i was attending yoga class 4-5 times a week since the new year started and the last 2 weeks i haven't gone at all. i used to do a yoga tape when i couldn't make it to class. i think i have gotten discouraged lately by comparing myself to others. my classes are all levels and most people are very fit and not beginners. i feel like i stick out with all my modifications. although i plan to attend at least one class this weekend. my life has gotten really hectic and without yoga i feel less centered. wish me luck and thanks for being so open.

hi leah,
keep up the work. one of my first teachers said that the struggle is the best part because once you've accomplished these set goals, you have to work that much harder to feel the growth. so even though many people are putting their heads to the floor or in full head stand, they have to now find something else to give them drive.

additionally,there are terms and descriptions of how your body might feel that won't resonate no matter how long you've been practicing yoga. it simply may not be appropriate for you or it might take that 100th time to hear it before "getting it."
keep at it - the experience is quite fun!

I understand, believe me! After lapsing for a while (years ago), I got back into the swing of things and got comfortable again via a DVD home practice. Once I could respond to instructor cues merely by pose name, I went back to class. There are actually a fair number of high quality yoga DVDs out there!

Wow do I relate. I have tried yoga classes, but they leave me feeling lost in the shuffle. Try this guy:

www.yogacards.com

Awesome!

I understand your struggle. I came to yoga after a major orthopedic surgery and weeks of physical therapy. When I came in, I lacked BOTH confidence and ability.

Learning yoga and training your muscles to move in a different way takes time. If you attend class 3 -4 times a week you'll be surprised at how fast you'll progress.

I prefer the class setting. I work harder, the responsiblity of what I'm going to do next is taken off my shoulders, and I enjoy the social time before and after. I also love watching the more able classmates, who constantly amaze me. But do look around for a smaller class size, where the teacher will have more time to work with you one on one. Also, everyone explains things differently. So take different teachers. You might also consider paying for at least one private session where you can gain a bit more confidence.

But the most important thing to remember is that this is YOUR practice. Move at your pace. Don't worry if everyone is looking east and you're staring back at them by pointing west! Explore the poses: one day feel the stretch in your shoulder and side in downward dog. Another day play with your arm position in child's pose.

Don't feel presured to 'keep up,' and remember: in yoga there is no being 'lost.' You are where you are.

Good luck and stick with it!

Leah- I am a yoga teacher and appreciate your honesty. It is (painfully) true that "beginner" classes attract all levels. I wish I could go back in time to give more to the "never evers" . In the future I will announce that I am available to do 3 free privates for anyone in their 1st month of yoga. You have really inspired my teaching- thankyou Ms. Bodhisatvah ( def.- teacher in disguise! )

Leah - Thank you for writing with honesty and for sticking with the group yoga classes through your struggles. After 7 years of home practice and group classes, I am comfortable enough to say I'm one of those intermediate students who has started attending the intermediate classes. But I struggle and struggle on and off, wondering if I should go back to beginner classes.

There will be some days of movement and "revelation" in your yoga (at home and in class) and some days of regression and "concealment"... keep going, girl!

Thank you for refreshing my memory of how on-the-mat experiences mimic off-the-mat daily life, and how beginner, intermediate AND advanced students alike, all struggle with their practices.

The light in me recognizes the light in you, Namaste, Em

Hi Leah!

I enjoy following your progress; I'm one of those experienced folks who goes to a beginners class (as well as a advanced class) a week. I love the pace of the beginners class and it keeps me in tune with my alignment.

I too am a solitary learner but with yoga I am compelled to go to classes for the community of being with other yogis. For me nothing beats the energy of the room. Sometimes I find myself a step or 2 behind and I watch my fellow yogis and the beauty of their postures.

I also have a very strong home practice. Between the studio and my home practice I have found a union that has created a compassion for myself and the world around me.

Do what is organic to you and keep up the awesome work.

Namaste, Meredith

I think we are very much opposite in our learning styles--I used to read my casebook after class because the class was so much more illuminating than reading opinions without context and discussion. At-home practice is hard for me, but it seems to have come very naturally to you. Take advantage of that by looking into books and videos that can help advance your home practice and give you confidence for group classes.

I definitely agree, though, that a smaller class where the instructor can correct or confirm that your pose is safe is essential. As an attorney--usually somewhat "type A"--I find it really hard to be the lone true beginner, or the one who can't do a certain pose, but slowly it comes. And in talking to some of the more advanced "beginners" I have learned that many of them have months, if not years, invested in their practice. I will progress, and so will you.

Leah - I began practicing one year ago at the age of 52. I am usually the only one in class that doesn't have that svelte yoga look. I don't let that discourage me, because yoga has changed my life. Please stay with it. It sounds like you may need to find a different studio/teacher if possible. They vary a lot. A private lesson here and there is great also. I am more healthy, fit, spiritual, less stressed, have eliminated my back pain and leave my practices just plain happy!Namaste!

Leah, I would also recommend continuing with your studio practice, it really can be so beneficial to be with an instructor and experience the energy of a group. It just sounds like you need to find a different class/instructor/studio. As someone else said, they vary greatly. I teach at a relatively new studio so we're still building a client base and our class sizes are small. We offer a 4-week Basics class where only a handful of postures are covered and everyone gets lots of personal attention and assistance. I taught one of these classes just the other day and the students were thrilled, they said it was so refreshing to feel like they were being taught instead of just guided through a posture flow. I love the smaller class sizes because I feel like I can really connect with my students, tune into their needs, and give them what they require. So keep looking, there is bound to be something out there that's a better fit for you.

And someone else hit the nail on the head as far as certain descriptions of body movements of sensations - it can take a long time for something to finally click with you, to finally register. I know it's frustrating feeling 'lost' in the meantime, but that is why yoga is a practice. One of these days when it DOES click, you will have an amazing A-HA! moment on your mat that will feel like a huge revelation. Those moments are what make the practice so worthwhile.

And please don't feel like a "loser" for using modifications and props. I should hope yoga teachers out there are encouraging their students to use them, even if they don't "need" to. I just taught an intermediate level class this weekend where I had everyone use blocks and straps, regardless of whether they normally would or not. Sometimes, for a more experienced practitioner, they need to be challenged from time to time to slow down and spend more time in a moderate version of a posture rather than always pressing to the most advanced variation. Modifications and props are NOT a "sign of weakness" so I encourage you to find a class and a teacher that makes this point clear to all in attendance. Good luck and keep going! Namaste!

Like you, I have always learned best in solitude... and I began my study of yoga at home, in my living room, with some DVD's, and then some books. I was timid and embarrassed and not-very-strong when I started; I fell all over myself, and so was grateful for the privacy of my home. But sticking with it when I had never stuck with anything physical before made me so proud that I kept it up, and have eventually progressed to the point of not only attending class regularly, but contemplating becoming a yoga teacher! There's a lot to be said for practicing poses in the security and anonymity of your home. The important thing is to recognize and reward your progress! I'm glad you're sticking with it!