Yoga Conference Tips

(No.1: Don't Forget Your Mat)

By Stephanie Rapp

Be prepared. Do you need to pack your mat? If you're not sure what will be provided, call ahead. Consider bringing any other props you use regularly at home. Write your name in large letters on the front of your mat. Not only will you minimize lost props, but teachers, and fellow yogis, can easily read your name. Do research. Many teachers have written books, produced videos, and maintain personal Web sites. Delve deeper into a teacher's philosophy or background to help you make your class selections and to familiarize yourself with teachers once you have. Record and review. Conferences provide you with new ideas, poses, even yoga jokes. A notebook, pen, microcassette recorder, and camera can be useful tools. You can draw little stick figures of poses or sequences that you want to practice back home, or snap a photograph of yourself with your favorite teacher. Respect others. As much as teachers want to answer each student's personal questions, they are sometimes held hostage by eager crowds after class. Be sensitive to the needs of the teacher and other attendees. Take risks. If you're a die-hard Ashtangi, here's your chance to practice restorative yoga. Practice vairagya (nonattachment) if you find yourself no longer interested in a particular teaching style. Take time for yourself. By their nature, conferences are stimulating. Do things to nurture yourself. Take walks, meditate, even skip a workshop and check out the setting or the yoga store.

See All Travel Articles »