What to Expect at Your First Yoga Class

If you're preparing to attend a yoga class for the first time, it would be perfectly natural to feel some low-level anxiety. You might be worrying: What's it like to execute a Downward Dog pose? How well will I be able to follow the teacher's instructions? Can I fit in with experienced yogis?

Knowing what to expect can help you maximize what you get out of the class, says Christel Autuori, a yoga instructor and director of the Institute for Holistic Health Studies at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. "I think that if you go into a new situation, if you have an idea of what to expect that reduces your anxiety level, and you're better able to participate," Autuori says. If your anxiety levels are low, you're more likely to be in a positive state of mind and therefore more receptive to whatever new things you are experiencing. "Also, if you're in a positive mental state, you'll have less muscle tension, and if you're mentally relaxed you'll be able to learn better," she says.

It's important to keep in mind that there are many different types of yoga, from vigorous styles like Kundalini or Bikram yoga, to gentle yoga, which is appropriate for people suffering from chronic conditions like Parkinson's or arthritis.

Whatever kind of yoga you're about to practice for the first time, here are 10 things you should expect:

1. You'll learn new breathing exercises. "Everyone breathes to stay alive, but in yoga you’ll be learning breathing practices to do with poses and movement," says yoga therapist Steffany Moonaz. She's the founder of Yoga for Arthritis, director of research at the Maryland University of Integrative Health and co-author of "Yoga Therapy for Arthritis: A Whole-Person Approach to Movement and Style," published in 2018. "The breath is thought to be associated with the energy of the body, and we know from science that changes in your breath can change your heart rate and nervous system," she says.

2. Be prepared to move and do a series of poses. The poses you'll do might be seated, standing or lying down, Moonaz says. "Some classes may move between poses more quickly, while others will stay in each pose for longer," she says. "Regardless of what the instructor suggests, you shouldn't do anything that hurts you or feels uncomfortable. Every pose has countless variations, and no one knows your body better than you."

3. The yoga instructor will ask you to pay attention. Store your cellphone in your gym bag or leave it in your locker when you're in yoga class and pay attention to the instructor. Yoga is a mindfulness practice, in which you need to be present in the moment, Moonaz says. "Part of the practice is to notice what’s happening in your body, what's happening with your senses, what's happening in the world around you," she says. "The idea is to do this without judgment and just notice."

4. You'll probably feel lost. As with many endeavors you're trying for the first time, you probably won’t know how to do many or even any of the poses the instructor leads you through, says Catherine S. Marquette, a registered yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance in Arlington, Virginia. She's also a vice president with Yoga Alliance. It's OK to feel adrift at first. "You're not expected to know anything at your first class, and that's perfectly fine," Marquette says. "That's why the instructor is there." Don't feel bad if you spend a good part of your first class looking at other students to see what pose you're supposed to be doing, it's part of the learning process.

5. You're likely to feel slightly uncomfortable. "When we move our bodies in new ways, it always feels a little awkward or uncomfortable," says Jenny Arrington, a yoga teacher who is a wellness advisor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Chicago. She's also the author of "The Kundalini Yoga Posture Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Practicing and Teaching the Postures." Don't be alarmed if you feel some awkwardness or discomfort – that's normal, and every first-time yogi goes through that stage. "Just observe and relish being in the beginner's mindset," she says. "This allows you to feel and notice things you don’t usually perceive. There's the inherent discomfort of being in a new space with new people doing something new that may encourage a feeling of vulnerability." Keep in mind, Arrington advises, that everyone felt some anxiety during their first yoga class.

6. Props will probably be available. Most yoga classes offer props – like foam blocks or straps – that you can use to adjust your yoga poses, says Kathryn Budig, a yoga instructor based in Charleston, South Carolina. She provides instruction at yoga retreats and festivals throughout the world, as well as via online classes. Props can be particularly useful for people with certain chronic conditions, like arthritis, which can make you stiff, or fibromyalgia, which is associated with joint pain. But props can be useful for many people, whether they have a chronic condition or not. For example, if a yoga pose involves reaching forward to grab your feet while sitting, but you don’t have the flexibility to do that, you can use a strap to lengthen your reach. "This doesn't degrade your practice in any way," Budig says. "These are beautiful accessories that will help you find the full expression for your body."

7. The instructor may offer adjustments. Many instructors will offer adjustments while you're engaged in a pose, Marquette says. That means putting their hands on you to guide you. An instructor will typically say that if you don't want to be guided to let him or her know, sometimes by raising a hand. "It's really important for students to know they have agency over their own body, and can decline if they don’t want adjustments," she says.

8. Your instructor might lead you in a chant or meditation. At different points in the class, your instructor may lead you in a chant or quiet meditation, Moonaz says. "This can seem strange if you're not used to it," she says. "The chanting is to unify the group, create some sound resonance in the body and shift energy. The meditation calms the mind and improves mental health and cognition." You can choose to try it out or just be in the room and notice how it sounds or feels, Moonaz says.

9. The class will probably end with deep relaxation. At the end of many classes, the instructor will ask participants to lay down and, perhaps, to close their eyes. Some teachers will dim the lights and talk the class through a few minutes of guided relaxation, while others will let yogis rest in silence, Arrington says.

10. Expect to feel sore the next day. Practicing yoga is associated with alleviating pain, improved flexibility and toning your muscles. But initially, you may feel soreness. Any time we move in new ways, we use some muscles more intensely than they are used to, Arrington says. If you wake up the morning after your first yoga class with sore thighs or back muscles, that's no cause for alarm. "Know that this soreness is safe and normal," she says. "These are the sensations of your body waking up."