At the Brighton Yoga Festival we will provide yoga mats for you to use in the class. We keep the mats clean but you might want to bring a towel to put on top of the mat. Most studios you will go to for classes provide mats, but you can always call or email them in advance to check.

This is most often a personal choice and sometimes it will take trying out several yoga classes to see if they work for you. That’s a major benefit of having a range of free classes on the day. If you are a beginner, it may be best to start at a beginners class or a class that says it is suitable for beginners. If in doubt ask. If you are pregnant you must wait until you are 16 weeks to practise – and a specialised pregnancy yoga class is best if you are new to yoga.

If you have an illness it is not a good idea to do the class unless it is specifically yoga therapy/restorative or one-to-one yoga. Doctors refer many clients to yoga. Common ailments can be helped by yoga particularly back problems, insomnia, sports injuries and post surgery rehabilitation,

Physical disabilities actually have the power to be our greatest teacher! They create a deeper awareness of the body and its mechanisms. Please tell your teacher about anything that may affect your practice so that they can offer you alternative postures or give you props to help you. Check with your doctor first.

You are never too old to do yoga!

Beginner’s classes should be completely inclusive but you may also like to try a yoga class specifically for the more senior members of our community.

Many yoga teachers will use touch to bring your attention to a specific part of your body and employ gentle adjustment techniques. If you don’t want to be touched, don’t be shy. We understand, so just let the teacher know.

All classes will begin promptly so to avoid disappointment please arrive early. You will not usually be able to enter the class once it has started – this is both for your own benefit and as a courtesy to the other class members, as well as your teacher. It is important to complete the whole class, as it will be designed specifically to allow time to rest after exertion and warm up before exertion. If you need to leave early, please tell the teacher at the beginning of a class.

Try to avoid a heavy meal for at least two hours before a class. A light snack is ok but it does depend on the class – astanga, dynamic and power or vinyasa flow classes use a lot of energy so you do not want your energy resources used up by digesting food. You can bring a bottle of water in to the class which should be drunk a sip at a time, if needed. Do drink plenty of water after a class.

Some teachers choose to use some Sanskrit terms in their classes (a common one you may hear is Savasana – pronounced Sha –var – san-nah – which means “corpse pose”, a literal translation meaning to lie on your back.  This pose is used at the end of the class. This is a time to really assimilate the benefits of the class and at the same time give the body the rest it needs for healing processes to take place).  Not all yoga teachers use the Sanskrit names for postures and even if they do, in a beginner’s class they will always explain the pose as well.

We hope all this helps you to try your first yoga class. Enjoy it!