Question 1

Can I do yoga if I'm not flexible?

Answer

Definitely! Worrying about being too inflexible for yoga is like worrying about being too dirty to take a shower! Starting tight is the ideal way to begin your yoga practice. You’ll limber up with practice. We’ll teach you the safest, fastest, most effective ways to improve your range-of-motion and to feel more comfortable in your body.

Question 2

What should I wear?

Answer

Just wear something comfortable that you can move freely in. Expensive yoga pants aren’t necessary but overly baggy clothes can trip you up. your hair hangs down in your face when you put your head down you might prefer to put your hair up. Yoga is practiced barefoot. (We don’t care if your feet aren’t pretty. Ours aren’t perfectly pedicured either.)

Question 3

I've never taken a yoga class before. What should I expect?

Answer

Most of our classes begin with about five minutes of centering that brings awareness to your breath. Our teachers usually offer some form of inspiration. They might read a quote or share a thought. We make a point of drawing connections between yoga and everyday life (which is that mind body connection people are always talking about). Next our instructors will guide you through a series of yoga poses. You may break a sweat. Some of our classes are gentle, and others are more active. Every teacher has her or his own individual voice but you can expect every member of our team to pay attention to healthy biomechanics. The instructor will not do the poses with you. (That’s something you should look for when shopping around for the highest quality yoga instruction.) Instead, our instructors move throughout the room so they can focus on you, and keep an eye on your technique. All of our instructors are skilled in offering options and modifications. Some instructors play music in class and others don’t. The final five to ten minutes of class are spent practicing relaxation techniques. You'll never be forced to chant OM, or do anything else that feels too hippy-dippy, religious, or uncomfortable.

Question 4

Will the room be hot?

Answer

No. The Well is not a hot yoga studio. (Most hot yoga studios hold the temperature at around 105 degrees or even higher.) Expect the room to be around 75 degrees so that your muscles are comfortably limber and safe. Everyone’s internal thermostat is different. If you’re sensitive to temperature dress in layers.

Question 5

What should I bring?

Answer

You might want a bottle of water. If you have a yoga mat bring it along. If you don’t have a mat just borrow one of ours (please wipe it down after class with the mat cleaner we provide so that it’s nice and clean for the next person). Other than that, just bring an open mind—we’ve got everything else.

Question 6

Can I do yoga if I have an injury, medical condtion or special circumstance?

Answer

Probably. Yoga can be custom tailored to accommodate almost anyone who wants to benefit, but check with your doctor. We have the smallest class size in town, and our instructors are skilled at paying attention to more than one person at the same time. But some conditions do require more focused individualized attention. In those instances we recommend working privately, or at least doing a few private lessons before attending group classes.

Question 7

Can I do yoga if I'm pregnant?

Answer

We have several classes that are specifically designed for expecting moms. Many women try yoga for the first time while they’re pregnant and absolutely swear by it, but touch base with your doctor/midwife before coming to class. Each body and each pregnancy are unique, and we would prefer your caregiver is in the loop with your fitness choices. Please let the instructor know that you’re pregnant so she can offer you prenatal modifications. We can’t always tell that you’re pregnant and are hesitant to ask. A few pointers for practicing yoga during pregnancy: First and foremost make room for the baby. Don’t do any deep abdominal twisting, or deep forward bending, that puts unpleasant pressure on you or your baby. Don’t hold your breath in or out, or do any breathing techniques that pump your abdomen with vigorous exhalations. Don’t lie on your stomach or flat on your back once doing so becomes uncomfortable. Don’t get overheated or dehydrated. Don’t do deep backbends as the baby starts to grow; deep backbends put undue pressure on your own abdominal muscles. If you already have an inversion practice, and want to invert, enjoy inverting sensibly at the wall for as long as it feels good. If you haven’t yet learned how to do inversions then hold off until another time. After all, you're busy growing a person! Trust your body—if something doesn’t feel good then just skip it.

Question 8

Can I still come to class if I'm late?

Answer

Running around ten minutes late? Don’t sweat it! Come on down. Some yoga is always better than no yoga, and busy people probably need yoga most of all! If you arrive during centering just wait in the reception area until the centering concludes, and then enter quietly. (You'll know centering is over because people will start moving.) If you’re going to be much later than about ten minutes you should probably hold off until next time because you’ll miss the warm-up, which is important for safety and specific to the poses we’ll be practicing during class.

Question 9

What if I have to leave class early?

Answer

No problem! As a courtesy to your fellow students please go before final relaxation begins. If possible situate your mat in a spot where you can slip out without too much disruption.

Question 10

Can I leave my cell phone on during class?

Answer

As a courtesy to fellow students we’d prefer you didn’t. We know that sometimes there are extenuating circumstances: in those instance please set your phone to vibrate during the active portion of class. During centering, final relaxation, and meditation we do ask that all cell phones be turned off.

Question 11

Can I wear perfume to class?

Answer

Thanks for asking! We’d appreciate it if you didn’t. Did you know some people are sensitive to scent that even a single spritz of perfume can take their breath away (not in the good way)? Stick with plain old soap and water. (Skip the lotion. It will turn your yoga mat into a slip and slide ride.)

Question 12

What if I forget to turn off my cell phone, and it rings during class, and I'm really embarrassed?

Answer

It’s not the end of the world. Every now and then even yoga teachers forget to turn our phones off. Just do us a solid and turn your phone off if it rings, okay? When a phone continues to make noise throughout the entire class then people might start throwing some stink eye. If your phone does ring and you have to answer it, please step of the studio first.

Question 13

When should I eat?

Answer

You’ll want enough energy to fuel your body without being so full that it’s uncomfortable to move. A light snack about an hour before yoga is fine. If you just ate a twelve course holiday dinner you’ll probably want to wait 2-3 hours before practicing.

Question 14

What does "listen to my body" mean?

Answer

Don't listen with your ears. Try paying attention to the way your body feels as you do yoga poses. Think of stretching your muscles on a spectrum from 1-10; with 10 being so intense that it’s actually painful. Never stretch beyond 7. More stretch isn't better; you want just enough range of motion. If you’re unintentionally holding your breath, grimacing, or feel your body tightening up, then your pose is too aggressive. Ease up and back off mindfully until you can breathe smoothly and deliberately again. When you’re stretching a muscle, you should feel it in the entire length of the muscle—not in one hyper-specific place that you could point to with one finger. You definitely shouldn’t be feeling intense stretch in your joints (for example you shouldn’t be feeling much of anything at all in your knees, wrists, elbows, shoulder joints, hips, spine, etc.)

Question 15

I'm naturally flexible. Does that mean that I'll be naturally good at yoga?

Answer

It seems like it should work that way, right? But believe it or not naturally bendy people require a conservative approach to yoga. Your main yoga goal shouldn’t be stretching. Your focus should be on good alignment, strengthening your muscles, stabilizing your joints—and of course all the big picture benefits and stress relief that yoga offers. It’s important that naturally bendy people work with instructors who have a good understanding of biomechanics and anatomy. We’ve got oodles of experience working with bendy people at The Well.

Frequently Asked Questions