Does Anyone Need Yoga?
Ask people why they practice yoga and you’ll hear a couple of recurring themes: To get more flexible To build, strength, flexibility and endurance To maintain a healthy lifestyle To reduce stress Yes, you’ll absolutely get those with the practice, but they are a gift with purchase. They are fringe benefits like the box…
10 Things Star Wars Can Teach You About Yoga
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens up December 18, and I’m beyond excited. Though camping out to be first in line was not an option for me, I have read several articles on why a film made almost 40 years ago, endures. [Quick note, among reviewers, and I agree, the favorite episode is “The Empire…
The 3 Greatest Myths of Yoga Teacher Training
Can you imagine yourself taking a teacher training? No. Perhaps that’s because you think it’s about teaching yoga. What if it was really about something else—about you? Here are the 3 greatest myths and misconceptions about teacher training. Myth #1 Teacher Training is About Teaching Yoga If you’ve practiced yoga for even a brief period of…
Yoga by the Numbers
10 Years to give the practice when learning 3 Years to practice with a teacher before doing your own home practice 1-2 Times to practice weekly, when first starting, to build strength and flexibility 20.8 Million Number of people who practice yoga in the United States 44.4 Percentage of Americans who aspire to try yoga…
Why Yoga Matters
The work of “going within” has tangible benefits in the “real world” because your life is a series of actions that are all based on something that occurs within you. [In the yoga context, all thoughts, words and actions are actions.] Your life is also a web of relationships. This is true even if…
Yoga Philosophy? Not in this class!
Recently I’ve taken a couple of classes from well-known studio chains—CorePower Yoga and Bikram Yoga. CorePower’s class I took because the bio of the teacher said she just completed her Master’s Degree in Vedic Science and is pursuing a PhD in Asian & Comparative Studies with emphases in Yoga Philosophy and Sanskrit. She also has…
The Physical Practice of Yoga is Only A Tool
When I first arrived on my mat years ago I knew nothing about yoga. This was before the boom of Yoga in America, let alone Sacramento Yoga. I went through the postures as the teacher presented them and did my best to keep up and “do yoga”. After all was said and done I felt…
Kate’s Response to the New York Times Article “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body”
On January 5, 2012, The New York Times published an article “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body.” You can read it by clicking here. It discusses yoga injuries and is presented by a noted science writer, Bill Broad, in a well regarded newspaper. If I didn’t know anything about yoga I might see the article…
How the King Of Pop Gets Me to My Mat
There’s an entire branch of psychology, Sports Psychology, devoted to sports and the study of those who exercise. A clarification here, yoga is NOT an exercise. The physical benefits are fringe benefits…they are not the main reason for the practice. However, here in the West we tend to lump yoga in with running, weight training…
How Often Should You Practice Yoga?
This would be a very short post if the answer were merely “every day”. It depends on what you mean by the question. Do you mean? How often should I take a yoga class? How often should I do the physical practice of yoga to get a benefit from it? If I practice more, will…