Yoga is for EVERYBODY!
A Peek into My Class
By: Charlene Gibian


I can only guess that most of you that are reading this have not yet attended Yoga Class. That’s OK. Even I had to start somewhere!!
Let me run you through one of my classes and you will see that there is no Voodoo involved and you will get a general picture of an average class. You will be totally in-the-know when you DO come to a class.

There is the smallest bit of prep that you must do before you come to a class. If you are coming to a morning class, do NOT eat a big breakfast beforehand. This will make you nauseous and you will feel terrible if you do poses (asana) which compress your abdomen. The same applies to the evening classes. If you have just come in from work you should eat a light snack to hold you over until you get home from class. Try something light such as a piece of fruit or a yogurt.

Next, dress in comfortable clothes. You do not have to buy anything special to wear unless you want to. Wear whatever you might wear to a gym. Nothing binding, nothing so loose it falls over your face when bending over. We practice Yoga in bare feet, so flip flops will work to get you to class. The only item that you really need is a YOGA mat. Marshall’s, T.J.Maxx, Target and Walmart all carry them for a reasonable price. (About $15.00) It would be very considerate of you NOT to wear colognes or perfumes as many people are very sensitive to scents.

Once you decide to come to a class, I recommend that you get there early enough to register if you haven’t done so prior. We’ll introduce ourselves and I’ll ask you some basic questions. Allow some extra
time to roll out your mat in a space that suits you. Take off your shoes and get yourself settled.
Then, PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.
NOW time we all begin to relax. As for the cell phone, let’s face it, none of us are so indispensable that we can’t be out of reach for 1 hour! Let family, friends and your boss, know that you are at a personal retreat! You deserve it! Don’t we all deserve just 1 itty bitty hour to indulge ourselves to become renewed, refreshed and relaxed? I know I do! So do you! Make it happen!

OK, class is starting. I turn off the lights; turn on some soft spa like music and you lie down in corpse pose. (On your back, arms and legs apart). Take a few deep breaths and begin to quiet your mind. I’ll guide you through this during the entire practice. I’ll explain what we do and why we are doing it. You’ll learn the benefits and purpose of everything we do. You will improve your current knowledge about the way to combine your breath and body and soul. I’ll instruct you, guide you, assist you and demonstrate every asana. I will remind you throughout the entire class about all of the above. I will be happy to come into class early to work with you privately, or stay late if you need my assistance. I am always here for you. I can always be reached by phone or by
e mail. I do return all calls and all e mails.

I love my students and take true pride in getting to know each and every one. Most important, I will learn YOUR abilities, limitations, expectations and your individual needs and desires. Then we work on them.

Let’s get into the Yoga stuff. Here are some other important facts about how I instruct. We don’t have a lot of rules but we do have a lot of ‘intentions’. We strive to reach our goals but we can’t expect to reach these goals in a short period of time. It takes a lot of time to learn to breathe in rhythm with your body. It also takes time to move in unison with your breath. This is why we call Yoga a “Practice”. Yoga is a never ending “Journey” of exploration. You must always try to challenge your body lightly but never to a level of pain or strain. We honor our body by listening to it. Yoga is NOT a competition. Your only challenge is within yourself!

People often come to class with many expectations. I wish they wouldn’t. Not that they won’t be reached, for they will. They just think that it will happen overnight. Given a good dose of persistence, patience, determination and commitment it will work for everybody.

With that said, Yoga will bring you everything you can anticipate and expect to achieve. You’ll gain more abilities and strong inner feelings plus a lot of knowledge that you didn’t realize you needed and wanted! Surely you never knew you had this yearning buried deep down. You’ll become aware physically, mentally and spiritually of the real you.


There is one thing that you must know about Yoga before I end.
YOGA IS NOT A RELIGION.
The word Yoga simply means ‘union’; to join together each of us as a whole and join our bodies with our breath, mind and inner self (or spirit). Yoga is a philosophy.


Yoga teaches us the wonderful beliefs that all religions embrace.
Yoga does not interfere with any religion; in fact Yoga enhances your beliefs in every way with purity of your mind and body. We work toward generosity, gratitude, love, joy, harmony and peace. Then spread loving kindness to others.

HOW is this accomplished you may ask? Well I hope you decide to take time to continue reading my columns, come to my classes and learn how TRUE BLISS can be achieved. Hang on tight because it’s a long journey that will be well worth the effort, energy and time. I know this for certain because …..

I am You!

Namaste ~
Charlene