fbpx

I was recently asked by a friend of mine, a personal trainer, what type of yoga class he should take up. My reply was, well, ‘It all depends’. Not the most helpful response, but in order to choose the right type of yoga class for him at this time, I needed some more info. To follow are some the questions I asked.

  1. Have you done yoga before, or is this your first class?
  2. How much time in the week have you to dedicate to a yoga class/es?
  3. Location – is there a studio near you?
  4. Why are you taking up yoga now? What’s your goal and focus? Breath-work, meditation, increased flexibility, to destress, primary workout?
  5. Tell me a little about your existing training schedule?

Turns out, my friend is training clients most days from very early in the morning, often starting at 6am and working late into the evening and in between times, he trains himself when he gets a free hour. So let’s just say, he’s pretty active. He’s also moving house right now and feeling a bit overwhelmed. He feels he needs yoga to help him slow down a bit, help him relax and go from ‘doing’ mode into ‘being’ mode. I suggested that he check out a restorative yoga class, perhaps at the weekends, when he has a bit more time to spare, as this type of practice will restore his nervous system at the end of a long week. You hit a reset button when you take a restorative yoga class and it shouldn’t be viewed as a guilty pleasure. In a world of always on, this type of work should be mandatory. Not exactly the type of yoga practice you would expect for a super fit guy. Right? But exactly the type of practice that suits where he’s had right now. So it really does depend and its best to chat with a yoga teacher, about where you are at right now. He/she will consider a range of factors before helping you land on the right class for you.