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classmates and your yoga teacher a priority.

The yoga studio is not a social gathering in the familiar Western sense. People often attend yoga for peace, quiet, tranquility, meditation, solitude, and the chance to learn a foreign physical art form. Try to avoid making small talk with classmates while posing, but if you must, use hushed tones and whispers.

Just as in any classroom, the yoga teacher is the only one who should be talking during class, unless you have a question. Pay attention to what your teacher instructs - every little detail. Good teachers will use just the right words to convey the way a pose should be held.

Show respect by arriving early and staying until the class is finished. This allows you time to ready yourself and then gather your things and leave without interrupting anyone else's practice. Also, always turn off your cell phone!

You might notice that some students are far more advanced than you are: more flexible, more graceful, or more knowledgeable. It might seem silly that they're even in a beginner class. Don't worry about them - they're here to enjoy yoga, not to compete, and you shouldn't compete either. Nor should you feel bad about yourself for being less advanced, as long as you do your best and mentally congratulate others for doing their best, too.

After class, there's nothing wrong with being open, friendly, and conversational. Yoga class is a great place to make friends if you time it right.

Your Practice

Beginners often sign up for a once-weekly course, just to get acquainted with yoga asana, but their learning shouldn't end there! Even brand-new beginners should have a place in their homes where they can practice the yoga poses learned in class. If obtainable, a large mirror is an added bonus.

Before starting your series of poses, either at home or in class, give yourself time to relax before you begin. Push yourself so you feel the stretch in all the right places, but don't push to the point of pain - that's not something you have to do with yoga, as stretching alone will gradually increase your flexibility. It is normal to experience a little soreness after practice, especially when you first start.

If you notice that over time, you are getting bored with the same old poses, investigate yoga poses on-line and in your free time, try adding one or two. Hopefully you won't have to do this - yoga teachers usually introduce new poses throughout the course.

When practicing, try not to let your mind wander to everyday things like

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