Almost everyone is nervous before their first yoga class. Not about the yoga, really, but about not knowing how it goes. Where do you sit? What if you can't do it? What if everyone else knows what they're doing? Here is the whole thing, start to finish, so none of it catches you out.
Before you go
Wear something you can move in and bring some water. You practise in bare feet, so no trainers needed. Bring a mat if you own one, or rent one of ours for £1. Eat lightly, if at all, in the hour or two before: yoga on a full stomach is nobody's friend.
Give yourself a few extra minutes the first time. Aim to arrive about ten minutes early. The studio door closes two minutes before the class starts so the room can settle, and once it's shut we can't let latecomers in. The first time you book there's a short health form to fill in. It takes a couple of minutes and you only do it once.
When you arrive
Shoes off, phone away, find a bit of floor and roll out your mat. The teacher will say hello and ask whether anything is bothering your body that day: an old knee, a sore back, anything you want them to know about. Tell them. It's how they look after you.
During the class
You start slowly, usually lying down or sitting, with a few minutes of breathing to arrive. Then the teacher guides you through, showing each shape and offering a gentler version whenever there is one. You follow along at your own pace. If something doesn't feel right, you stop. If you need a breather, you rest. Nobody is watching you, and nobody is marking you.
Classes at the loft end the way they begin: lying still for a few minutes, letting everything settle. It's a lot of people's favourite part.
Afterwards
That's it. Roll up your mat, take your time, and notice how you feel walking back out onto Boutport Street. Most people are surprised how quickly the hour went, and how much lighter they feel after it.
If you're weighing up your first class, our guide to yoga for beginners in Barnstaple goes deeper on where to start, and the timetable shows what's on this week.
Opening September in Barnstaple. Be first to know.