The Present of Yoga in America
Teaching yoga, at its core, is an extension of the yoga teacher’s practice. So it is not surprising that many teachers focus mainly on yoga poses (asana). Many teachers come to yoga because of the physical practice. When they end up teaching other teachers, asana becomes even more firmly grounded in the American yoga. It’s a positive feedback loop. As for the fortune cookie spirituality, Americans love this. Look at all of the self-help books that water down complex topics of Buddhism, Jungian archetypes, and Christian doctrine to the “Top 5 things you click to read on...
read moreFive Ways to Develop a Personal Yoga Practice
In a previous post, we looked at the benefits of having a personal yoga practice. Here are 5 ways to start developing your own practice today. Find a yoga teacher The fastest way to a personal yoga practice is with the guidance of a yoga teacher. He can work with you to develop a sequence of poses, breathing and meditation that fits your needs, goals and restrictions (e.g. injuries). As you work more often with your teacher, he can adjust your practice to keep you progressing. If you attend a yoga studio, ask if the teachers offer private lessons. You can also find yoga teachers through...
read moreIsn’t Yoga Just Stretching?
When people find out that I’m a yoga teacher, they usually respond in one of two ways. “Wow, you must be pretty flexible,” or “I’ve never been good at stretching. Not like my daughter/friend/etc. who is super-bendy.” Yoga is often associated with stretching That makes sense, because when you watch people doing yoga, you see them stretching their muscles. Or maybe you’ve taken a yoga class and felt your back muscles or hamstrings stretch when you do a forward fold. But if yoga were just about stretching, then we’d give our yoga classes names like “The Hour of Hamstring Power” or “Brandi’s...
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Stop Waiting – Read the New Short Story Now
