ARRIVE EARLY AND BE READY FOR CLASS
Don’t be late for class, just don’t do it. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to get to your studio. Many yoga studios lock the door after class begins and they do this for a very good reason. When you’re late, you distrupt everyone else who has made the effort to get there early. Arriving 10-15 minutes early is optimum. This time will give you a chance to get you, your mat and your mind prepared for your practice. It is important to be punctual for tuning in with the class to establish the group energy.
WATCH
Kundalini Yoga Teachers will demonstrate each posture before prompting the class to begin. Rather than taking up the posture right away, use the time that your teacher is demonstrating the posture to observe closely; you will then gain the ability to mirror their actions more effectively. There will be plenty of time to perfect the posture as the duration of most exercises are between 2-3 minutes. Save your strength!
LISTEN
Manual adjustments are not made in Kundalini Yoga. They will use verbal cues such as “soften your shoulders, keep your spine straight, bend at the hips” to assist the class in making adjustments to the postures. When you hear a cue, check in with yourself and do your best to perfect the posture. If you are unsure if you are doing a posture correctly, ask your teacher. They will be more than happy to provide you with feedback.
BE STILL
Take the time between each posture to embrace your stillness. Withstand temptation to fix your clothes or glance at your neighbor. Let your body process the posture and observe the changes in yourself with no judgment. This is where the awareness happens
BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF
There will be days when postures are easer than others. This practice is all about being present with yourself and the moment. Remember that every “body” is different and every day is different. Take a deep breath and reassure yourself that wherever you are is exactly where you need to be.