What I got from beginner yoga

Yoga studio Darwin: what a beginner can expect, in one student’s words

For two years after her daughter was born, she says, she felt a bit out of the loop of life. Then she tried beginner yoga at a Darwin yoga studio, and kept going. This is her story in her own words: what a beginner class felt like, why props mattered, and what surprised her. She grew up in Bali and came to Australia in 2012. It is one student’s experience, and everybody gets different things from yoga.

This note in short form

• The start: a stay-at-home mum who felt low on confidence and wanted to be stronger.
• The first weeks: five or six classes a week, better sleep, and a calmer mind.
• Props: without them, beginners often cannot get into the poses.
• Too quiet? She found Iyengar classes anything but quiet.
• The upside-down poses: a freak out at first, then a favourite.
• The dream: maybe teacher training one day, and teaching in Bali.
• Next step: try a beginner class in the studio or LIVE online.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree.

This page sits in our beginners notes. If you are comparing studios, our guide to choosing a beginner yoga studio in Darwin sets out what to look for.

Why did she start yoga?

She had lost some confidence, and she wanted to feel stronger. She had known about yoga since she was young in Bali and had always wanted to try it. After her daughter’s birth she faced what she calls the issues that stay-at-home new mums face. She was “a bit depressed”, felt out of the loop, and compared herself to others too much.

“Body image was a particular problem for me,” she says. “I wanted to be stronger, and before I felt I was too weak.” Her first attempt at yoga elsewhere did not work out. At Flametree she could start at the beginner level.

What did the first weeks of beginner yoga feel like?

She noticed that she slept better and felt calmer. At the start she went to five or six classes a week. “I also liked the impact on my mind,” she says. “It gave me motivation, and at the same time made me calmer.”

She says yoga gave her strength to handle life, to think clearly and to be more confident. She now works from home, with her daughter around. She also found friends at the studio. “It’s inspiring to see how much progress they also make,” she says.

Why do props matter for beginners?

Without props, beginners often cannot get into the poses. This was her strongest point. “For beginners, you often can’t get into the poses initially, or properly, without using props,” she says. If you work at the wrong level, yoga can leave you too sore. Then you think it is too hard, give up and stop exercising. She says using props properly can change that.

“It’s about learning what is right for the body,” she says. “It is a matter of understanding: this is my limit for now.” She notes that many people at the gym push too far, too fast. They do not know their limits, then they hurt themselves or go looking for a massage.

At home she wanted props of her own, so she could keep practising “as long as my daughter doesn’t climb all over me”.

Is yoga too quiet?

Not in her experience. She noticed that most people in class were 40 and over, and she would like to see more people in their 20s and 30s. When she talks to them, they say yoga is too quiet and they want to be sweating. “But I find yoga classes anything but quiet,” she says. “After every session I can feel it in my muscles, but at the same time I feel both more calm, and more energy.” She wonders whether they have tried Iyengar yoga.

What surprised her?

Her Headstand got straight, and the upside-down poses became a favourite. She used to bend or lean to one side in Headstand. Her teacher adjusted it and told her when it was not straight. She puts the change down to the adjustments, new strength to hold herself up, and more flexibility in the shoulders.

At first the upside-down poses were “a bit of a freak out”, especially the handstand. She learnt the handstand in easy stages and now enjoys it. She says being upside down leaves her feeling energised.

What did she say about teachers, and about teaching?

She liked being able to learn from several teachers. “They all have a slightly different approach,” she says, “and I think the variation is good. You learn more that way.”

She has thought about teacher training one day, and perhaps teaching in Bali, where she says there are very few Iyengar teachers. She worried that English is her third language. Chris told her it would be a bit more difficult at first, but that teachers give precise, direct instructions, and she could learn to do that clearly. Chris also pointed out that yoga has lots of visual material, such as what people see when you demonstrate a pose.

What else does she say changed?

Her mood, her legs and her back, in her experience. She says her mood used to go up and down as a new mum, and she no longer feels that. She used to get sore at the back of her legs as a child, and says it hardly happens now. She says the back pain she had after a motorbike accident is something she now rarely has, and that her period pain went away after she started going to a women’s class.

These are her experiences, and no one can promise the same. If you have pain that is new, severe or does not settle, talk to your teacher and your doctor.

Related reading: our beginners notes, yoga for beginners in Darwin, gentle yoga for beginners and another student’s beginner story.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

Yoga studio Darwin: frequently asked questions

What can a beginner expect from yoga?

Simple poses, taught step by step, with props and easier versions so you start where you are. One student says she slept better and felt calmer in her first weeks, and she found classes a good challenge, not a quiet stretch.

Why do beginners need props in yoga?

Props such as blocks, belts, chairs and blankets help beginners get into poses properly. Without them you can push too far, get sore and give up. In Iyengar yoga, props are a normal part of every class.

Is yoga too quiet if I want to sweat?

Not necessarily. One student says that after a class she can feel it in her muscles, and feels both more calm and more energetic. Iyengar classes ask for real effort and attention.

Do I need to be fit or flexible to start yoga?

No. Beginner classes use introductory poses, and the teacher shows you a version that suits your body. Tell your teacher about any injury or health condition before class.

What if my first attempt at yoga did not work out?

It is common. The student in this story says her first attempt did not work out, and she was glad to start again at beginner level at Flametree. A different class, teacher or use of props can change how it feels.

Can I practise yoga at home with a young child?

Yes, with a little humour. This student asked for props for Christmas so she could practise at home, and says it works as long as her daughter does not climb all over her. Flametree also teaches classes LIVE online.

Is it good to learn from more than one teacher?

She thinks so. Each teacher has a slightly different approach, and she says you learn different things from each of them.

Where can I do beginner yoga in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches beginner Iyengar yoga in Darwin and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree (in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more; online, anyone new).

You can keep up with what is happening at the studio on the Flametree Yoga Facebook page.

This article is general information, not medical advice. It tells one student’s story, and yoga does not treat any condition. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources: a Flametree student’s own account of her first two years of yoga, shared with Flametree, and Chris Lalor’s teaching.