Today I’m in pain – a not inconsiderable amount of pain. And I blame yoga. Possibly soccer, but mainly yoga.

This week at Sunday night yin class, our instructor felt the need to focus on the upper leg and hip region. Despite it being slow, calm yoga, I found it intense. I was shaking and twitching embarrassingly with every pose. But – and here’s the part where I quote something trite about clouds and silver linings - I learned something out of the deal: I’m not flexible. Not at all. (more…)

In one of my recent blogs, I mentioned my frustration at having a new yoga instructor who just wasn’t doing it for me.

Well, yesterday evening I dragged myself to the recreation centre for my next class with her. I really wasn’t in the mood to go as I’d been so put off the last time, but I decided to give her another try. Maybe she’d been having an “off” day – we all have them sometimes. (more…)

Remember how we recently talked about how certain churches and schools will not allow yoga to be taught in their centers because they believe that yoga has certain spiritual aspects that contradict their religious practices?

Well, that issue is causing an ongoing debate in Malaysia, where clerics are discussing whether Muslims should be allowed to practice yoga. (more…)

Over the years, many of us have heard or read about certain school districts and religious organizations who have felt that yoga does not have a place in their institutions. Several yoga groups have even been banned from church recreation rooms and school campuses.

Recently, two high school teachers in Massena, New York, were challenged when they launched a voluntary yoga program for students. (more…)

“We welcome you to be here now. Take time to notice moments of stillness and silence.” This is part of Jonny Kest’s message welcoming everyone to the Southwest Yoga Conference. He continues by inviting visitors to “come join our community of yogis and an incredible faculty…it shall be joyful, as happiness only becomes real when it is shared.” (more…)

In Eagle Rock, a small neighborhood in Los Angeles, Amy Woodruff, who is of Chocktaw and Cherokee descent, has chosen to live life in a teepee. Amy was raised on a family farm in California and lived in New York for a few years, but she has no regrets about giving up the fast pace of that city to enjoy a tranquil life in her outdoor home.
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For some of us, spending time at the beach may involve just lying on a beach towel with a good book and some suntan lotion, or going for a stroll or a swim. But for the community at Silvershell Beach in Marion, MA, it means reaching for their yoga mats. (more…)

The Gwalior prison in India houses 3,000 female inmates, along with several children. The officials of the jail, recognizing that the ongoing negativity of the women was a problem, found a solution by putting into place a 45-day yoga program for the inmates.

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There is yoga for seniors, yoga for youth, yoga for athletes, and now yoga for board sports. Yoga for Surfers, a website specializing in producing DVDs on yoga for people involved in water-based sports, has now introduced Yoga for Board Sports, which offers yoga poses for flexibility and balance.
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The other day I was talking to some of my yoga students about connecting with the peace and strength within themselves, and one of them shared their frustration that, although they try so hard, all the noise from the outside world keeps distracting them. I found this a fascinating concept and it made me think about the manner in which many of us approach yoga and lead a spiritual life. (more…)

Posted on June 3rd, 2008 in Understanding Yoga, Yoga and Meditation