Having A Beginners Mindset

When I talk to people about being a yoga teacher and practicing hot yoga, it never fails to amaze me how people think they have to be flexible in order to do yoga! Every time someone says this to me, I want to shake them and say - that's why you come to yoga to learn how to do it and gain flexibility! Did you have all the skills you needed when you started your first job, unlikely. Were you able to read and write fully when you started school, unlikely. Why do people think they have to know something (or even be good at it) to start it?

Here is the thing with the 26+2 hot yoga practice, you are probably not going to fall in love with it on your first go - by design it's a challenging practice. It's hot, it's humid, you sweat (a lot) and there is someone telling you want to do. But, having a beginners mindset (in other words an open and curious mind to the practice) when starting your hot yoga journey can make the difference, between doing a couple of classes on your Intro Pass and making it a regular and consistent part of your life, because the rewards are so worth it.

So, what does have a beginners mindset mean? Well, to begin with it means not comparing yourself to anyone else in the room. Everybody (and I mean every body) is different. In this yoga practice, it's not so much about how you LOOK in the pose, but more about how you DO the pose. We don't care about how the pose looks on Instagram we care about how you do the pose and more importantly how the pose feels in your body. Find joy in your accomplishment of the pose - even if it looks crazy different to the person next to you! 

Similarly it's not about forcing your body into the pose either. Over the years, I've been lucky to teach people with different fitness background. It always cracks me up when I see people - particularly those who have come from 'high-intensity training environments' forcing themselves into the pose, while barely breathing. The goal is not to force your body into the pose, but to find the pose through good form/alignment and breath. This may mean that in the beginning, you do the pose a little less, but each time you come, your body and mind will remember allowing you to go a little further without the struggle. That doesn't mean you don't give it 100% of your effort and try, but try the right way consistently and the results will follow - quickly. ​

Having a beginners mindset is about accepting what you see..ahh the mirrors. When I first started practicing 15 years ago, you might be surprised to know that I didn't enjoy looking at myself - which quite frankly surprised me. But it's one thing to look in the mirror, its another thing to actually see. Maintaining eye contact for a full 90 minutes is challenging. Even before I started to learn to do the poses, I had to start to learn to look and be ok with what I saw on the outside (which invariably showed me what was on the inside)! 

There are days even now when I will avoid really looking and noticing. We fidget, we move around, anything to distract ourselves from really seeing ourselves and being ok with what we see (both inside and out). If you don't take the time to notice, change cannot happen. You have to notice, in order to change, so next time you are struggling in class, maybe just stop and look - this might be exactly where you need to start. ​

Similarly, for some of us, being told what to do is the sticking point when starting out. The little voice inside our heads starts to chatter,..  I'm not going to do that, I don't want to do what they say, you can't do this, stop now, what should we have for dinner, it's too hot, let's have some water..and so it goes. Having a beginners mindset is about being curious about this little voice, listening to it, acknowledging it and perhaps just telling it to be quiet for a little while :)

We used to have the above saying on our wall (which I must put up again), but it's a great reminder that no matter where you are at, it's never too late to start again, and again, and again. Approach each class as if it's your first. Approach each pose as if it's the first time you are doing it, be inquisitive, curious and open about your thoughts, your behaviours, your patterns during class, observe yourself as if looking through a magnifying glass and see what comes up. 

​So if you are just starting your hot yoga journey with us, be sure to approach the practice with an open and curious mind. This means letting go of any preconceived notions or expectations of how you think you should look or where you think you should be. Instead, accept where you are at and be willing to explore and learn from EACH experience on the mat. This will help you to fully engage in the practice more and be present in the moment, enabling you to deepen your practice and make progress over time.

Embrace the beginner within you and enjoy the hot yoga journey!
Much love, Anj x