The instructor, Theresa, and I before class.
Studio: Vista Yoga
Class: Gentle Basics, Tuesday 8:30am
Class description from website: GENTLE/RESTORATIVE: Experience the calming and restorative benefits of Yoga through the use of gentle flow, postures with longer holds, mindful breathing and props for support. Soothing and nurturing, allowing the body to return to its natural state of balance. *For all levels. No prior experience necessary. BASICS: Safely build your practice and deepen your experience of the fundamentals of Yoga, with emphasis on proper alignment and breath awareness. *Appropriate for Beginner to Advanced
Location: 2836 Lavista Road, Suite D, Decatur, GA 30033 (Behind Napoleon’s Grill which happens to have really good food.)
Phone: 404-929-YOGA (9642)
Website: http://www.vistayoga.com
Cost: “Drop-In” single class is $15. They also offer packages for multiple classes.
What to Bring: Water, yoga mat. They do provide cubbies for you to store your belongings while in class.
What to wear: Comfortable clothes. Yoga pants, leggings, tank top, t-shirt etc. Shorts are never really the best option for yoga as you never know what poses will give the person behind you or next to you an impromptu peep show.
The temperature of the studio was comfortable. I wore long leggings, a tank top, and a thin, long-sleeved shirt and kept my long-sleeved shirt on the entire time. I covered myself with a blanket for Savasana, which is the traditional closing pose for most yoga classes where you lie on your back with your eyes closed for a few minutes. Your body temperature tends to drop when lying still so my Floridian roots usually call for a blanket.
No shoes are needed for class. In fact, you are required to remove your shoes before stepping into the yoga studio from the reception area. If you are not comfortable with bare feet, you can wear socks, but you might want to purchase socks made for yoga as regular socks tend to be slippery on yoga mats.
Class size: Small. There were 12 people including me, and a range of ages.
Props used: Yoga mat (you can find relatively inexpensive yoga mats at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.) The studio provides blocks, bolsters, blankets, and straps if needed.
Volume and type of music: Music was quiet. It sounded like a folksy type of music, but I honestly barely noticed it. The teacher, Theresa, was easy to hear and understand over the music.
Impact: No impact.
Modifications: As with any yoga class, modifications were provided throughout the class. Theresa wandered around during class so she was easily accessible if you had questions or concerns.
Format of class: The class was 75 minutes. Theresa informed me ahead of time that the class moved slowly and began with a long warmup and a focus on breathing. We did not do any vinyasa (a basic definition for this sanskrit term is systematically moving from one posture or pose to another letting your breath guide you). Theresa said she has formatted the Gentle Basics class to allow students to open up physically and reflect inwardly mentally.
Before beginning class, Theresa asked if anyone had any tight areas they wanted to focus on for the day so she could make adjustments to the class as needed. We began the class in a seated position and spent the first 15 minutes going through some breathing exercises and techniques. If you are new to yoga and think this sounds hokey, I invite you to attend any yoga class with an open mind because you have no idea how healing deep, full breaths can be.
We spent the next 25 minutes with some basic postures, or poses, on the floor. We spent quite a bit of time in each pose and moved slowly from one pose to the next. We didn’t go into Down Dog (hands and feet on the floor, hips up in the air) until 40 minutes into the class, or into a standing pose until 45 minutes in. We eventually did a couple of *balancing poses (Tree Pose and Warrior III) and a variety of *standing poses (Warrior II, Side Angle Pose, and Triangle Pose) throughout the session. The teacher guided us slowly through these poses and we only held each pose for a few breaths. For the last 15 minutes of class we brought our mats to the wall for Legs Up the Wall (lying on your back, head facing away from the wall, hips against the wall, and legs extended up the wall). We did a few variations of this pose and then made our way into Savasana or Corpse Pose.
We were in Corpse Pose for about 4 or 5 minutes…heck, I’m not going to lie, I have no idea how much time we spent in Corpse Pose, but it’s never long enough!! 🙂 Following Savasana we made our way to a seated position, and participated in one last “Om” to finish class.
When we exited the studio there was fresh fruit in the reception area for us to nosh on.
*You can google any of these poses to see what they are.
What to expect:
Expect a basic yoga class that is appropriate for all levels.
Expect to move slowly. This is not a power yoga class so don’t go expecting to sweat or wrap your leg around your neck by the end of class.
Expect some breathing exercises that you might find silly if you’re new to the yoga way, but I challenge you to participate! Remember, yoga is much more enjoyable when you go in with an open mind.
Expect an “Om” at the beginning and end of class. Everyone will have their eyes closed and you don’t have to be loud. I bring this up because I have several friends who are not fans of the “Om,” but it only lasts for a few seconds and then you move on. Again, open mind and it’s painless.
Side note: As with any yoga studio, Vista Yoga offers a variety of classes ranging in style and level.
Who should take this class: This class is wonderful for yogis of every level. I consider myself to be an intermediate to advanced yogi but I am NOT a morning person so the speed and format of this class was perfect to wake up my body with minimal effort.
This class is perfect for people who are new to yoga and are still exploring how their body moves and adapts to each pose.
It is also ideal for someone who is recovering from an injury but still wants to participate in some form of movement.
Professional advice: Arrive 5-10 minutes early so you can set up your mat, use the bathroom and get settled. If you can’t get there early, don’t stress. If you are late, just make sure you are quiet as possible. Again, don’t stress too much, life happens.
As I’ve stated throughout this post, always approach yoga with an open mind. You might not feel comfortable with certain poses or breathing techniques, but everyone who has taken yoga has been in that boat. You get comfortable with it quickly.
Leave your competitive spirit at the door. This is not a competition to see who can balance the longest or get their leg the highest. Yoga is a never-ending journey.
Listen to your body. Yoga should not be painful. It might be challenging at times, but it should never be painful.
Always tell your teacher at the beginning of class if you have any injuries.
Don’t eat anything too heavy too soon before class because certain poses (e.g. twisting poses) might encourage unwanted emissions during class…
Thank you to my instructor, Theresa, for a lovely class and thank you to the co-owner, Marty, for being so welcoming!
fitdesiree 