New to Yoga

What is Yoga?
What is Hatha Yoga?
How do I get started doing Yoga?
What are the benefits of Yoga?
How often should I practice?
Which style of Yoga should I do?
Can I do Yoga while pregnant?
Can I do Yoga on my period?

What is Yoga? Top
Yoga includes much more than just the physical postures it is known for in popular culture. Yoga literally means “to unite” or “to yoke”, and there are many approaches to the yogic sciences which aim to unite the individual consciousness or “ self” with a Universal consciousness or Self.

One of these paths is called “Hatha” and this is the branch of yoga which includes physical practice.

What is Hatha Yoga? Top
Hatha yoga is the path of realizing your true nature through the use of the physical body and its energies.

Through the practice of hatha yoga the mind will become perfectly relaxed and you will realize the inherent unity of your body, energy, and mind. This unity, brought to an expansive state, will reveal the indivisibility of yourself and the universe. This experience of borderless totality and freedom is what the Yoga tradition terms enlightenment, the end of limited self concept.

How do I get started doing Yoga? Top
One way is to sign up for one of our Intro to Yoga (link) courses, which we offer once or twice a month. This course is perfect for beginners and is a fantastic and structured introduction to the poses and philosophy of yoga.  Another way is to simply begin taking classes and see what works for you and what you enjoy. We recommend the Hatha Beginner-1 course (link), as well as any of the Hatha 1-3 level courses (link).  Contact us, in person, via phone or email for more specific and personalized recommendations.

What are the benefits of Yoga? Top
The benefits of yoga are deep, wide-ranging, and seemingly endless. They include:

• Increased well-being, energy, strength, flexibility, immunity, and general health
• Reduced stress, anxiety, and depression
• Improved sleep, body image and awareness, mood, core strength, posture, weight control, self esteem, balance, discipline, focus, concentration, and memory
• Improves blood pressure, circulation, digestion, cholesterol, respiratory and cardiovascular health
• Relaxed nervous system, adds grace to the aging process

Additionally, yoga is an excellent treatment for many diseases, disorders, and chronic ailments. Check with your health care provider for more informatio

How often should I practice? Top
The idiom to keep in mind here is “for whom and when.” We recommend that in order to cultivate some of the benefits of yoga that you practice at least three times a week, though nothing beats a daily practice.

Which style of Yoga should I do? Top

The various styles of yoga that we offer at Yoga Mandala are intended to suit the diversity of individual practitioners that come here. Though all forms of asana derive from Hatha yoga, there are a few styles that are slightly different in speed and temperament.  We recommend trying a few classes to determine what is most appropriate for you.  Our front desk staff can help direct towards the right place to begin.

In a typical hatha class there is some time after holding poses to check into one’s energy state. Hatha classes are great for beginners and people who would like to build strength and feel more grounded.  In a Hatha yoga class one will experience the benefits of holding poses through a count of breaths, which provides excellent opportunity to develop core strength and to move beyond bodily discomfort and settle into a place of open awareness.

Our Vinyasa classes are characterized by seamless movements between poses animated by the breath. This style provides excellent respiratory benefits and is better suited to individuals who enjoy constant movement, a ‘lighter feel’ in their energy state and an energized quality.

Can I do Yoga while pregnant? Top
Yoga is an excellent practice during pregnancy. Visit our Perinatal page to learn more about the benefits.  Our Prenatal classes are specifically designed to address the needs of pregnant women.

We do not recommend attending our regular classes during pregnancy, particularly if you are new to yoga, and we strongly discourage attendance of regular classes after the second trimester. These classes are not designed to accommodate pregnant women and the teachers are not necessarily trained in the specific considerations for pregnancy. Some teachers may ask you not to attend their class during pregnancy.

If you choose to attend a non-prenatal class, please inform the teacher that you are pregnant and avoid inversions, abdominal work, twists, squats, any postures done on the stomach, and strong postures of any kind.

Can I do Yoga on my period? Top
Menstruation is governed by a downward flowing energy called apana. Many of the physical practices of Yoga focus on reversing the flow of apana in the body, which means that these practices are contraindicated during menstruation. We encourage women to spend this time resting and relaxing – which is the most harmonious way to experience this aspect of their moon cycle.

Women are generally discouraged from practicing during the first three days of their cycle.  Inversions, abdominal work, mulabandha, arm balances, and twists are specifically contraindicated.  Alternatively, consider attending Gentle Yoga or Yoga Nidra to restore depleted energy to the body and aid in a time of rest.