by guest author Eve Grzybowski, Yoga Suits Her A colleague of mine says; "If you can breathe, you can do yoga." Is that really so? Given that there are hundreds and probably thousands of yoga postures and practices, how do you go about choosing classes? In today’s climate with its infinity of yoga styles, what is the best choice for you? “Well," ... as the great Indian teacher, T.K.V. Desikachar was fond of saying; “It depends.” The class you choose or the practice you do depends on variables … [Read more...]
An Overview of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga
This article is an edited extract from K-L's new book, The No-More-Excuses Guide to Yoga, from the section called Yoga History, Philosophy and Concepts. It's a huge topic area, but in seven chapters, there is a succinct overview of much of the territory you might come across in yoga class - including Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga. by Kara-Leah Grant, author of The No-More-Excuses Guide to Yoga One of the most famous of the yogic texts is The Yoga Sutras. These were either written by, or … [Read more...]
No More Dancers Doing Yoga on Youtube
In celebration of the launch of The No-More-Excuses Guide to Yoga, I’ve invited some friends and colleagues to write articles relating to the theme of the book’s subtitle: Because yoga is for every body. It’s one way of helping to smash the image and idea that you need to be thin, flexible, young and female to practice yoga - or that yoga has to involve advanced postures. Unfortunately, much of what we see in the media reflects this idea about yoga - something J.Brown discusses in this … [Read more...]
Launching a Foundational Guide to Yoga for Beginners and Beyond
Pre-orders now open. Shipping September 24. See below. by Kara-Leah Grant Cast your mind back to your very first yoga class. What did it take to get there? Did you have to overcome any fears or hesitancy? Were you nervous? Did a friend take you? Was it a great class - or a bad experience? Did you keep going to yoga, or did you walk away for a few weeks, or months, or years before finally going back? Did it take you a while to find the class and the teacher that was right for you? Most … [Read more...]
Are there Ethical Issues to Consider Before Teaching Family Members?
by Kelly Fisher, Urban Yoga Kelly is our resident yoga teacher mentor, answering questions from readers about how to teach and what to do when issues come up. You can email Kelly your question here. The Yoga Teacher’s Question: "I've got my RYT 200 and have been teaching once a week for about a year. I've got a family member who could benefit from some yoga. She is not able to attend classes because of physical limitations resulting from surgery and ongoing health conditions so I think … [Read more...]
Five Ways Yoga Improved My Body Image
By guest author Anna Guest-Jelley, Curvy Yoga When I began practicing yoga in the late '90s, it didn’t occur to me that yoga would have any impact on my body image. In fact, I wouldn’t have wanted that at the time because I was spending my days bouncing between diets, waiting for the day I’d finally have the perfect body I’d always wanted. Who needs a positive body image when they have the body of their dreams, right? Ha! What I got instead, much to my initial chagrin and later delight, was … [Read more...]
Ashtanga: Why it’s so Important to Trust the Process
by Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat One of the great gifts of sharing my internal processes of life so honestly on-line is that I learn from myself. Often, a few years after I’ve written an article, I will re-read it and see the illusions that I was labouring under at the time. Yes, the article is usually about an insight into a difficulty, but there is always another layer or level of illusion. Through re-reading my own articles I’m able to watch myself wake up and become more … [Read more...]
Because Yoga is for Every Body – Right? Not just the Young, Slim, Bendy and Gorgeous
by Kara-Leah Grant I'm casting my mind back to Auckland, New Zealand in 1995 and it seems a long, long time ago. I had just dropped out of my second year at Uni - ostensibly because back issues and serious sciatic pain made it impossible for me to sit for lectures, but there were other, deeper reasons too. (i.e. my habitual response when facing serious challenge - run!) Regardless, I was in chronic back pain. A good friend suggested we go and do a ten week beginners Iyengar yoga course that … [Read more...]
How Al Gore Shocked Me & What He’s Got to do with Yoga
by Lisa Wade I turned up to be transformed. To give my all to Al Gore’s Climate Reality leader’s training program that promised to take me from being a leader to an exceptional leader, all in the name of the environment. I was expecting slogans, fanfares and maybe a few cheerleaders. When Al Gore mentioned Ghandi I yawned, yep here comes the cliché machine, tick. Then he spoke of Satyagraha, truth force; “Ghandi said the greatest power in the world is truth”. I sat up because I’d … [Read more...]
Ashtanga: I Don’t Want to Break My Knees
by Kara-Leah Grant My knees ache. They have been since about April of this year - about three months into a regular Mysore-style Ashtanga practice, two or three times a week. I also do a regular home practice of vinyasa, prana-led asana (slow and steady), meditation and pranayama. I've been able to do Half Lotus for some years now, including Standing Bound Half Lotus (without the forward fold). I have never had any prior knee issues or pain. Although my grandmother (maternal side) and mother … [Read more...]