Basically if you experience sharp pains when you are doing this or any pose ease up a little. The "no pain no gain" mentality does not apply to Yoga.

Yoga Etiquette / First Time Hints!

Please come on time. If it is your first time, come 10 minutes early so that we can get you registered. If you are a current student, coming 5 minutes early allows you time to calmly find parking, scan in, and start your practice in the best possible way.

Come in on an empty stomach – ie: light meal 1 ½, 2 hours before class, heavy meal 3-4 hours before class. Be prepared to work hard and SWEAT – you may bring water, or purchase bottled water here.
Wear non-restricting comfortable clothes. Gym clothes, tank tops, t-shirts, are fine. No shoes or socks necessary. We also offer a variety of clothes to practice yoga in at the studio, for both men and women.
You will need a yoga mat – bring your own, or we have them available for sale and rental. A towel is recommended for when you get sweaty, we have fresh white towels for $3.00.  
Let the instructor know about any injuries, recent surgeries, or any other pertinent medical information before class. This will help us adjust and give modifications to the poses where necessary. Pregnant yoginis – yoga can be very beneficial with the consent of your doctor! Speak to one of our teachers for details.
Leave all cell phones, pagers, and worries outside of the yoga room, or turn them off. If you absolutely need to be available, speak to someone at the front desk and they will gladly assist you.
Cleanliness is key to your experience, and the experience of the people around you. Both your physical body, and your yoga mat should be regularly washed with warm, soapy water. Please do not wear heavy cologne or perfume to class, as others may be allergic.
If you need to leave early, inform your instructor before class and make certain not to leave without taking Savasana (final resting pose.)
 

Stretching tips and poses to follow along with. When we stretch it is important to understand that our main focus of stretch is not on ligament or tendon. The stretch focus is predominantly on muscle and fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds muscles and allows them to move freely over each other. Muscle and fascia can stretch up to 150 percent of it's volume. Tendon only stretches about 4 percent of it's volume.

Tendon attaches muscle to bone, and the degree of stretch should be limited there as well.

Ligament is a bone to bone attachment and should not be stretched extensively. Like the wooden bar in a ballet class, that dancers stretch over. Would one try to make that stabilizer bar extremely flexible? Of course not it would not be able to support the weight of a dancer stretching on it. The bar should be a little flexible but not too much.

There is strength in yielding as the Taoists would say. We know this all too well here in California, the earthquake capital of the world.

One of the key ways to know if you are stretching the wrong area is that your body will give a trigger pain. Typically a sharp electrical feeling.

For the stomach series. Tree Soles are done in rapid succession. Like on our audio classes say. You lay on your back and do them similar to sit up. 1 then 2 then 3 from top to bottom at right.

Lie down on your right shoulder and extend your right arm under and to your left. Then raise your left leg up and out to your left side. Pull the floor towards you with your left arm. It stretches your right upper back Rhomboid and Trapezius area. Careful of your neck though. If you have neck do not attempt this pose.

This pose is as it looks we start in plank and put one hand and opposite knee on the ground. then raise the opposite arm and knee. So it is the left leg and the right arm off the ground and hold them up. Then switch sides after about thirty seconds.

This pose is a strong pose for the upper body. What we do differently is that we slightly bend the elbows and pull the floor towards the feet. That makes us use muscle more than just holding the pose.

This pose is a moving pose where you jump one leg forward between the hands while in a push up position and then switch sides in rapid succession.