Tag: vinyasa

The Power of Shared Practice: Yoga in Community

I was once intimidated by yoga classes, relying on DVDs for the first decade of my vinyasa practice. It wasn’t until my 30s that I joined a yoga class, and everything changed. I took my first regular yoga classes at the gym (something I took for Lent one year) and I first experienced how we were united in breath and movement. This shared practice not only brought me closer to others in the room but began to reveal something deeper.

Awakening Body Awareness

Yoga Studios Shouldn’t Have Mirrors. And, for that matter, you probably shouldn’t compulsively make videos of yourself doing yoga. I will admit that when I edit my videos each week, I pay attention to some of the good stuff (alignment, posture, tension) but mostly notice the stuff that shouldn’t matter (my bald spot, my love […]

Can Yoga Build Muscle?

Yoga is good exercise, but practicing yoga only to get physically stronger is a little bit like taking a Formula I race car to the Piggly Wiggly or slicing bread with a hacksaw. Sure, it can do the job, but is it the best tool?

Flexibility is More than Open Hips

Tell someone you’re a yoga teacher, and they’ll tell you they can’t touch their toes. I’m not sure when touching one’s toes became all that important, but it seems like a lot of people consider it a barrier to entry if they want to practice yoga. So let’s climb that barrier… Tight hips and hamstrings […]

Dhyana

We have spent the last couple of months systematically working our way through the eight limbs. Slowly and effortfully trying to concentrate. Getting our minds under control, only to arrive at the penultimate sutra which, essentially, is to stop thinking. It makes sense. After all, the goal of meditation is to live in the space […]