Are you ready for an advanced yoga class? Here are 5 Signs to help you decide.

By: Janine Woodley, Avid Yoga Enthusiast

One of the most rewarding things about doing regular exercise is the chance to see your body gradually becoming stronger and leaner. The same is true for your mind – doing yoga regularly lets you discipline your mental and physical stamina. And that is one of the obvious reasons to try yoga. Making noticeable progress is undoubtedly a cause for celebration, but sometimes you might be overestimating or underestimating what you can achieve. For this reason, we will talk about five signs you’re ready for an advanced yoga class.

Why shouldn’t I join the advanced yoga class right away?

At the outset of their yoga journey, many people are too insecure about their muscular and mental endurance. This is, of course, completely natural. Doing advanced yoga can be too demanding for your current physical state. You could easily get hurt during practice or discouraged if you find that you cannot keep up with other people in the class.

For this reason, most yoga instructors believe that it is best if you stick to easier, beginner-friendly classes when you are starting your yoga journey – no matter what your fitness level may be at the moment. This allows you to gradually learn the right way to do different asanas and, even more importantly, to help your body ease into and get used to the movements, breathing, and exercising regularly.

It is better to take it slow – learn and practice the poses in your own time.

 What are the signs you’re ready for an advanced yoga class?

Of course, if you’ve been doing yoga for some time now, you might naturally wonder if you need to be challenged more or not. Yoga instructors are divided when it comes to this question.

Namely, it is difficult to estimate if your muscles and stamina are indeed ready to move on to the next level without you trying out more advanced poses. This means that the easiest way to be sure if you are prepared for an advanced yoga class is to go to the class and see if it is too demanding for you.

However, as we have mentioned, sometimes there are reasons why you might hesitate to do so. Every human being and, hence, their yoga journeys are entirely different. However, there are a few signs everyone should pay attention to so that you can figure out if you are ready for an advanced yoga class. Let’s take a look at them.

1. Focus on your skill and endurance rather than your physical appearance

Since your muscles do not necessarily ‘grow’ from yoga, this does not mean you are not getting stronger and leaner with each practice. And yes, yoga is excellent for losing pounds, reducing belly fat, and the like, but it is better to rely on whether your stamina and precision have increased than on your changing physical appearance.

Some people naturally look more muscular and lean, even though they actually might not be as prepared for advanced workout regimens as it may appear. Essentially, this is why you cannot just jump into advanced yoga classes – yoga is not all about pure strength. You will need some time to connect your mind with your body, which is an element of yoga that many people find to be the most exciting and fulfilling.

Yoga is not only about physical strength; it is also about correct breathing and peace of mind.

2. You can do poses you could not do at the beginning.

Of course, a true sign that your body is becoming more and more capable and accustomed to a certain level of difficulty is when you finally master the postures you had found to be impossible for you in the first few months of taking yoga classes.

It takes some time to start doing the poses alone and in the right way. Once you manage to do so, this is when you can be confident that you are definitely on the right track to switch your beginner’s class for the advanced one in the near future.

3. You feel confident when you are doing poses you couldn’t before

One word of advice – the best way to practice yoga is to challenge yourself all the time. However, you should raise the bar incrementally so that your body has the time to keep up with the increased level of difficulty. So, even if you successfully hold a particular asana once, twice, or a few times, that does not necessarily mean that you have mastered it. Give yourself enough time and practice to really perfect the pose and, at the same time, your fitness level.

4. You are taking your time before joining the advanced yoga class.

No need to rush it, but push yourself so you know when you are ready.

It is all too natural that you are eager to prove yourself to your yoga instructor, your peers, and most importantly, yourself. Although having such a drive is not only good but highly recommended, in some cases, it can be detrimental to your overall health and well-being.

In essence, most of the time, you need to ‘chill-out’ and slow down your pace. For instance, you could be juggling your daily duties and trying to find experts in Dallas to help you relocate to a new neighborhood. Putting unnecessary strain on yourself amid such a stressful and demanding schedule can be counterproductive rather than stimulating.  So, be sure to go easy on yourself. Also, keep in mind that you are in a race with yourself, not others. This means that there is plenty of time for you to practice before joining an advanced yoga class. So, if you realize you have allowed yourself enough time to master the lower-level yoga, think about moving upward.

5. You are curious to know more.

Yoga is probably so universally loved because of the way it manages to stimulate people to be more open, curious, and disciplined. Once you start to see this urge to know more about yoga and how you can perfect your yoga practice, it is a surefire sign you’re ready for an advanced yoga class. It takes genuine interest and commitment to follow the tempo and level of difficulty of an advanced course, so we recommend you first figure out if you are ready to commit to it truly.

Author Bio

Janine Woodley has been an avid yogi since her teenage years. It is mindfulness, discipline, and overall bliss of practicing yoga that has led her to become a professional yoga instructor after college. Apart from hatha yoga, she also does advanced acroyoga classes.