WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga originated in India, several thousand years ago. Some scholars find evidence dating back 5 thousand years. Yoga is not a fad - it has stood the test of time. There are many types of Yoga, most are not well known in America. All share the same goal, to join oneself with God. Some are service oriented such as Karma Yoga, and Dharma Yoga. Others focus on meditation. The most popular yoga in America is Hatha Yoga.

Hatha Yoga is a physical path that seeks to harmonize body, mind, and soul through physical discipline, movement, stillness, and breath control. Hatha yoga is so popular in America, that unless stated otherwise, if is usually safe to assume that if someone refers to yoga they mean Hatha Yoga.

What is Yoga / Who can do Yoga / Why / Choosing Style / Finding a Teacher / Learning from Books / Clothing / Preparations / Etiquette / Suggestions for Practicing

WHO CAN DO YOGA?

Anyone can practice yoga, if they have the right attitude, and/or the right teacher. My very first teacher, when I was 11 and living in England, taught Hatha Yoga at the Ratcliff teaching hospital in Oxford. She worked with surgeons who often strain lower back muscles. She also went bed to bed in the hospital. If working with a paraplegic, her attitude was "LETS SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH OUR FACIAL MUSCLES!!!"

Ideally, you can find the perfect teacher and class for you that meets your needs. Some classes have students sit in chairs who might otherwise not be able to rise from the floor. Other classes challenge competitive gymnasts. I have had harder workouts in a yoga class than as a wrestler in highschool.

Hatha Yoga is rapidly growing in popularity in hospitals with heart patients, cancer patients etc., as well as with professional athletes (foot ball players, golfers, and runners. It is in many nursing homes, and embraced by ballet companies. It is offered in schools for the deaf and for the blind. It is available in the workplace for stressed our employees. Yoga has something for everyone.

What is Yoga / Who can do Yoga / Why / Choosing Style / Finding a Teacher / Learning from Books / Clothing / Preparations / Etiquette / Suggestions for Practicing

WHY PRACTICE YOGA?

Most students come back to yoga again and again, year after year, because it makes them feel so good. After a yoga class participants feel like they have had a great massage. Yoga is designed to promote health by balancing the nervous system, massaging the internal organs, releasing excess muscle tension, improving circulation of the blood and lymphatic system, calming the mind, and leaving participants relaxed and energized. There are too many reasons why you should practice yoga to list here, but in short, most students who make yoga a regular part of their schedule report that it has changed their life for the better.

What is Yoga / Who can do Yoga / Why / Choosing Style / Finding a Teacher / Learning from Books / Clothing / Preparations / Etiquette / Suggestions for Practicing

WHAT STYLE OF YOGA? There is a wonderful variety of yoga to choose from. This allows for almost anyone to find a style that would suit them physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. This is especially true if you live in a city. However, this very diversity can also be confusing to beginning students.

Some of the physical styles of yoga are very gentle like Vini Yoga. Others are very challenging like Ashtanga Yoga. Some are practiced in a heated room in sauna like conditions (Bikram). Some focus on precision and alignment (Iyengar). Others on a well balanced workout to prepare for meditation like the Himalayan Institute, Kripalu, and Sivananda styles. If you are interested in finding out more about the different styles, please visit http://www.texasyoga.com

What is Yoga / Who can do Yoga / Why / Choosing Style / Finding a Teacher / Learning from Books / Clothing / Preparations / Etiquette / Suggestions for Practicing

HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT TEACHER? Ask friends who are in similar physical shape as your self for recommendations. Call around to teachers and ask them to describe their class, or a typical student to you (average age, condition etc.) Do not tell them what you are looking for. Let them tell you what they offer. Check out web-pages if teachers have them. Ask to sit in on a class. Make sure you feel comfortable with the teacher before taking a class with them. Do not stay with the first teacher you try unless you absolutely love them and there class. Otherwise, I would suggest that you try several different teachers, talk to students after class and get recommendations from them, and then choose the class that best meets your needs. Do not be afraid to talk to a teacher after class to explain that the class does not meet your present needs and that you are looking for something easier or harder and ask them for a recommmendation. If you live in Texas, you can visit our on-line yoga teacher directory at: http://www.texasyoga.com

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LEARNING FROM BOOKS OR VIDEOS? Books and videos are great to supplement your yoga practice, but can never replace a good yoga teacher. Students who learn from a book or video with out ever working with a teacher, typically have poor alignment in poses which can go unnoticed for many years and lead to problems. Also it is common for these students to sacrifice their breathing, and strain to get into poses.

Books and videos as a supplement to working with a good teacher are fantastic, and I recommend them to any serious student or teacher of yoga. If you do not have access to a yoga teacher in your community, then learning from a book or video may be your only option, and I would not want to discourage you from proceeding, but please be careful not to do anything that makes you nervous, or is uncomfortable. If in doubt, stop doing a pose that you are concerned may not be good for you. You will find that you are almost always right about such things.

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WHAT DO I WEAR?

Clothing varies from studio to studio, but one thing they all have in common is that shoes and socks are left outside the studio. Yoga is practiced barefoot. Clothing should be comfortable and not restrict movement.

In my classes, all I ask is that you are comfortable in your cloths. Most students wear shorts and t-shirts, but this varies considerably from student to student.

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PREPARATIONS

CLASS ETIQUETTE

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SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING YOGA

When you are in a pose, it should feel comfortable and pleasant. Boring is fine. Pleasure is even better. Discomfort is not an option. If a pose is unpleasant, and you persist, you are no longer practicing yoga. You have crossed over into the world of self abuse. Ease up and relax and do not worry about the outward form of the pose. Modify your position in such a way that it is easy and comfortable, and then go just a little deeper. Be patient, and allow yoga to do its magic over a period of months and years.

If you experience any of the following signs, you are trying too hard.

If you experience any of these warning signs you are trying too hard. In this event, you are doing more harm than good and you should immediately ease back until the symptoms subside. Ahimsa (Nonviolence) must be practiced in regards to our own bodies as well as in relation to others. Try breathing into the area of your body being hardest worked in any pose. As you breath out, turn your awareness inward. Yoga is a feeling, a state of mind, Not simply the physical pose.

Personal progress should never be considered. Do not compare your self to others. Do not even compare your self to your own past performances, or expectations. Any comparison is an unnecessary and dangerous distraction. It is best not to think in terms of how far you are stretching, or twisting, or how long you are holding; simply be aware of your present capacity, and explore the boundaries of your present limitations.

Focus all of your energy into learning to enjoy the Asana itself so that you practice Yoga for the joy of practicing Yoga, and not for some imagined goal, whether it be health, relaxation, or whatever, they are all distractions that inhibit the practice of Yoga and thus interfere with their own fulfillment. Let them go! Surrender to each pose in turn. Concentrate on relaxing the muscles holding you back, not tightening those pulling you further into the pose. Move slowly, allowing the body time to adjust and stretch. If it feels good hold it, explore it, get as much out of it as possible, and then move on.

Always take a moment to consciously release the last pose before moving onto the next pose. If this cannot be done with a diaphragmatic breath, try a complete breath. If you are still holding tension from the last pose move into a resting pose until your body has forgotten and released the previous pose. If a pose feels awkward or painful circumvent it... move onto something else, use alternative poses to strengthen or loosen the area giving you problems and then later come back to the troublesome pose and try again. If you are still having problems let me know and we can discuss alternative strategies.

BEWARE! It is possible to mimic the outward shell of a pose, with out learning the inward communion with your own body that turns the pose into a joyous celebration of life.

Listen to your body and follow its lead. Enjoy, explore, modify and create your own poses. Your body knows better than anyone what it needs and what works for it at any given moment. Always keep your sights on cultivating the spirit of Yoga within yourself, not on trying to perfect a pose.

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