FAQ

Your yoga practice is very personal.  Each person is working with their own mind, body, finances, and schedules.  People practice for different reasons: to calm their mind, build greater strength, or increase flexibility.

There are no set rules for how often to practice, but it is imperative that you listen to your mind/body in terms of the type and amount of physical activity that is right for you.  Ra Yoga offers a variety of style and level options to ensure that you have a supportive, challenging, yet versatile path to physical fitness and higher awareness.

As a new student, you should try to give yourself as many opportunities to practice as possible.  Come to class when you can (don’t beat yourself up when you can’t), and remember that some is better than none!

No need to worry!  It’s no problem if there are poses that you can’t fully extend into.  The teacher will offer different variations so that everyone can benefit from the postures.  Each time you come to class, you will learn a little bit more, practice moving with your breath a little bit more, and most likely, you will be able to achieve a variation of the pose you are working towards at some point.  Be patient, and give yourself time, and see how the impossible slowly becomes doable.

It is a good idea to try several different styles to see what resonates with you best.

For those looking to stay away from the heat:

Ra Vinyasa Level 1, YinRastore, and Sacred Sound classes are a great place to start for new people.  YinRastore and Sacred Sound classes flow at a much slower pace, while Ra Vinyasa Level 1 is a bit more involved and is taught at a faster pace.

For those looking to step into the heat:

Hot Ra is a good class to introduce you to the heated environment.

If you are a more experienced yogi looking to be challenged try Introduction to Ra Vinyasa Level 2, Yogalates, Ra Vinyasa Level 2, or Ra Strength.

Wear comfortable clothes that you can easily move and stretch in.  Many yogis tend to wear lightweight work-out clothes, such as a t-shirt, sports top, bike shorts, yoga pants, or a pair of easy fit shorts.  Bottom-line: You want your clothes to move with you, not against you.

Pre-registration is recommended for all classes by booking online or through our Ra Yoga app.  On your first visit to Ra Yoga, we ask that you please arrive at least 15 minutes early so that we have time to collect your information and orient you to our studio.

Doing yoga on a full stomach is not fun, yet doing yoga when you’re starving isn’t a good idea either. We recommend eating a light snack one hour before class or a meal 2-3 hours before class. This way your body is fueled but not focused on digestion.  Also, make sure to drink a moderate amount of water throughout the 12 hours prior to class.  You may sweat a lot during class, and we advise you to be well-hydrated both before and after.

Ra Yoga has changing areas, lockers, showers, and shower amenities available for you to use.   

Thinking you have to be flexible to do yoga is a myth. Yoga was actually created to help you gain more flexibility, which loosens tight muscles and prevents injury.  Yoga is not about bending and contorting yourself into difficult poses – it is simply a process for you to explore and get to know yourself. The quality of your practice doesn’t depend on whether you can touch your toes, but how much you are able to tune into yourself.

You are welcome to participate in any class you’d like, but if you’ve never done yoga before we recommend first trying one or two classes designated as “all ranges” in order to learn the postures and alignment.  A good place to start, for example, is Ra Vinyasa Level 1. Honor what your body needs and respect that if you end up in a class beyond your level it can be very distracting for other students.

Feel free to bring your own mat for any of our yoga classes or workshops.  If participating in a heated class, you may also find it helpful to bring a bath-sized towel.  We also have these items available at the studio for purchase and/or rental.

Ra Vinyasa Level 1, YinRastore, Meditation, Sound Bath & Kundalini Meditation, Sacred Sound, and Prenatal are not heated.  Intro to Ra Vinyasa Level 2 is a nice introduction to heated classes as it is gently heated.  The hottest classes we offer are Hot Ra, Ra Strength, Yogalates, and Ra Vinyasa Level 2.

Don’t fear the heat!  The benefits of practicing yoga in a heated environment are endless, however there are 4 points to be listed here:

1. Warms the body to allow for deeper stretching without injury
2. Facilitates an excellent cardiovascular workout
3. Helps to detoxify the body through sweating
4. Weight loss

Being in the heat may be a challenge in the beginning because most people are not accustomed to being in that kind of environment, and because most of us have an aversion to intense sweating. After a few classes however, most students begin to get acclimated to the temperature. Most students are surprised that they start to crave being in the hot yoga room – yes, even in the summer.

Convection heat is what you feel from air heated by warm air furnaces, heat pumps, and baseboards.  The warm air is usually distributed mechanically. Unlike other yoga studios which heat their classes using convection heat, Ra Yoga Studio has installed a world-class, eco-friendly radiant heating system (the most efficient form of heat transfer).  Since radiant energy heats objects, there is no air to blow and no stratification of hot or cold air pockets. Radiant heat is healthy, comfortable, and hypoallergenic heat.  No convection heat air movement means no distribution of unhealthy bacteria and/or allergens and no dust.   The radiant heaters at Ra Yoga Studio also have a low carbon footprint and are fully recyclable.

If you have never practiced yoga, Ra Yoga offers a vast array of styles to teach you the basics and help you learn all the details of behind the poses.

If you have been practicing yoga at another studio in the area, most of our current clients say they enjoy how Ra has helped to inspire their yogic and personal life through our community spirit and positive vibes we try to pass to everyone who walks through our doors.

The best way to learn about Ra Yoga is to experience it for yourself!  Feel free to stop by the studio to begin your intro offer which is available to all new clients.

Ra Yoga has 3 main locations and 1 location specifically for teacher training. More details.

COSTA MESA
3077 Bristol St, Suite A
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

NEWPORT BEACH
1617 Westcliff Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660

LONG BEACH
3860 Worsham Ave, Suite 310
Long Beach, CA 90808

RA UNIVERSITY
18242 W McDurmott Suite A
Irvine, CA 92614

‘Ra’ is the ancient Egyptian sun god; Patron of: the sun, heaven, warmth, growth, creative power, and light.

• Ra Yoga offers a wide range of yoga classes (heated and non-heated), workshops and healthy lifestyle events.
• Showers and changing facilities are provided for your convenience.
• Ra Yoga offers child care for most morning classes at most locations.
• Ra Yoga’s hot classes are heated by world-class, hypoallergenic radiant heating panels which have a low carbon footprint.
• Ra Yoga is not owned or affiliated with a larger corporate entity; it is a commUNITY that is owned and operated amongst friends.
• Ra welcomes all: beginner to advanced, athletes to math-letes.