So you'd like to know about Yoga?

Because I've been practicing yoga for close to 10 years and many of my closest friends are yoga students or teachers, many reach out to me with questions.

I am BY NO MEANS an expert... but I can give a perspective based on my experience.

If you are brand spanking new to the practice, let's get a few things out of the way first.

1. Yoga is not a religion. - Many of us appreciate the spiritual qualities and history of a healthy yoga practice but some enjoy it for the physical aspect alone. That's okay. No one is going to brainwash you into believing what they believe. Unless you have the wrong teacher. (More on that later.)


2. Yoga doesn't mean you have to be flexible or bend into a pretzel. - There are some longtime yogis who still bend their knees when touching their toes and there are some who can go into the splits in their first class. Every BODY is different.


3. You decide what you want to take from yoga and what you want to leave behind. - One of the most awesome qualities of practicing yoga is allowing it to meet you where you are. It should not be a painful experience. Challenging? Yes. Painful. No.

Again, if you are new to yoga, I would advise starting slowly. Go online and look for local studios. Go visit a studio and see how you feel. When you decide to try a class, try a beginner, gentle or foundations class first. These classes are designed to give you a taste of yoga.

Remember: Be aware of how you feel.

The energy in the room will be perceptible to your body, spirit and mind. The teacher's voice and interaction with you and other students will also affect your experience. If you don't feel comfortable, try another teacher. Or try another studio. Don't just dismiss the practice because one experience didn't feel right.

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If you're too nervous to try a yoga studio, look into purchasing a yoga video. When I first began my yoga practice, I bought from Gaiam.

Some of my favorite beginner teachers were Rodney Yee and Patricia Walden. There are also videos by Trudie Styler now! (she's married to Sting.) Shiva Rea and Seane Corne are also great teachers.

Once you feel more comfortable with a video, you'll have a better idea of some of the cues the yoga teachers will use in a class. Then go and see if a class feels better for you.

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Regarding the style of yoga - there are many to choose from!

In Hatha Yoga, you learn the basics of each pose and hold them longer. It builds strength, body awareness AND patience. All yoga, at its foundation, is Hatha. (It's my favorite. You might even see it as Iyengar Yoga.)

Vinyasa incorporates these same poses but you'll move through them faster. It is very powerful but I'd start with Hatha to make sure you're doing each pose correctly before you begin moving from one to the next quickly.

Ashtanga is an even stronger Vinyasa practice. It may even be referred to as power yoga. This type of yoga is fun but takes a LOT of consistency and practice. Most Ashtanga practitioners (like Madonna & Sting) do it every day for an hour or two.

Bikram is yoga practiced in a heated room. Some people love it. I don't. Bikram incorporates the same 26 poses over and over again. I found it too stifling but others love that they don't have to think about where they're going next and they sweat A LOT. I find it too rigid for me.

Kundalini is really different and incorporates more chanting, chakra alignment and various yoga techniques.


Hope that helps! Remember, don't worry if one type of yoga, teacher or studio doesn't feel right to you. Listen to your body and see what feels good to you. Everyone is different!

Let me know if you have thoughts or questions!