As 2012 draws near, here's a bit of yoga advice from my soul to yours.
Be diligent. Put in the hard work. Be patient with your body and your mind. Trust that everything will come when you are ready. Not when you think you're ready, but when you're really ready. Never compare your practice to the practice of someone else. You don't know their story. Your practice is beautifully and uniquely yours, as is theirs. Don't be afraid to fall. Falling is how we learn. Get back up, and try again. Don't give yourself deadlines. Goals are great, timelines are not. If you want to touch your toes, practice that every day. Whether you get it in 6 days or 6 months is irrelevant. Don't wait until tomorrow. Do it now, because tomorrow you will wish you'd started today. Nix the word 'impossible' from your vocabulary. Whenever things seem that way, trust me, they're not. Stick with it. Do not give up. Whatever you do, do not give up. When you hit a plateau, keep going. When you face plant, keep going. When you finally 'get' a pose, keep going. Don't stop. Remember that you are amazing. You are light, you are love and you are strength. Everything you will ever need is already inside you. And when you start to doubt that, read this again. And again. And again. Yoga is not about balancing on your arms or putting your leg behind your head. Yoga is about the breath, and creating a deeper connection to your Self. The physical practice is beautiful, but what's really beautiful is what lies within.
LOVE.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
new playlist
- Thomas Newman: Any Other Name
- Jakatta: American Dream (Afterlife Remix)
- Y La Bamba: Juniper
- Apache Indian: Peace Offering (Om Namah Shivaya)
- Coldplay: Paradise
- Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright: Set Fire to the Third Bar
- Thievery Corporation: Doors Of Perception
- Thievery Corporation: Free
- Maria Rita: Menino do Rio
- The Decemberists: Clementine
- Bon Iver: Holocene
- Iron & Wine: The Sea and the Rhythym
- Claude Debussy: Clair de Lune
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
8 reasons to NOT do yoga
1. I'm not flexible. Please, please do not tell me you can't do yoga because you aren't flexible. True, some people are naturally blessed with flexibility, but most of us have had to work for it. I can remember a time before I started practicing yoga when I could not touch my toes.
2. Yoga is expensive. I get it. Yoga is not cheap! A typical drop-in rate at a studio is anywhere from $15-$25 per class, and let's be honest, most folks can't afford that. Purchasing class packs will save you some bucks, but they're still not cheap. Times are tough, and even an extra $50 each month can be too pricy for a lot of people, especially when yoga is typically viewed as a non-necessity.
Yogaglo (www.yogaglo.com) is a bargain at only $18 per month, and you have unlimited access to unlimited classes every month with amazing teachers. In fact, two of my most beloved teachers (Kathryn Budig & Tiffany Cruikshank) have tons of classes on there.
Look for donation-based studios in your community. Pay-what-you-can type studios are becoming quite popular. Also, many yoga studios offer 'Happy Hour Yoga' or 'Community Yoga' classes at a reduced rate ($8 seems to be the magic number). If you have a yoga teacher you already love, ask him/her if he/she might be interested in teaching a donation-based class for you and your friends on a weekly basis. In the summertime, I teach a weekly class in my friend's backyard and charge $5-$10. Now that it's cold out, we've moved our class into another friend's home. You and your teacher can work out something that suits you both. You get inexpensive yoga while they still make a decent hourly wage. It's a win-win, and I love my community yogis!
3. Yoga is for girls, I don't want to be the only man in class. Nope. So not true. I rarely teach a class to all women. Sometimes my classes are 50/50, and sometimes I even have more men show up than women.
4. I don't have a yoga mat or cute/matching yoga clothes. Let me tell you something. I got my first yoga mat for my 17th birthday, I still use it to this day, and it came from Target. It probably cost around $20. I also still own (and wear) one of my first pairs of yoga pants. They cost $29.50 (or 2 for $50) at Victoria's Secret. I've had them for nearly 10 years (another perk of a regular yoga practice is I still fit in pants I wore in high school!). Only in the last year have I splurged on some fancy shit from Lululemon, and you know what? My yoga isn't any better because of it. Places like Gap, Marshall's, Ross, Target and TJ Maxx all sell inexpensive but cute yoga gear. I understand the desire to look and feel cute on your mat, but don't think you need to drop $100 on pants in order to do so.
5. I'm overweight. I've heard this one before. "I want to lose weight before I start doing yoga." What?! Do it NOW! Why wait? Yoga is amazing for weight loss, for a number of reasons. Depending on the type of yoga you're doing, it can be quite the cardiovascular workout. You'll get your heart rate up and work up a sweat all while getting your OM on. Also, and most importantly, a regular yoga practice can lead to a change in lifestyle. Who wants to eat a cheeseburger right before yoga? Not me. And after you spend time being good to yourself on your mat, you're more likely to be good to yourself afterward as well.
Don't think that everyone in your class is going to have a "perfect", skinny yoga body, either. What is perfect, anyway? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and YOU are beautiful just as you are! If you need to modify postures because of your weight, don't feel bad. A good teacher will encourage you to modify as needed, and that same pose you just modified? Someone else modified it because they're inflexible, or lacking the strength, or any number of other reasons. People make modifications to suit their own bodies. No explanation needed.
6. I don't have the time. This is one of the most common excuses. It's right up there with the old "I'm not flexible" excuse. Want to know my answer to this one? Make time. Yes, make the time because you are worth it. Your yoga practice is not an indulgence, and you are not selfish for setting aside time to do it. I like to think of it like this- When I haven't practiced in a while, I am a real grump. However, when my practice is regular I feel more calm, more happy, and therefore I am more kind to others. So if you can't justify doing it for yourself, do it for those around you.
That being said, I know that people have lives. People have children, jobs, social commitments, etc. For someone with a 9-5 job and a couple of kids, I'm sure it can seem next to impossible to sneak away to get to a yoga class. In the morning, that person is getting their kids ready for school, they work all day and then come home to prepare dinner and spend quality time with their family. With most classes being between 60 and 90 minutes in length, plus time to get ready and drive to and from the class, it can take upwards of two hours out of your day to get your practice in. Here's another great reason to use Yogaglo. Not only is it cost effective, but you can take a class whenever you want (and wherever, as long as you can sign into your account). And beyond that even, you can select the duration of your practice as well. If you only have 10 minutes to spare, select a class that's only 10 minutes long. Classes range in duration from 5 minutes to 90 minutes. And 5 minutes of yoga is better than no yoga at all.
If you already have an established practice, perhaps you can just freestyle it! Do some sun salutations in your living room, stand on your head in your office, whatever time you have- use it! Don't let the fact that you only have 15 minutes stop you from getting your practice in.
DVDs are another great option. I love Kathryn Budig's 'Aim True' DVD and I picked it up at Target for $13. Do the whole thing if you have time, or just do one segment instead.
7. I've never taken yoga before and I don't want to look stupid. First off, you won't look stupid. Everyone in the class was new to yoga at some point. And second, nobody is watching you. Really! Most people are so focused on their own practice they couldn't think about what you're doing even if they wanted to.
8. If I only have an hour to work out, I'm going to hit the cardio machines or the weight room. Oh boy, have I heard this one a time or two! Yoga has the potential to be one of the greatest workouts around. For example, in a typical class, I incorporate upper body strength, endurance, balance, core, inversions, legs, deep stretching and breath. You may feel good when you walk out of the gym after your typical cardio routine, but after yoga you will feel calm and relaxed, yet invigorated, strong and energized. It's the best of both worlds. Yoga lengthens, stretches and tones the muscles while leaving you feeling peaceful and refreshed.
...So there you have it. Eight perfectly good reasons to not do yoga. And far many more why you should :)
2. Yoga is expensive. I get it. Yoga is not cheap! A typical drop-in rate at a studio is anywhere from $15-$25 per class, and let's be honest, most folks can't afford that. Purchasing class packs will save you some bucks, but they're still not cheap. Times are tough, and even an extra $50 each month can be too pricy for a lot of people, especially when yoga is typically viewed as a non-necessity.
Yogaglo (www.yogaglo.com) is a bargain at only $18 per month, and you have unlimited access to unlimited classes every month with amazing teachers. In fact, two of my most beloved teachers (Kathryn Budig & Tiffany Cruikshank) have tons of classes on there.
Look for donation-based studios in your community. Pay-what-you-can type studios are becoming quite popular. Also, many yoga studios offer 'Happy Hour Yoga' or 'Community Yoga' classes at a reduced rate ($8 seems to be the magic number). If you have a yoga teacher you already love, ask him/her if he/she might be interested in teaching a donation-based class for you and your friends on a weekly basis. In the summertime, I teach a weekly class in my friend's backyard and charge $5-$10. Now that it's cold out, we've moved our class into another friend's home. You and your teacher can work out something that suits you both. You get inexpensive yoga while they still make a decent hourly wage. It's a win-win, and I love my community yogis!
3. Yoga is for girls, I don't want to be the only man in class. Nope. So not true. I rarely teach a class to all women. Sometimes my classes are 50/50, and sometimes I even have more men show up than women.
4. I don't have a yoga mat or cute/matching yoga clothes. Let me tell you something. I got my first yoga mat for my 17th birthday, I still use it to this day, and it came from Target. It probably cost around $20. I also still own (and wear) one of my first pairs of yoga pants. They cost $29.50 (or 2 for $50) at Victoria's Secret. I've had them for nearly 10 years (another perk of a regular yoga practice is I still fit in pants I wore in high school!). Only in the last year have I splurged on some fancy shit from Lululemon, and you know what? My yoga isn't any better because of it. Places like Gap, Marshall's, Ross, Target and TJ Maxx all sell inexpensive but cute yoga gear. I understand the desire to look and feel cute on your mat, but don't think you need to drop $100 on pants in order to do so.
5. I'm overweight. I've heard this one before. "I want to lose weight before I start doing yoga." What?! Do it NOW! Why wait? Yoga is amazing for weight loss, for a number of reasons. Depending on the type of yoga you're doing, it can be quite the cardiovascular workout. You'll get your heart rate up and work up a sweat all while getting your OM on. Also, and most importantly, a regular yoga practice can lead to a change in lifestyle. Who wants to eat a cheeseburger right before yoga? Not me. And after you spend time being good to yourself on your mat, you're more likely to be good to yourself afterward as well.
Don't think that everyone in your class is going to have a "perfect", skinny yoga body, either. What is perfect, anyway? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and YOU are beautiful just as you are! If you need to modify postures because of your weight, don't feel bad. A good teacher will encourage you to modify as needed, and that same pose you just modified? Someone else modified it because they're inflexible, or lacking the strength, or any number of other reasons. People make modifications to suit their own bodies. No explanation needed.
6. I don't have the time. This is one of the most common excuses. It's right up there with the old "I'm not flexible" excuse. Want to know my answer to this one? Make time. Yes, make the time because you are worth it. Your yoga practice is not an indulgence, and you are not selfish for setting aside time to do it. I like to think of it like this- When I haven't practiced in a while, I am a real grump. However, when my practice is regular I feel more calm, more happy, and therefore I am more kind to others. So if you can't justify doing it for yourself, do it for those around you.
That being said, I know that people have lives. People have children, jobs, social commitments, etc. For someone with a 9-5 job and a couple of kids, I'm sure it can seem next to impossible to sneak away to get to a yoga class. In the morning, that person is getting their kids ready for school, they work all day and then come home to prepare dinner and spend quality time with their family. With most classes being between 60 and 90 minutes in length, plus time to get ready and drive to and from the class, it can take upwards of two hours out of your day to get your practice in. Here's another great reason to use Yogaglo. Not only is it cost effective, but you can take a class whenever you want (and wherever, as long as you can sign into your account). And beyond that even, you can select the duration of your practice as well. If you only have 10 minutes to spare, select a class that's only 10 minutes long. Classes range in duration from 5 minutes to 90 minutes. And 5 minutes of yoga is better than no yoga at all.
If you already have an established practice, perhaps you can just freestyle it! Do some sun salutations in your living room, stand on your head in your office, whatever time you have- use it! Don't let the fact that you only have 15 minutes stop you from getting your practice in.
DVDs are another great option. I love Kathryn Budig's 'Aim True' DVD and I picked it up at Target for $13. Do the whole thing if you have time, or just do one segment instead.
7. I've never taken yoga before and I don't want to look stupid. First off, you won't look stupid. Everyone in the class was new to yoga at some point. And second, nobody is watching you. Really! Most people are so focused on their own practice they couldn't think about what you're doing even if they wanted to.
8. If I only have an hour to work out, I'm going to hit the cardio machines or the weight room. Oh boy, have I heard this one a time or two! Yoga has the potential to be one of the greatest workouts around. For example, in a typical class, I incorporate upper body strength, endurance, balance, core, inversions, legs, deep stretching and breath. You may feel good when you walk out of the gym after your typical cardio routine, but after yoga you will feel calm and relaxed, yet invigorated, strong and energized. It's the best of both worlds. Yoga lengthens, stretches and tones the muscles while leaving you feeling peaceful and refreshed.
...So there you have it. Eight perfectly good reasons to not do yoga. And far many more why you should :)
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