If you're one of the growing numbers of people interested in yoga, you have every reason to be excited and, so long as you follow a few basic guidelines, no reason to be nervous. Knowing a few insider tips and general rules-of-thumb can help further calm any anxiety you feel in new social settings. What follows is certainly not an exhaustive analysis or description of yoga, but it is a fairly wide-ranging and comprehensive guide to what you should know before you attend your first class. From finding suitable, local classes to putting yoga dogmas into perspective to knowing what items to bring to the first class, here are eight things you should know before you attend your first yoga class.

Eight Tips for Taking, Enjoying Yoga Classes

1. Listen to the instructor about taking it easy. At some point during your first class, your instructor will probably introduce a pose that he or she claims may not possible for everybody in the class. This sounds reasonable, but it's tough to take it easy if everybody else in the class ends up completing the pose, anyway. There is absolutely zero shame in cutting a stretch short, backing off the ideal extension, or simply omitting a more difficult stretch altogether. In fact, if you can easily accomplish every stretch in a yoga routine your first time out, you might talk to the instructor after the class about more advanced yoga classes.

2. Every pose is different, challenging. Along the same lines, don't assume that you should be able to do a pose just because an instructor doesn't include a warning. Everybody is different, and you may very well discover that you can complete what was supposed to be a more difficult pose, only to be thwarted by an allegedly easier pose, just moments later. Maybe your SI joint allows you to touch your toes, but other lower back stiffness prohibits you from doing a full COBRA pose. Maybe you have good general flexibility but have sore knees that prevent you from certain kneeling postures.

3. Yoga has benefits and dangers. Ironically, some of the health benefits and dangers are identical when it comes to yoga. Most commonly, back pain can be alleviated or exacerbated depending on the root cause of your back pain and your ability to stay within yourself. If you're unsure whether yoga is right to address a particular ache or pain, ask your doctor, chiropractor, or other qualified health professional. You should also ask the instructor before class begins, what poses might create a problem for you and/or if there are modified poses you can do instead.

4. Get a sense for particular classes and teachers. Most beginner classes are a form of Hatha yoga. Indeed, Hatha is the most popular form of yoga. Beware, however, that you don't inadvertently sign up for, say, Bikram yoga, which is practiced in sauna-like conditions. Iyengar and Kripalu are two gentler forms of yoga that are ideal for people with aches and pains or for prenatal yoga. You may also find an instructor who teaches classes from a more eclectic or cross-discipline perspective. Choosing a teacher that is right for you—beyond general experience, credentials, etc. —is a more personal matter that can be done through pre-class meetings and conversations, or simply by trial-and-error.

5. Know what to bring/not to bring to your first class. Most people realize that they should wear comfortable, nonrestrictive clothing. Fewer people, however, anticipate that the subtle rigor of Yoga also means that you're likely to benefit from a water bottle. And just as important are the things you shouldn't bring to class: Turn your cell off or leave it at home. In fact, generally speaking, the fewer things you bring to class the better. Some people even pay for several classes at once so they don't need to bring their wallet/purse to class as much as any discounts offered for package deals. For convenience's sake, many people chose to wear sandals or other shoes that are easily removed/put back on.

6. You get better results from live classes. An increasingly virtual world is making it more difficult for some to comfortably interact and enjoy the company of others, but let yoga classes be a break from this trend. Yoga DVDs and other instructional videos can certainly be helpful, but they can't compete with the positive peer pressure and individual instruction of a yoga teacher. Simply, the escapist effects of an entirely new environment can lead to superior form, longer stamina, greater relaxation, and better results.

7. When doing yoga, theory is unimportant. This one is heresy to some yoga enthusiasts, but you don't need to chant or otherwise subscribe to a metaphysical doctrine to practice, enjoy, and see the benefits from yoga. Put another way, yoga and spirituality may be "inseparable," but the essence of most yoga classes is religious plurality signified by the mantra, "One truth, many paths." Of course, many people do find that chanting and other spiritual aspects of yoga help with everything from mental focus to reducing anxiety in their lives.

8. You can find local, yoga classes online. The notion that you can find anything online is slowly becoming more than just a slogan for the dot-com age. With the help of ServiceMagic, all you need to do is submit an online request, and we'll connect you to local yoga classes that best fit your needs and customer ratings and reviews to help you choose the best one.