Congratulations! You've decided to try yoga, find out what all rage is about, and maybe lose a little weight, increase your flexibility, and perhaps meet a few interesting people in class. Depending on where you practice, and your goal for attending classes, you could get exactly what you want. You'll drop a few pounds, be able to touch your toes, and develop a couple of friendships. Or not. You see, there is so much more to yoga than asana (the physical poses). Instead of overwhelming you with the journey you have embarked upon, I'll offer a few tips for those who are just stepping onto their mats. Namaste.

1) Before you unroll the mat . . .

If you attend a class at a studio, they will surely inform you of suggestions to make your first time, or second time, enjoyable. If you've bought the latest DVD, then you are probably on your own. Here are a few things to consider: don't eat a heavy meal at least two hours before beginning your practice, wear clothes that are comfortable (know that you will generate some body heat), and consider a shirt that won't fall around your face in down dog.

2) It's all about you.

Yoga is an individual practice. By that, I mean that it doesn't matter what the person next to you is doing, or how the teacher looks at the front of the room. It is all about you, and your practice, feelings, sensations, and experience, rather than competition, comparison, and judgment.

3) There is no perfect pose.

It is easy to become discouraged when observing the ease with which the instructor moves from pose to pose. He or she may have balance or strength or flexibility that doesn't seem to exist for you. Take heart (and reread number 2)! Just by stepping onto the mat, you are on the road of the pose. Every day, each pose may show up differently. One day balance comes easily, the next, there is struggle to get even the toes off the mat. Even while placing your body parts in warrior I, the pose is never static. For each inhale and exhale, it changes.

4) Sensation.

Most people new to yoga are unaware of how they breathe or what it means when the teacher says, "Take a giant step back with your left foot." Instructors often invite students to check-in with their body and breath. What sensation is in the shoulders, the thighs? If you pay attention to this, you'll keep to your edge, and to prevent injury, and glean the benefits of an asana practice. (As well as staying free from the critical mind, but that is another set of tips!)

5) Breathe.

It seems self-explanatory, but sometimes we forget, especially during particularly intense postures. The breath is used as a focal point. We follow the breath in and out through the nose, keeping our attention rooted on the warmth of the air at the nostrils, to the expansion of the low belly. It also offers a place to bring our awareness when the mind begins whining about the ease or difficulty of the pose.

6) The edge.

"Work to your edge," the instructor reminds you. Your what? The extent to which you can move toward, or into, the pose, and still breathe, still relax. It is alright if there is a dull, achy sensation, just no sharp or electrical sensations. If you feel that, move out of the pose, then move back in, very slowly, "listening" for the point where the body says to stop.

7) Follow instructions.

It is just like Simon Says. Left arm there, right leg here, reach, stretch, and don't forget to breathe! Your instructor has no vested interest in how far you can move into a pose (other than keeping you safe) so if props are offered, try it out. If you'd like to move into a different variation, and find that you have gone beyond your edge, then come back to the variation that was first offered.

8) Honesty with the teacher.

The first time you attend a class with a new teacher, they may come to you, introduce themselves, and ask if you have any physical concerns that they should know about to keep you safe. If you've had knee surgery, a tweaky low back, a trick shoulder, or are pregnant, these are what the teacher needs to know so they can offer alternate poses or different variations for the postures. It is a partnership, which means you need to be honest with the teacher about physical issues, and you also need to pay close attention if those concerns begin to speak to you during class.

9) There's a variety of studios and teachers.

If you don't find one you like on your first try, don't give up. Visit another studio or try a different class. Oftentimes the person working the front desk will have good insight as to what class would fit your needs.

10) Props.

Before you attend your first class, find out if the studio offers props. Usually gyms do not, but established yoga studios often do. A sticky mat, a blanket, a block, and a strap are the basics. Some studios offer all of these, for free or for rent. The easiest to get and carry with you is a mat, especially if you're concerned about whoever used the rented mat before you. If you attend a studio that does not provide props, you'll want to bring them to class with you, and if your love of yoga leads you to develop a home practice, you'll want them there.