Any ideas?

I'm basically a beginner. I did take some yoga many years ago but it was nothing too serious and it was a long time ago. I'm not a flexible or as fit as I once was and I'm hoping yoga will help me with that.

I live in Pasadena so I prefer not have to travel too far.

Annapolis or Baltimore area would be better than DC.

Thanks in advance.

Just go in and start experimenting! There are a number of different styles of yoga, and there's no "right" one, so jump in, show up at a class, and see if you like it. A studio that your friend swears by might not be right for you, so don't just go based on recommendations. There are a number of studios in your area - just google "Yoga Pasadena MD" or "Yoga Baltimore."

Walk in about 15 minutes before class, expect to fill out a liability waiver as well as form answering some basic questions about your health (injuries, illnesses, other conditions that your teacher should know about), and introduce yourself to the teacher and tell him/her that it's your very first class.

Things to look for in a yoga studio:
1. Engaged and accessible teachers who make you feel safe
- Teachers should be ready to help you find modifications for poses that your body isn't ready for, etc


2. Experienced and/or well trained teachers
- RYT is a great sign, as it means that the teacher has completed at least a 200 hour Yoga Alliance approved training program, but older teachers may have been practicing for the past 40 years with no certification at all, since certifications are a fairly recent standard. If they seem knowledgeable in class, can answer questions that you have, and most importantly seem to understand how the body works and what to do to avoid injuries, those are all good signs.

3. An environment that you're comfortable in
- If you don't like the attitudes of the people around you, or if you don't like the big windows at the front of the studio, or whatever... try a new place! Everyone has different preferences, and I am 100% certain that even if you don't like the first place you go to, you'll quickly find one that you love.

Good luck with it! I hope you love it.

Yelp.com! You can search for "yoga studios" in "your zipcode" and see what other folks recommend. Baltimore has a fairly active Yelp community so you should get a good idea of what's out there.

Dani

I've taken community classes at Charm City Yoga several times and been very happy with the classes. Granted I'm not a yoga expert, just a dancer that enjoys what yoga does for my body.

Charm City has 4 locations in/around Baltimore, not sure how convenient they are to you though. Between the four locations, they have a pretty extensive schedule--ranging from a beginner series to advanced classes and $6 community classes.

Their website is charmcityyoga.com. There's also another yoga place in Towson that a few of my friends have been to and really liked but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called.