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For many people both in India and the West yoga is more than a way to stay in shape, it is a way of life. Of course, this is the traditional purpose of yoga which actually encompasses much more than just the physical poses that are so common in the West. However, even if you are only doing Western fitness-based yoga, will you find that after some time yoga begins to define a part of who you are. There are many different variations of yoga available in the West including "flowing" yoga, a yoga and Pilates mix, and even "hot" yoga, yoga done in a hot room so that you sweat out toxins while you exercise. Yoga is a very individualized way to exercise; you only do the poses to the level at which you are comfortable. That also means that classes should be a very comfortable place where you feel safe enough push yourself to your limits, but not beyond. Because of this, many yoga classes have been created to put people together from the same community such as prenatal yoga, yoga for women, or gay yoga.
From the moment that you walk into a yoga class, you should feel comfortable. Instead of worrying what the other students or the instructor are thinking about you and your fitness level, you should be clearing your mind in preparation for the task ahead. The atmosphere of the studio is important for this.
The room should be welcoming, and usually will have soft lighting and maybe even soft music playing at the before the session begins. The floor should also be both supportive and cushioned so you don't have to worry about straining your joints as you go through your poses. A good yoga instructor will also be someone who can put you at ease both before and during the session.
The flow of a general yoga class is also designed to challenge you without stressing your mind or your body. Generally the class starts out with some easier warm up exercises.
You might even do some refreshing breathing exercises to cleanse your system before you start moving. Then, once you have eased into the class, you will start to do more and more difficult poses.
Once you are warmed up and ready to go you will start to do poses that gradually get more challenging as the class goes on. It would be toward the middle or end of class that strength training and Pilates exercises would be held.
Just when you think you can't work anymore, you will be given a chance to some simple cool down moves and mediation exercises before leaving the class.
Since the whole point of yoga is to calm your mind and reduce stress through physical work, the entire yoga experience should be comfortable for you. This is why the atmosphere of the class is almost just as important as the exercises themselves. If you don't feel safe enough to try new things you won't get the full benefit of the yoga experience. Therefore, the rise of specialized yoga classes, such as gay yoga, should not be surprising.
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