Why One Should Not Attempt An Advance Class Without Establishing Enough Foundation

This is a follow-up post to 'Readiness For A More Advanced Class', on why one should not attempt an advance class without establishing enough foundation.

Reasons:

1. Not able to follow the pace of the class

In advanced level classes, the students would probably know the flow by heart and the moment class starts, they can cruise along with the instructor's count or pace, which can be really fast. Detailed instructions might not be given, coupled with the expectation of having established enough foundation, a new practitioner will not be able to keep up with the class and might end up seated on the mat throughout the session. 

2. Instructor's attention

The instructor's attention might be focused heavily on the new ones and little attention is left for the rest of the students. You might say well the other students would know the practice already and need not require the instructor's attention, but even so, is does not mean guidance is not needed and more so in advance level classes, the students will be practising higher level difficulty poses which will need individual attention from the instructor to help and correct where is wrong. Unless the instructor is someone who do not really care or bother if you are newbie and just carry on with the class *(which probably will see the newbie not given two hoots) this brings us to point 3.

3. Affecting other practitioners (relates to point 2)

This in particular I personally experience in my Led class: vast difference on days when it is just us regulars, compared to days when there is a mixture of levels. On the former, my instructor could go fast with the salutations, explained less on the seated postures and more importantly, teach things that will help us in our practice, that is if you have practice for some time and understand what is being said. Not being selfish here, more like the consideration for other practitioners. 

4. Risk of injuries

I admit, I am a scaredy-cat: I fear injuries. Once in my vinyasa class, this lady on the mat beside me was attempting supported headstand and from my side view, I actually feared she might snap her neck in two. Without having established enough foundation and to attempt fancy-mansy poses just because the others are doing so, sees high risk of injuries especially in inversion poses like headstand or tripod.

How much foundation you might ask is 'enough'? Let hold on to this thought for a future post.

Knowing When To Take A Break

I have always made it a point to practice on the weekends, not today. Partly the classes did not psych me, but mainly because I am tired. Finally recovered from two weeks of being sick, ran a 5km race last Sunday, practiced till late on Thursday, barely slept last night: I am simply exhausted. With the energy level so low, practicing would not be a good idea, will definitely feel like pulling off all the hair on my head if I did. Trust me, it is a terrible feeling. If it is one of those days that you feel the body telling you to lay off and rest for the day, you should.

Listen to your body. 

Readiness For A More Advanced Class

I am amazed that how some people who might have just started the practice or may have just practice for a while, can walk into an advance yoga class and expect to cruise along with the other practitioners. Mind you, this is not an entry to look down on these people just because I have been practicing for some time or that I can do more advanced level classes, this is to help keep things in perspective and to serve as a note for those who have just started yoga. When I first started with my practice, I would never even think twice to step into any higher-level classes. With the lack in strength, weak core, shaky arms and wobbly legs, one is simply not ready. You need to learn how to crawl before you can walk, to learn how to walk before you can run: not to think of sprinting when you can barely even crawl. You may say that well, it does not matter, as long as you try your best on the mat. True that, but there are reasons why one should not try a more advance class without some yoga foundation, something which I will share in a future post. I only stepped into a higher level class after more than eight months of practice, I started to practice Ashtanga only much later. It was when I know I have established some base and have since built some strength. But still, even then I could barely do half of what was taught in an hour-long class and my worst experience by far (I have yet to step into that class again) was to struggled through the first twenty minutes of the class and to spend the remaining forty minutes literally seated on the mat as I could not follow the pace of the class: they were doing transitions between arm-balances and inversions where as I, someone who do not even have a regular headstand practice.

There is a difference with doing what you can versus doing what you know that cannot be done, and to recognize this difference.

Just Turn Up For Practice

On how much I contemplated if I should practice in my last post, mind you, I was not being lazy, especially Thursdays being my 'must-go' practice day, just that I was feeling under the weather for the past week. Instead of doing my usual class, opted for a less vigorous hatha class followed by Led. You might be thinking Led is pretty strong class, you are right, but it was all about my own practice. Before class knowing of my injured back and hyper-mobility, my Led instructor told me to only do half of what I normally can and to engaged my muscles more. I told her I was feeling under the weather and have not been practicing much. She gave me a pat on the back and said to do what I can. I am glad I made the right choice and turned up to practice last night. Maybe it was my instructor asking how I was, maybe it was the familiar faces who I practice Led with, maybe it was me spending time on the mat. Not only have I been sick, I have been feeling pretty down lately with all the things that are happening in my life right now but for the first time all week, I had a genuine smile on my face and I actually spoke without feeling that words were forced out of my mouth.

I may not had a stupendous practice, some days you are at your best, some days you are not, but it was those other smaller things that made my night.

Practice Hiatus

On one of the longest practice hiatus of 2014: once was over the Lunar New Year and the other time was when I hurt my back badly a couple of weeks back. Feeling under the weather for the past two days, spammed meds and turned-in early. Sitting here stoning in the office, not sure if I am able to practice a little today.

On the Low

Have not been having my usual practices due to major class changes, which super bums me out. My weekends are no longer the same, really miss my vinyasa and flow classes. Try to practice as much as I can but without my to-go classes, am undoubtedly side-tracking. Not to mention my recent and on-going emotional turbulence have been affecting my practice, something I am totally not proud off. I am trying.

No new asana this week, or any achievement unlocked.

Not A Good Day To Practice

Had a long day today, feeling rotten to the core and was running around earlier in the day. Not in the best condition to practice, plus it was the time of the month. Bad combination. Did two intense classes back-to-back: a seventy-five minutes Led class followed by an hour of Power. I believe my Ashtanga instructor could tell I was not having a good day: I was not jumping back and forth with my vinyasas, and I struggled with the chaturanga variations. In Power, my arms totally gave way in arm-balancing poses like kaundinyasana and total fail when I tried to do forearm-balance.

Would be worst-off if I did not practice, least it helped take some things off my mind, no matter how little.

Cultivating the Interest

Looking back at my practice, my deep interest for yoga was not immediate: I have always ‘like’ yoga, but I did not ‘love’ yoga. It took months before yoga came to me as to how much interest I have for it and how integral it has since became a part of my life. The first year or so, I was just ‘doing’ yoga, I was not ‘practicing’ yoga. I took classes from ‘instructors’, I do not see them as my ‘teachers’. The cultivation of passion not only takes time and effort, it is also about meeting the right people: I made time, I had efforts, but I did not meet the right people. Until I met them, my practice lacked that certain substance and meaning. An instructor ‘instructs’, but a teacher ‘teaches’. Indeed, I have come a long way from when I first started and I do not see myself not practicing, at least not in the near future. 

I wish all you practitioners out there a long and fruitful practice. I know I will.

Food for Thought:

Do you ‘like’ yoga, or do you ‘love’ yoga?

The Journey

Ever felt drawn to something, no idea what it is, no clue what it pertains, yet seemingly pulled towards it? That is yoga, to me. No one I knew did yoga, no one told me what yoga was, I knew nothing about yoga. And yet, I was attracted to it. My first taste of yoga was back in 2011, a girlfriend and I did some trial classes with a studio in the cbd area. Complete noobs ourselves, I did not know what to expect and simply went for it. Despite some beginner's struggle, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  But barely into my first job and earning peanuts, I was not able to commit to the practice. The need to pay rent and to clear my hefty student loans, I could not afford such classes. I turned myself away. A year later, with a new job, I was not in the best shape. Before changing jobs, my role as a consultant saw the frequent business trips, long meeting hours and having to work on weekends took a toll on my health: I was at my heaviest and I was sick every other week, even the GP could recognize me from my frequent trips to the doctors. I was not eating right, I was barely exercising, I simply was not living healthily: I needed to overhaul my lifestyle. I decided to fall back to yoga. 

And I have been practicing since.

Food for Thought:

What is your yoga journey?

The Practice

I have been practicing yoga for twenty months. Today.