FREQUENTLY ASKED
Before you get started with Expansion classes or any of our other wellness offerings, you may be curious to find out some more information before beginning. There is no question too small or ridiculous for us to answer, so if you can not find the answer below you are looking for, please feel very welcome to contact us with your question.
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Couldn't find your question, click this button to contact us and ask.
What do I do when I arrive at the studio?
It is important to remember that our studio is a gentle and safe space for everyone to practice in. We ask that you arrive quietly, respecting anyone in the studio who might be already practicing yoga or in a meditation before the classes start.
Once you enter our space at 36 Hotham street, the first thing that will happen is you will be greeted by one of our teachers who will be seated behind the desk taking in class attendance's. As for everyone in this space, the teacher will ask you to take your shoes off and then help you get to know the studio a little better by pointing out a few different features in the space, then get you to fill out a waiver form (if it is your first time there), answer any other questions you might have and then encourage you to take up a space on a yoga mat that you feel most comfortable on ready for your class.
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We encourage everyone to arrive at least 5-10 min earlier then the start time of their class to allow this process to happen smoothly and to avoid creating a big last minute rush to get everyone ready to start, this way everyone can enjoy the most out of the class.
***Unfortunately this answer has changed slightly due to covid-19 restrictions. Please read through the link at the top of this page with our guidelines for coming along to classes.
We are strongly encouraging students to use their own equipment, however If you are unable to bring along your own mat & and props, you are still very welcome to use our equipment.
We provide everything you will need for a yoga or meditation class. High quality eco-friendly mats, organic cotton straps and bolsters along with yoga blocks made of cork. We will also provide small towels to wipe down the mat you used after each class. There is filtered water and drinking cups provided and some blankets if you worried about going cold during a longer meditation class.
You are welcome to bring along anything you want to for your session, like your own favourite yoga mat, your own drink bottle, towel, blanket etc.
Do I have to bring anything with me to a class?
I can't even touch my toes, does that mean I can't Yoga?
That just means you need to start Yoga!
There is only 1 requirement to be able to 'Yoga'.... If you can breath, you can Yoga :)
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There are many different elements to a yoga practice, and the simplest is through a variety of different breathing techniques. These techniques accompanied with positive intent and a good amount of attention can really help you live a more invigorated lifestyle. From there you can join us in adding philosophy and physical movements during our everyday classes to really enhance your total life experience.
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The best way to get into our yoga classes will be through one of our beginner programs. They are a once a week class for a total of 4 weeks. In this program we will cover everything yoga from basic yoga postures and breathing techniques to yoga philosophy and touch on all of the different styles of yoga that this studio has to offer. At the end of this program you can expect to really start to feel the future benefits of undertaking a regular yoga practice and why so many people are doing this 'yoga' thing.
If this program is to big of a commitment straight up, please feel very welcome to attend any of our regular classes, you can always just purchase a one off 'single class pass'. There is never any pressure from the teachers to be able to do every posture or complete every flow sequence, we welcome all levels of students, so why not give it a go!
It doesn't matter if you have been practicing for years or if possibly like you this is your first ever class, yoga is just an experience, an experience of yourself exploring your own body and mind. How you wish to experience each class will be entirely up to you.
Your best choice will be to wear anything comfortable that you might usually wear for a gym session, preferably something that is stretchy or loose enough that it won't restrict your body as you move through different postures.
We have some fantastic Infra-red heaters installed and in use during most of our classes. The temp won't be set above 25 C but keep in mind which class you are attending, in our Yoga flow/yang/strength and also Pilates classes you will tend to get a little warmer during the practice, and might choose to wear something a little lighter and with better breathability. In the Yin/Meditation classes, it could be better to wear something that will keep you warm to help you stay relaxed during these much slower classes.
Something not too distracting for anyone else in the room. Yoga is not a fashion contest or a body show contest, we ask that you wear clothes that would be appropriate to be seen walking around public in.
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No Shoes. They can be taken off and left during the practice in our studio's sitting area when you arrive. This is a mandatory practice in our studio (also in almost every other yoga studio you will come across) we ask you take them off after you walk up our stairs and greet the teacher of the day. Keeping your socks on is up to you, although you may find it a little tricky for grip on the yoga mats.
What clothing should I wear for Yoga & Pilates?
What do I do on the yoga mat waiting for the class to start?
Anything you like. There is no right way that you have to 'be' before a class starts. We only ask that you are not to loud or of a disturbing nature to any other students who are also waiting and likely involved in a mindful practice of sorts for themselves like a still meditation.
You don't even have to wait on your mat, you could have a chat with another students in a space away from the mats, or get in a last minute social media check in or text message on your phone. If This is your preference, please be considerate of other students needing to use this area of the studio as we have limited space.
The teacher will prompt you when the class is about to start and ask any of you to come to your mats ready for the session ahead.
Just like any other physical exercise, it is a good idea to warm up or stretch before hand, please feel comfortable to do this on your mat, even if nobody else is.
It is very important that you let go of all things that are wanting to escape during a class. You don't have to ask or excuse yourself, just get up and go!
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There is a few toilets in the bathroom area at the rear of the studio for your use before, during and after classes if need be.
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Please keep in mind not every body may feel as comfortable as you passing wind, burping or any other bodily sounds, so please do not react to others students releases with inappropriate laughing or comments.
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We strive to offer all students and teachers a safe and comfortable place to practice and be surrounded with other loving and caring students who understand and accept the so very natural processes of the human body.
What if I need to go to the toilet, or fart/burp/cough?
Do we offer Kids Yoga?
No, sorry we do not have any specific kids yoga At Expansion.
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2 of our lovely teachers do offer a 'bring your kids' class option. This is ran at Parkys wonderland in Traralgon and can be booked into from our Expansion app
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We encourage tweens & teens to join in on our regular classes if they are happy to be on their own mat & in their own mind for the duration of the class.
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We have a great friend in Kerry Adams who runs 'Mindful Kids Yoga'. Kerry operates across the Latrobe Valley sharing many wonderful kids Yoga classes. Please contact Kerry to find out more about the great kids classes she shares :)
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Yes, however you must contact us to reserve your spot for the class prior to arrival, this is because we have limited spaces available for each class.
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Unlimited memberships as well as all other pass purchases can be purchased through our Expansion Yoga & Pilates app, you can do this by going into the store, or choosing which class you would like to attend and then follow the prompts.
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-All payments are given a receipt of purchase via e-mail, please note to the teacher if you would not prefer this option.
Can I pay when I arrive?
Is there another way to book into a class other than on the Expansion app or Expansion website?
Yes.
Although the app is our preferred option for you to book, if you like you can contact us through phone, e-mail, social media or just arriving a little early to class and having a chat about booking your next class with us.
We have a set limit of students in each class, so if you just arrive without notice to a class there is a possibility that there might not be enough space for you.
These are all stereotypes, and just that. there are no rules as to who can and can not practice Yoga & Pilates, and we at Expansion certainly do not discriminate against any person wanting to practice.
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In our eyes, every individual has the same rights and will be accepted in our studio as a valued human.
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For the men thinking this is only a women in leggings club, that is just a myth hollywood and social media has developed over the years.
Yoga has predominately been a Men only practice from it's roots in India, with it being a very rare occurrence to come across a female teacher, (this may of just been more an Indian culture situation rather then a Yoga rule)
Things have changed however when Yoga became popular in America in the 1960's. Once it was accepted and practiced by their celebrities, things blew up and became popular by everyone else trying to live like the Jonse's. The great thing about yoga is that no matter what reason or intention you have for beginning, the physical, mental and spiritual growth will take over and bring a wealth of wellbeing and clarity to your life that will surpass any ill or misled intent.
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Yes yoga has evolved from India, but Yoga is more so something everybody has the ability to harness as a life development practice and the Indian people were just the first recorded people to do so.
The styles of yoga that we teach at Expansion yoga is a lot of the traditional Indian styles of Yoga with our modern adaptions. These styles were generated thousands of years yoga, and as it's generally a verbally shared practice (not recorded), it could of began even longer ago then we understand it to be now.
The language that was used when all of this was evolving was 'Sanskrit'. A universal language Known as ‘the mother of all languages’.
Sanskrit is the dominant classical language of the Indian subcontinent, the postures in our classes and some other terms we use will be in Sanskrit, all of these have an English translation.
Sometimes a teacher may share the Sanskrit term when instructing a pose due to the repetitiveness of our training as these words get deeply ingrained in our mind, so it is only natural when they come out trying to explain a posture to the students. We don't mean to confuse anyone, please feel very welcome to ask the teacher to explain the translation for these words.
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Other times we will use Sanskrit to help convey a message which English has no translation for. Most commonly used is 'Namaste'. If you have heard about yoga, then you have probably heard this Sanskrit phrase before. We try to explain this phrase as a feeling, or a polite gesture. We use the phrase kind of Like a greeting or thankful gesture.
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'Namaste' rough translation; the spark/soul/light/energy within me, recognises the spark/soul/light/energy within you.
You will commonly hear this phrase at the start and end of each class, you are welcome to reply with a return 'Namaste'. It is also ok to stay quite, you do not have to do anything you do not feel comfortable with.
Yoga is for Indians, hippies or only women, why should I do it?
What if I can't do the postures or can't keep up with the teacher?
If this is you, then you are as normal as everyone else :)
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Not sure if you remember but there was a stage in your life when you were not able to walk, you would of been about 1-2 years old & probably failed 100 times or more trying to just stand, and then once your first steps finally came as a young baby, you would of fallen over 100 times more learning the skills of taking multiple steps, and also developing the necessary muscles to walk as skilfully as you do today.
- Are you aware that every day, you are still developing those skills and muscles to become a better more efficient walker?
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This is exactly the same as how we develop as a Yogi or Yogini (male/female). There is no perfection of any posture, and no master achievement to strive for.
Some days your body can do the posture, and some days your body struggles, that is how the human body works, we are not robots and as teachers we do not expect our students to be.
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Each Yoga class is simply an experience and potential learning experience, sometimes you learn directly from the teacher, but most times you will be learning the intricacies of your own physiological design as well the inner workings of your mind.
This learning never stops, wether you're an experienced student, or teacher of many years there are always new stages of understanding and lessons to re-learn on our own individual life path.
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If you make mistake, get something wrong or fall over in a class, just giggle at yourself finding a good sense of humility through imperfection and carry on when your ready too.
If you need to rest, rest! All teachers and students are very supportive and understanding of the challenges of these practices, if you're feeling uncomfortable physically, mentally or just need to cool down a little, please take some time to just sit on your mat quietly and rest, you could lie down if you prefer and close your eyes for a number of calming breaths.
We now have only 1 location for all of Expansion Yoga & Pilates classes. This is located at 36 Hotham street.
Located between the ANZ bank and the entry to the multi level car park
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You can also click on the class name before booking and see the description of each class. In this description it will show you the address for the class in the top of the description. If your using the Expansion app, there is a button on the bottom of your app that takes you into your profile and you can view the classes that you're already booked in for, this way you can double check the class before arriving to the studio or if you have forgotten.
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A safe measure will to be to arrive a 10 minutes early for your class, if you first come to the wrong studio, you can then quickly duck around the corner to the studio which your class is in as it is only a short 2 minute walk at most.
How will I know which studio the class i booked is in?