist movements to strengthen and warm those muscles before class. To warm muscles before class, yogis can put their hands in fists and roll/flex them inward and outward toward the inner wrist. Also, between classes, yogis should work to improve the strength in their wrist by doing planks and down dog poses.

Dress for Success

There is no dress code for practicing yoga, but wearing yoga-specific workout clothing could help your performance. Yoga clothing is fitted and worn very close to the body. Not only do they feel great on your body, wearing appropriate performance clothes allows the teacher to get a better look at your form and make corrections where necessary.

Make a Connection with Yourself

Practicing yoga is one of the best ways to get a mind, body, and spirit connection. Turning inward and letting go of the stresses of the day for some may be a struggle. It is easier to connect with yourself when the area you are practicing in is scenic and peaceful. Many residents or foresty/woodland areas, such as Lake Tahoe, report having much better experiences when doing yoga outside in nature. Some tips include using products from Lake Tahoe dispensaries before practice, which heighten your senses and experience immensely. Another tip is to get to the practice area early and try staying quiet for 30 minutes before class.

Focus on the Teacher Not the Classmates

Paying attention to others in your class will cause a comparison which will kill your vibe. Instead, follow the teacher's instructions and focus on his/her words and movements. If it is something you need help with, do what you can to get the teacher's attention instead of looking at others for validation.

Try Smiling Through Poses

Yoga is as serious an exercise as any other. However, the mindful aspects of yoga should bring you harmony and joy. Therefore, it makes sense to smile through the poses, and if you can't, at least smile once you've mastered them. Your muscles are relaxed, and you are doing a great thing for your body.

Better practice for yogis could mean any number of changes to your practice. It could mean a longer time, a different space, or changing the times you practice. However, some valuable tips for those new or long-term yogi practitioners to do practice better are to eat light before practice, hydrate throughout the day before practice, and strengthen your wrists before practice. You should also dress for success, find ways to connect with yourself, focus on the teacher and don't' compare yourself to other students and smile while practicing.

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