FAQ

Yoga props are available for you to use in the studio. Please use a block, strap, or blanket as needed. If you are a new student, grab one of each so you can modify your practice as needed. You are welcome to bring your own yoga mat.

Wear comfortable clothes; clothes that are firm fitting may be best suited as they will not hinder your movement through the poses; clothes that are too revealing may feel awkward as you get your body into some interesting postures. We practice yoga with bare feet (no socks) to allow for better stability and grip of the yoga mat.

Try not to eat 90 minutes before the class, depending on class and level we learn and practice inversions (shoulder-stand / headstand) and twist our bodies and doing this on a full stomach may not be such a pleasant experience. Important to hydrate yourself before class but I recommend no drinking water during class.

I always get asked how many times you should come to yoga? It's always a different answer for everyone. We all have a reason to practice whether it's for mental health (stress, anxiety or depression) physical fitness (flexibility, strength, toning) rehab from an injury or day to day discomfort (lower back pain, stiff neck) OR you just enjoy the practice. Whatever the issue, repetition is key. There are many benefits to weekly classes. For me once I started to increase my classes to 2-3 per week, I started to feel better in my body and my mind. Then I began a home practice, what I learnt in those 2-3 classes I began to practice at home. These days my home practice is 6 days per week and I attend professional development courses with Senior Iyengar Yoga Teachers to keep my practice and teaching fresh.

Salamba sarvangasana (shoulder stand) and sirsasana (headstand) are necessary to Iyengar classes because they have many benefits. You’ll do them in most classes. Obviously you will not practice these during menstruation or injuries and I will guide you to different poses.

Many people think they need to be flexible to practice yoga and in doing so they discourage the possibility of trying yoga. PTS and chronic pain led me to my yoga journey over 16 years ago so please don’t let self -doubt stop you from trying a yoga class. At Be Balanced Yoga, I encourage students regardless of their flexibility and strength to start each practice exactly where they are, with the body they have. Through the practice itself they begin to know themselves better and to move with ease. Iyengar Yoga is very adaptable to those with injuries with the support of props the body is assisted in regaining stability, strength, and mobility within the skeletal and muscular body.

If you are running late 5-10 minutes you are welcome to join a class in progress, after 10 minutes the doors will be locked. Please respect the students already in the class by entering as quietly as you can. If a seated meditation or breathing exercise is happening at the beginning of class, please wait in the back of the classroom until the students start to move again before setting up your mat and props.

No, Please store all personal belongings in the cubbies in the shoe area to keep the studio floor uncluttered. Best to bring less!

I ask that you do not leave class before the end of Savasana (the last pose of the class, where you rest on your back), in order to not disrupt the Savasana of other students. Be mindful when entering and setting up for class, some students may already be enjoying a quiet meditation before class begins. Please turn your cell phones off. If you are “on call” you may have your phone next to your mat but please ensure it is on silent. Please leave the room quietly to answer the phone.

I will send an email with the link and password which will take you directly to the Zoom online class. To join your class, you will need to click on the URL link which will take you directly to the Zoom online class. You will be given options to test your microphone and speaker before the class and then you will be directed to the ‘meeting’. You will be allowed into a ‘waiting room’ where you wait for the meeting to start.

Before each class you can ask any questions etc but once I begin teaching, I will mute all students to minimise background noise. During class, if you need to ask a question you can ‘Unmute’ yourself ask the question and then ‘Mute’ yourself.

You will need a device with a screen with an inbuilt camera and microphone (i.e. a laptop or tablet)

Foundation, Beginners, Intermediate

• Yoga mat
• 2 blocks- use a couple of old thick novels taped together
• Yoga belt- use an ordinary strong belt
• Yoga blankets- use 2-3 beach towels
• A standard kitchen chair for shoulder-stand
• shoulder-stand cushion

Props of Restorative

• Yoga mat
• 2 blankets or 3 beach towels
• A bolster or 2 pillows
• A standard kitchen chair for forward bends.