You've booked yourself a practice session. Amazing!
But then you walk into the studio, look at the equipment and think...
Right. What am I actually going to do for the next hour? 👀
Practice sessions are such a valuable addition to your training. They're your opportunity to revisit what you've learned in class, work on the things that haven't quite clicked yet, build strength and confidence, and spend some uninterrupted time doing the things you love.
And there are a few other reasons we're BIG fans of them...
💕 WHY BOOK A PRACTICE SESSION?
You get a pole all to yourself!
Yep — no sharing! Practice sessions give you your own pole for the session, so you can train at your own pace, repeat things as many times as you need to and make the most of your time on the equipment.
You get to practise YOUR stuff.
In a class, your instructor has a lovely lesson planned for you. In practice, you get to decide what you want to work on.
Want to spend some time drilling a move from last week's class? Go for it. Want to put your favourite song on and flow? Absolutely. Want to finally clean up that transition that's been annoying you for weeks? Now's your chance.
You'll meet other Mayans! 🩵
One of the loveliest things about practice sessions is that you'll often find yourself training alongside people from completely different Maya classes.
Our practice sessions are always friendly and social. They're a great opportunity to meet other Mayans, have a chat, cheer each other on and get to know more of our community outside your regular class.
You might arrive not knowing anyone and leave having made a new studio friend!
And while you definitely don't need a minute-by-minute training plan, you'll get SO much more out of your practice session if you arrive with a little idea of what you'd like to do.
So, here's our handy guide...
📱 BEFORE YOU GET TO THE STUDIO: HAVE A LITTLE PLAN
Before you arrive, spend five minutes scrolling through your camera roll and find some videos from recent classes.
Save a few things you'd like to revisit.
We recommend having a little mixture:
Something you already feel confident doing
A combo you enjoyed but found tricky in places
A move you're currently working towards or want to refine
A couple of alternatives in case something just isn't clicking that day
If you've recorded class combos, this is the perfect time to use them!
Try to save a few with varying levels of difficulty. That way, if your dream combo isn't cooperating, you've got something else to move on to rather than spending your entire practice session getting increasingly frustrated with one move.
Remember: practice doesn't have to mean perfection.
🔥 STEP 1: WARM UP PROPERLY
We know. You want to get straight on the equipment.
But give your body a chance to catch up with your enthusiasm!
Start with some gentle cardio to gradually raise your heart rate and get your body warm.
Then work your way through some joint mobilisation. Starting from the top and working down is an easy way to make sure you don't forget anything — think neck, shoulders, wrists, spine, hips, knees and ankles.
Your body will thank you for it.
💪 STEP 2: GET YOUR CONDITIONING DONE
Do it now.
Before you can talk yourself out of it. 😂
It might not always be the bit of your practice session you're most excited about, but those few minutes of consistent conditioning add up over time.
Use conditioning exercises you've already been given in class and focus on doing them with good technique rather than rushing through them.
Future you will be very grateful.
💕 STEP 3: START WITH SOMETHING YOU LOVE
Before you tackle the move that's been driving you mad for three weeks, do something that makes you feel GOOD.
Already nailed a kick-ass trick that makes you feel amazing? Get up there and do it.
More of a flow lover? Put some music on and enjoy some step-around pirouettes, body waves or a little sequence you know you love.
It doesn't matter what it is.
The point is to remind yourself:
“Oh yeah. I CAN do cool stuff.”
Starting with something familiar gets your body moving, builds your confidence and puts you in a positive mindset before you tackle the harder bits.
🎥 STEP 4: GO BACK TO YOUR RECENT CLASS VIDEOS
Now it's time to get into the meat of your practice session.
Have a look at those videos you saved earlier.
Perhaps there's a combo from your last class that you absolutely loved, but there was one transition that didn't quite make sense.
Break it down.
Rather than immediately trying to smash out the entire combo over and over again, spend some time on the section that challenged you.
This is where practice sessions can be SO valuable.
In class, you're learning, listening and taking in lots of new information. Practice gives you the time to go back over it without feeling rushed.
🎯 STEP 5: WORK ON YOUR GOAL
Got a particular move you've been trying to achieve?
Now's your chance to give it some focused attention.
Maybe you're trying to make something more consistent. Perhaps you've technically achieved it, but you'd like to clean it up. Or maybe you're working towards finally getting that move you've been chasing for months.
Give it some time — but don't let it take over your entire session.
Which brings us to...
🔄 STEP 6: KNOW WHEN TO MOVE ON
You've tried it.
And tried it.
And tried it again.
And today...
It. Is. Not. Happening.
That's okay!
This is exactly why we recommend arriving with a few different things you want to practise.
Sometimes your body and brain just aren't interested in cooperating with a particular move that day. Rather than spending 45 minutes getting frustrated, move on.
Try another combo. Revisit something you enjoy. Work on a different skill.
You can always come back to it another day.
A practice session where you don't achieve the thing is not a wasted practice session.
🧘 STEP 7: COOL DOWN & STRETCH
You've done the fun bit. Don't immediately grab your phone and run out of the studio!
Give yourself a few minutes at the end of your session to bring everything back down.
Take some time to stretch, breathe and let your body recover from what you've just asked it to do.
And maybe have a little look back at what you achieved while you're there. 💕
✨ YOUR PRACTICE SESSION CHEAT SHEET
If you want a really simple structure to remember, try:
PLAN → WARM UP → CONDITION → ENJOY → PRACTISE → PLAY → STRETCH
📱 Plan a few things before you arrive
🔥 Warm up properly
💪 Condition while you're fresh
💕 Enjoy something you already love
🎯 Practise something you want to improve
✨ Play with different combos and skills
🧘 Stretch and cool down before you leave
Most importantly, don't put too much pressure on yourself.
Practice sessions aren't tests.
You don't have to leave with a brand-new trick, a perfect combo or an Instagram-worthy video for the session to have been worthwhile.
Sometimes progress is finally nailing something.
Sometimes it's making a move feel 10% easier.
Sometimes it's realising what you need to ask your instructor about in your next class.
And sometimes it's simply putting your favourite song on and spending an hour enjoying moving your body.
It all counts. 💕
So, get those practice sessions booked, have a little scroll through your class videos and give yourself some time to play.
We'll see you in the studio!
The Maya Team x