Yoga Class Etiquette 101

Practicing yoga is more than an exercise. Its meant relax the mind and bring peace to the body. Sadly not everyone knows about a number of often unspoken etiquette rules. There are many yoga instructors, many personal trainers and many yoga studios in Toronto. But sadly very few talk about etiquette for yoga or other exercise activities.

For many people their yoga practice is more than exercise. It is their whole mind and body well-being lifestyle. The studio is their sacred place, a place of quiet and relaxation. Here are a few tips on courtesy to avoid making a yoga studio faux pas:

#1. No Talking in the Studio

If you practice yoga with your friends, keep the pre and post catching up in the lobby. Some studio change rooms even discourage discussion because some people feel uncomfortable with talking while they are half-naked and changing their clothes.

#2. Bring a Yoga Mat Bag without a Zipper or Velcro

Walking into the yoga studio to set up and causing a loud ZIPPING NOISE is just as disruptive as talking! A bag with strings, a carrying strap or even a fabric sleeve is preferable.

#3. Give Others Plenty of Space

Personal space is important to people practicing yoga. In a crowded studio be sure to move your mat over as comfortably as possible to make room for other students. Don't hog space if the space is limited.

#4. Help put Straps and Blocks back

If you borrow equipment such as straps and blocks, be sure to put anything back as you originally found it. Don't expect the studio staff to clean up after you! If you rent a mat, disinfect and hang to dry.

#5. Don't Stare at Other People

Think of it like being on the TTC subway. Don't stare at the other passengers, or in this case, yoga practitioners.

#6. If you are new, head to the back

From the back you can see more experienced students and learn from them, without staring at them too much. If you are a new student and practice in the front, not only are you likely taking the spot that advanced students need to check form, but the students behind you may follow your lead without realizing you are an inexperienced yoga newb!

#7. Try to Arrive Early

Lateness and disrupting a class currently in session is a big no-no. You should also avoid leaving early and disrupting the class by quitting early and making noise as you leave.

#8. Turn your Cellphone OFF!

Easy. Press a button, turn off your cellphone. Its like being in a movie theatre. Avoid any unnecessary noises.

How to Stop on Ice Skates

You can't really learn how to skate by reading, but the instructions below should help teach you how to stop on ice skates the next time you go skating. Remember, practice makes perfect. While not easy, once you learn how to pull it off you will never forget.

Method #1. Make an upside down V by pointing / angling your skates together. This will cause you to slow gradually to a stop. This is sometimes known as a "V Stop".

Method #2. While skating forward at a medium or slow speed bend your knees a bit like you're going to sit down. Keep your knees about shoulder width apart. Then turn sideways about 60 to 90 degrees from the direction that you were going before and the action of changing direction will cause your skates to drag on the ice and slow you down. While doing this you will also lean away from the direction you were going. This is sometimes referred to as a Side Stop or Snow Plow.

Practice both of these methods of stopping while ice skating and with time you will be able to stop easily.

Once you have mastered both methods 1 and 2 you can attempt to learn more difficult methods of stopping - such as spinning 180 or even 360 degrees - but don't expect to do that if you can barely skate in the first place.

For private ice skating lessons in Toronto you know who to call!

Yoga can do Amazing and Inspiring Things

The following is an inspirational video which brought tears to my eyes.


If an over-weight and disabled war veteran can do that using yoga, just imagine what you can do when you exercise?

Arthur had given up. He didn't think he could do it. You might not think you can do it either.

But along came "DDP", Diamond Dallas Page, who is an American retired actor/wrestler for the WWE, personal trainer, fitness instructor and yoga instructor. I admit, not your normal yoga practitioner, but he is certainly an athlete.

DDP gave him the instructions and encouragement to do it. And I must say they both did an awesome job of getting Arthur back on his feet and walking again.

And that is proof of how a personal trainer can help change your life. Regardless of whether you live in Toronto or California.

Weight Lifting Sets + Self Control

Finding the motivation and energy to do all your weight lifting sets can sometimes be a challenge.

BUILDING ENDURANCE FIRST

Part of the problem is endurance. Many people who get into weight lifting at the beginning are trying to lift as much as they can, at the max, but after lifting 5 to 10 times need to take a break. After their break they lift another 10 times... then another break. They're lifting so much that they end up taking really long breaks in-between sets. Over a period of 60 minutes they might do this 10 times total (if the have the stamina for that), lifting the weight 100 times total, before giving up.

Trying to lift such large amounts is the first part of their problem. They see other (bigger) men at the gym lifting large amounts and they're trying to prove they can do it. This is more an ego problem for men than for women. Women might still try to prove they can do it, but they won't be so worried about it as the male ego will be.

What should be doing instead is a smaller amount of weight, but lifting it 50 times before taking a break. (Knowing math helps with this.)

Lets pretend for example that in 60 minutes you lift 10 sets of 10, of 300 lbs. Total 10 x 10 x 300 = 30,000 lbs. So at 30 minutes that is averaging 500 lbs per minute.

Instead what a person should be doing is 10 sets of 50, of 120 lbs. Total 10 x 50 x 120 = 60,000 lbs. So that is lifting an average of 1,000 lbs per minute.

Who do you think got the better workout? Who do you think will gain more muscle and/or more endurance?

During a strength training program there is a lot of benefits to building endurance first. If you're planning to be at the gym for an hour every day, but spend most of that time catching your breath and you run out of steam easily then you're not really lifting much weights, are you?

By building endurance first so you can workout the entire hour with minimal breaks, and then gradually increase the amount of weight you are lifting on a weekly or bi-weekly basis then you will be maximizing both your endurance and your weightlifting.

Tip! Having smaller free weights and dumbbells can help you to build endurance/strength faster because you can do a greater variety of exercises using free weights than you would with exercise machines.

SELF CONTROL + JOURNAL

When doing a strength training program, and trying to get beyond the level of absolute beginner, adding more than one set per muscle group is ideal. Doing multiple sets is a necessity. If you only do 1 set of 5, you aren't really challenging yourself. You need to give yourself a specific number of sets, a known number for each set, and a specific weight you want to lift for each set. For best results keep a JOURNAL of the total number of sets you did, how many repetitions, what weight you did, and you can even track how much rest time you gave yourself between sets. A good thing to track is also how well you were feeling when you got to the gym (eg. hungry, tired, upset, etc) because your mood and emotions can often effect your stamina and self control.

With longer sets and multiple sets there is an increase of blood flow to the muscle, and it stimulates better growth/development and therefore, strength building. The reason for this is because your body responds better to endurance strength building methods, building muscle faster than it would if you were just trying to lift larger amounts with only 1 set.

You also want to alternate which body parts you are focused on. A good technique is to alternate upper and lower body exercises on a daily basis. You also want to use a variety of different exercises that target different muscles. Only targeting 1 set of muscles (eg. biceps) won't really help you that much. You need to be thinking of muscle groups like dominoes. If you want to grow your biceps, then you also need to exercise all the other muscles surrounding the biceps if you want to get better results.

Only focusing on one specific muscle is also extremely boring. To maintain motivation and increase self control it helps to do a variety of different exercises. You get bored less and you will get better results.

In your journal make a list of exercise machines or free weight exercises you like doing. Then start tracking how many you do during an hour at the gym. Track your rest times too if possible.

Once you know what exercises you enjoy, try to make a routine or a circuit you can do every time you go to the gym. Track everything in your journal.

When bored, add extra exercises and try new things to spice up your weight lifting workout. Having the journal will help you keep focused and having a list of "chores" to do at the gym will help keep you on track with your goals.

Breathing Exercises during Yoga

Before a yoga class starts, it is a good practice to do some breathing exercises while waiting for the teacher. Breathing exercises help you to become more aware of your body. Perception and awareness is very important to yoga and as human beings we are basically trapped in our minds, we sometimes lose awareness of how our bodies are feeling and lose focus on what body parts might be paining us.

As you begin the class many yoga teachers will tell you to clear the mind (easier said than done), to leave the past and future behind and focus on the present moment. With practice such brain exercises can build your mental self-control, and knowing a few breathing exercises you can focus on helps build this self-control.

If you think about your breathing, practice different breathing patterns and do it consciously you will notice it requires your concentration to do. Trying to do so while distracted will cause you to revert to your natural breathing pattern and to daydream about other things.

When combined with yoga movements, you add an extra level of difficulty to your yoga activities - but after awhile it's amazing how easy that becomes.

When many people start a yoga class their mind is a mess. Even without thoughts of what needs to be done, they are probably stressing over the idea of being in a challenging class for 60 or 90 minutes. By the time class is over, you may feel that it not only did it feel like a mere 15 minutes, but you may feel mentally and physically refreshed. (Although to be fair, some yoga classes will be more exhausting and leave you tired, sweating and hungry.)

In which case breathing exercises are also good to do AFTER yoga. It will help keep you feeling relaxed and refreshed (or relax you after a particularly grueling yoga lesson).

TIP!

Try breathing naturally, at your own pace, and count your breaths to 10. Sounds pretty simple, right? Yet due to our wandering minds, most of us lose track many times along the way. When it happens, start over again without frustration or worry. Its the learning process and journey that matters, not how many times you fail. Counting your breaths is not a game to win or a skill to master. Instead, it's an instant, ever-handy way to deepen your awareness and concentration.