Living Yoga

Often I’m asked what kind of yoga I teach.  I trained in the Vinyasa style, which is the primary style taught in gyms for physical fitness.  It’s my favorite style to practice and, quite frankly, I wanted to get work teaching after I spent thousands on an instructor training so I chose Vinyasa.

The Yoga Alliance website has over 180 categories of yoga listed under their registered schools.  I counted 41 that had the word “vinyasa” in their name but many of the other styles are most likely variations on vinyasa.  And then there are all the styles not dealing with the physical practice but the spiritual side.

This can all seem very overwhelming when you’re trying to decide which yoga class for fitness would be right for you, so I’m going to break it down into just two basic categories.  All physical yoga classes are variants of two styles, Hatha and Vinyasa.

According to yoga.about.com Hatha yoga is defined as:

“…will likely be a slow-paced stretching class with some simple breathing exercises and perhaps seated meditation. This is a good place to learn basic poses, relaxation techniques, and become comfortable with yoga.”

And Vinyasa yoga is defined as:

“This style allows for a lot of variety, but will almost certainly include Sun Salutations. If your yoga class schedule lists a Vinyasa class, expect movement, not just stretching. Whether the class is fast or slow, includes chanting, or is very alignment-oriented will depend on the individual teacher. Some very popular yoga styles, such as Ashtanga and Power Yoga, make use of the Vinyasa method, but they will be listed on a class schedule by their individual names.”

With these definitions in mind…if you’re new to exercise, consider yourself to be out of shape, overweight, recovering from an injury, over 50 or would rather not sweat that much, Hatha is your style.

If you’re young, consider yourself fit, you want to sweat and move, Vinyasa is your style.

This will give you an idea of what to look for when checking out yoga classes.  Always ask what the classes are like and inform the instructors of any injuries or conditions you have.  Have fun!

Today at the gym a very fit woman came up to me after class and told me that she had seriously injured her back in a Bikram yoga class and asked my opinion regarding this style. In a previous blog post I talked about the precautions you should take before taking a hot yoga style class. My opinion is that I don’t think it’s the best thing for most people and that it’s extreme popularity is probably due to the “high” it creates when you’re in a freakin’ hot room. Devotees of hot yoga have even admitted to me that they do get a high from it. I can see the entire hot yoga industry getting heated about this (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun) but if you’re new to hot yoga you must take it with precaution.

Back to the woman with the back injury, I told her that she probably injured her back because her body wasn’t warmed up internally to prepare for the deeper stretches yet she felt warm and flexible because the room was so dang hot. This gave her body a false sense of flexibility and if she suddenly went into the wrong pose…crack! There goes the back. She even had to see a chiropractor about it.

My general advice when you take hot yoga is to always keep in mind how flexible your body is even if you’re feeling more open due to the heat. Go into stretches slowly. Drink lots of water. I also favor hot yoga classes where the room isn’t heated quite as high (a mere 95 degrees will do) and a little vinyasa flow is combined with it, this way your body can work it’s way into deeper stretches.

And I can’t say it enough times, if you get injured rest until your injury is completely healed so you can get back in action even stronger than before.

If you’re sitting at a desk all day it’s important to take breaks to stretch, especially for your shoulders.  In your chair you can do the simple stretch shown below.  If your fingertips don’t reach, use a shirt, belt or towel as a strap to get the hands closer together.  I recommend doing this stretch at least once a day to relieve tension in the upper back and shoulders.  Oh, and remember to do both sides.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Thanks to fitsugar.com for the photo.

Undo hunched over shoulders with these postures.

I want to clear up a misconception that most people have about flexibility and stretching.  Many have told me that they can’t, won’t, or refuse to do yoga because they just aren’t flexible enough to get into the stretches.  Hello?  If you were flexible “enough” already, then why would you need to even do stretching let alone practice yoga?  The purpose of stretching is just that, to stretch.  Not to make a pretty pose.

The reason that our muscles feel so tight and inflexible in stretches is because of tension compounded over a lifetime of mental and physical wear and tear.  The good news is that this tension can be undone and it probably will take less time to undo than it took to put all the tension there.

Here are the most important points to remember while doing a stretch:

Relax. I know it’s easier said than done but focusing on allowing the muscles to relax in a stretch will help increase flexibility.

Feel the stretch, don’t look at it. If you find yourself wondering why your forehead isn’t on your knee in a forward bend like the dancer next to you then look away, check in with the muscles you’re stretching, and only go into as far as you need to feel the stretch.  If it helps, close your eyes.

Breathe. In yoga relaxation is encouraged going into the stretch on the exhalation.  For example, in a forward bend the instructor might say, “Inhale let your spine be long, exhale fold forward into the stretch.”  Use the exhalation to help relax your mind as well in stretches.

Keeping in mind these three points during your yoga practice will make stretching more enjoyable and relaxing.

Last week somebody asked me why I referred to doing yoga as practicing.  Much like martial arts or playing a musical instrument every day, each time you engage in yoga it is a practice, constantly evolving and changing as your body and life goes through changes.  The purpose in yoga isn’t to work towards a certain level of achievement but to enjoy the art of practicing.

This brought me to revisit the Yoga Sutras from The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi.  Sutras 1.13 & 1.14 speak about practice (it refers to the spiritual side but this can also apply to the physical practice or anything you do).

“Devoted Practice cultivates the unfolding of consciousness.”

“Devoted Practice is nurtured by a sustained, steady rhythm and a dedicated heart.”

Making the time and scheduling important parts of your life like family time, exercising, date nights with your partner, eating a healthy meal can all be part of your devoted practice and sustained because you continue in it with a steady rhythm.  Taking this attitude of devoted practice into other areas of my life has really helped me to enjoy the journey, thus getting to more of my desired destinations without pushing and really appreciating it once I’m there.

So adopt the attitude of devoted practice with a sustained, steady rhythm and dedicated heart where you can and see your life unfold.

Hello Fall, goodbye my favorite season, Summer.  Sigh.  However, Fall is a great time to make new resolutions, set goals and move forward onto better and brighter things in life.  As the trees are letting go of their summer leaves, you can also let go of any doubt, fear, inhibitions or excuses you have about trying something new that you’ve always wanted to do.  Take that pottery class at night, write that novel, join a gym, date a different type of guy or try a different kind of yoga class in a different part of town.

Now that I think about it, some of the most important steps I made in my life happened during the fall: returning to college to study acting, taking yoga teacher training, teaching yoga classes on a regular basis, becoming a spin instructor and beginning my video podcast.  They were all scary in some way but I believe that the weather changing with fall beginning anew allowed me to feel that I can begin anew, too.

Without over thinking it, write down a list of things that you’d be doing if you didn’t have any excuses.  They can be anything from your wildest dreams, even if it seems impossible.  Pick one of those dreams and write down what you’d have to do to make it happen in little steps (ie, go online, look at the pottery class schedule, pick a class, register).

Then make it happen.  Happy first day of Fall!

Thanks to parkreports.com for the photo.

More yoga jokes for you courtesy of lucid-dreams.com.

A young woman who was worried about her habit of biting her fingernails down to the quick was advised by a friend to take up yoga. She did, and soon her fingernails were growing normally. Her friend asked her if yoga had totally cured her nervousness. “No,” she replied, “but now I can reach my toe-nails so I bite them instead.” –author unknown

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Q. How many Iyengar yogis does it take to replace a light bulb?
A. Only one !

BUT, they will need:
a sticky mat
a backless chair
two blocks
five blankets
a bolster
six ropes
two belts
six assorted benches
a bandage
a slant board
two quarter rounds
three weights
one wooden horse
a certificate

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An aspiring Yogi wanted to find a Guru. He went to an Ashram and his preceptor told him: You can stay here but we have one important rule - all students observe Mouna or vow of silence. You will be allowed to speak in 12 years. After practicing for 12 long years Yoga Asanas, Meditation, a lot of Karma Yoga, etc., the day came when the student could say his one thing or ask his one question.
He said: “The bed is too hard.”
He kept going for another 12 years of hard Sadhana and austere discipline and got the opportunity to speak again. He said: “The food is not good.”
Twelve more years of hard work and he got to speak again. Here are his words after 36 years of practice: “I quit.”
His Guru quickly answered: “Good, all you have been doing anyway is complaining.”

Deepen your breath capacity before you put on your running shoes with this breath exercise.

Most yoga practitioners that attend classes have a hard time practicing on their own at home without somebody telling them what to do. If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know that I highly encourage you to have a home practice outside of class.

On the other hand if you’re like me and have a daily home practice but rarely get the opportunity to go to classes, then get thee to a class! Home and in-class practices have different benefits and the benefit you may be missing out on at home is keeping your body and muscles on their toes. When you don’t know what comes next, your body will be surprised by it. Last Saturday I went to a yoga class that wasn’t particularly advanced yet I still found holding a high lunge challenging because I hadn’t planned on doing one that day and I didn’t know how long the instructor would keep us there. I actually broke out in a sweat!

Bottom line, if you’ve been spending too much mat time in your home, bring your mat and body to your favorite yoga studio or gym and enjoy.