We began the year building the 1st Virtual World Yoga Conference in 93 days. Yes, that was quite the whirlwind. Then we had to spend time in post-production, rebalancing ourselves from all the wonderful but swift flow.

In June, we began inviting speakers for the next conference, scheduled for February 2011. So it has been a flurry of movement that has not stopped. . . not even a pause.

Some have asked why we are working so hard and for so long?

My answer is the same every time – because it’s such an honour to have created the platform for the masters, experts, and professionals of all these modalities to come together to share their expertise and their experiences. It’s like being in a room where every wall is vibrating with energy and wisdom.

The most important piece to all this gathering is creating the space, the HUB for others to join us in sharing these vibrations. It’s offering the opportunity for everyone to learn and experience for themselves the different dimensions of awareness and consciousness in finding balance.

Tags: virtual conference, health conference, teleconference, annual conference, wellness conference, teleseminar, yoga conference

All definitions and explanations are sadly lacking. They are mere shadows of the actual sensations.

You could try defining the wind by explaining what it does – such as how the wind moves the hair off the nape of your neck, how it feels like light feathers brushing across your skin, or how it makes you happy on a hot summer day or scared during a violent thunder storm. The wind’s effect gives us a better sense of how wind works in the world, and is certainly much more revealing than the definition you’ll find in the dictionary: “current of air.”

Defining yoga is a lot like defining the wind: It’s much more effective to communicate the effects than to nail down a concrete definition. But even beyond describing the mental, physical, and spiritual effects of yoga, the best way to really know “yoga” intimately is to experience it for yourself.

Wikipedia defines Yoga as “a healing system of theory and practice. It is a combination of breathing exercises, physical postures, and meditation that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years.”

Like defining the wind, that definition of yoga leaves me uninspired and tired.

For some reason, we’re always trying to define yoga. Maybe we think a definition will somehow validate or codify the experience of yoga. But capturing the wind, or yoga, within the confines of a definition does the experience an injustice. Definitions, by the very nature of the defining act, exclude. Yoga and meditation, on the other hand – like the wind, the sun, the moon — are completely inclusive.

If you want to experience wind, go to where the wind usually shows up, like a mountaintop or the ocean. If you want to experience yoga, then practice asana, explore breathing techniques, or chant a mantra.

Yoga is to be experienced, not defined.

I’ve noticed anytime I have had a profound yogic experience, my ability to wrap words around it makes the experience slip away. The mere act of trying to put what is beyond words into the confines of words diminishes the memory of the experience. But if I just remember the experience, without needing to capture a definition, the memory comes alive.

That’s why the definition of yoga is such a trap. Each person brings their own concept to defining an individual experience of wholeness (and yes, even that word “wholeness” is a trap.) Thousands of years ago, someone pulled out that Sanskrit word “yoga” (which means “to yoke” or to “to unite”) and said “this is what we’ll call this practice.”

Since we haven’t figured out yet how to communicate telepathically, we’re stuck with words. Let the words and the definitions of others be an open invitation to your own inquiry. What is yoga for you?

Tags: definition of yoga, what is yoga, what does yoga do to me, benefit of yoga, yoga practice

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.

Being a clever and occasionally observant individual, it occurred to me early on that this might be the sad case. It was the beginning of class, I remember, and we were sitting on the floor with our legs spread out as wide as they could comfortably go (slightly more than shoulder-width for me). Then, with our palms on the floor, we had to lean forward from the hip to deepen the stretch. Despite already straining against sitting like this, I attempted to lean. And nothing happened. I stayed upright, torso refusing to lower any further, hips and back launching an immediate protest. So I stayed incongruously upright, shoulders and spine inelegantly curved towards the ground in the closest approximation of the pose that I could muster. And I stayed there for three minutes.

The rest of the session proceeded in a remarkably similar manner. A pose would be described and demonstrated and, with clockwork regularity, I would fail to accomplish anything even remotely resembling proper form.

The real problem, though, was that I was trying – I mean really straining to get it. Bad idea, I know, but I couldn’t even get close to the pose. I was falling drastically short of even the lower limits of flexibility. But I stubbornly felt obligated to do the poses properly.

The upshot is I’ve injured myself now, so lesson learned. I’m not flexible and I’m paying the price for trying too hard.

Tags: injuring self, trying too hard, straining, yoga pain, yin yoga

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.

When I arrived at class, the first thing I noticed was that it was only half full, compared to the week before when we’d had a good turnout. Oops – not a good sign for the instructor. Where was she, by the way? While waiting for her to show up, the few of us who were there rolled out our mats, settled ourselves down and started to do some breathing exercises to cleanse our minds. I’d had a particularly stressful week, so it was good to have a few minutes to regain my equilibrium and composure.

That equilibrium was sorely tested when the instructor breezed in, threw down her mat and shattered the peace by proclaiming loudly “Hey, I’m a few minutes’ late (ten minutes, actually, but who’s counting) but you know how it is”! And that was it by way of apology.

She watched us for a couple of minutes and then said “Right, you had a few minutes to get yourselves together; now, let’s get on with it!” So, exchanging glances of trepidation, we dutifully stood up, prepared for the worst.

But she surprised us. She lowered her voice to a soothing tone and started taking us through some poses, explaining them as we went along. She also walked around the class, correcting a pose here and there.  She didn’t push us but instead offered encouragement, which perked us all up. When she gave one of the women a high-five for mastering the tree pose, which the woman had been unable to do the week before, I decided then and there that the instructor had sent her “good” twin to teach us this week!

By the end of the class, we all felt relaxed and energized at the same time. I was curious to find out what had caused this sudden (and welcome) change in the instructor’s attitude, so I stayed behind to have a chat with her. I wasn’t quite sure how to start the conversation, though, so I was pleasantly surprised when she approached me with a smile and said “Big difference, huh”? She then went on to say that initially she’d felt hurt last week, feeling that we’d “ganged up” on her. But after a day or so, she started thinking about what we’d said and decided to put aside her ego and take our words as constructive criticism. I told her I was really impressed that she’d been able to do so and had really enjoyed her class this time.

As I was leaving, she called out “See you next week” – and you know, I think I will.

Tags: new yoga instructor, second chance, encouragement from teacher, egos, change of attitude

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

Since Yoga has its roots in Hinduism, many Muslims feel strongly that it violates their beliefs, while others feel that this reaction is due to ignorance of what the practice of yoga really encompasses.

Discussions about yoga and religion can often lead to heated debates and opposing viewpoints, so naturally many individuals are weighing in with their differing opinions.

On the one hand, we have the opinion of Zakaria Stapa, a professor at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Islamic Studies Centre, who states, “I do not understand why Muslims would want to practice yoga for the purpose of finding serenity when Islam, through its teachings, enables its followers to do just that.”

Then we have the opinion of social activist Marina Mahathir, who writes in her blog, “Yoga may have spiritual roots but most of us do it for the exercise, both for the mind and body.”

The National Fatwa Council has conducted an in-depth study on this issue and, although a ruling has recently been made, it has yet to be officially released because the Council chairman is still analyzing the draft.

Whatever the ruling is, this sensitive issue is bound to generate further discussion from both sides.

Do your religious beliefs affect how you view or practice yoga?

For a more detailed account of this current debate, refer to the following websites: Yoga for Muslims

Tags: religious and yoga, Hinduism, Muslims, religious conflict with yoga practice

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

Concerned parents objected to the class, complaining to the Massena Superintendent that the practice of yoga “would promote Hinduism and violate the separation of church and state.”

Rather than removing the class entirely, however, the Superintendent and parents compromised by agreeing to let the program proceed under the new name “Raider Relaxation” (“raider” being the school’s mascot). Although the class will no longer be referred to as a yoga class, it will continue to provide the same exercises, such as stress relief and relaxation techniques.

In addition to the in-class program, an after-school club will be formed to offer students an opportunity to explore other facets of yoga and gain a better understanding of its benefits.

Board of Education President Julie Reagan says that the Board supports yoga and relaxation techniques for students, confirming that “one hundred schools in 26 states use yoga in the classroom to relieve stress”.

To read the full article on Massena’s new “Raider Relaxation” class, check out www.watertowndailytimes.com.

Tags: relaxation, kids and yoga, stress relief, concentration, breathing technique

The conference, which will take place in Austin, Texas from October 23rd to 26th, will offer an extensive list of yoga experiences. Each day there will be opportunities to engage in three different workshops and a selection of special events with the nation’s leading yoga teachers and practitioners. There will be many workshops to choose from, with topics ranging from Lilias Folan’s “Reawaken Yoga in Midlife” and Gary Kraftsow’s “Yoga for Emotional Health: Anxiety and Depression” to Jonny Kest’s “Beautiful Mind, Beautiful Body ~ Vinyasa Rasayana Experience.”

With 50 workshops, daily special events, selected intensive sessions, and teacher training programs, this conference will be a unique opportunity for individuals who want to deepen, renew or refresh their yoga practice.

For more information on this year’s Southwest Yoga Conference, check out www.southwestyoga.com. You will also be able to register for the workshops and special events at this website.

Tags: southwest yoga conference, workshop, teacher training, yoga in texas

An artist and a naturalist, Amy has found a renewed spirit by making the airy 16- foot diameter teepee her home. “It is really special to be able to see the stars at night through the top hole, and to be able to hear birds in the morning,” she says.

Amy recently began taking Kundalini yoga classes five times a week from the renowned Golden Bridge Yoga Studio in Hollywood. She reflects that “You really begin to find out who you are when you do yoga, and things from the past come up when you are working on your self.” This newly found sense of self has inspired her to learn more about her heritage, which is reflected in the Native American-inspired jewelry that she creates and sells in selected stores, as well as online.

Choosing to live in a teepee also allows Amy to fold up her home and head out on the road to explore new open lands. She is currently enjoying travels through Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon, while taking time to share Kundalini yoga with her fellow travelers.

Tags: Amy Woodruff, Kundalini , living in a teepee, Chocktaw and Cherokee heritage, self-awareness, spirit of yoga

Tim Donohue, a certified instructor and founder of the Yoga Kids program in New Bedford, began these outdoor yoga classes at Silvershell Beach two years ago. Since then, he’s found that the classes have attracted a wide range of students – from seniors to small children. No matter what age his students are, though, they all enjoy the summer yoga beach sessions.

Tim continually encourages and reassures his students, telling them “People should not be intimidated. Yoga is not about some guy with a beard putting his ankle behind his head. We want people to relate to it in their regular lives so we stress the breathing part of it and…accepting where you are.”

Yoga Beach classes are currently being offered at 8 am every Tuesday and Thursday during the months of July and August, for a drop-in fee of only $10 a class.

So if you live in the area, why not take a stroll to Silvershell Beach on a Tuesday or Thursday to try out Tim Donohue’s Yoga Beach classes?

Tags: yoga beach, outdoor yoga, practice yoga on the beach, practice yoga outside, silvershell beach, yoga kids program

With this program, the authorities hope “to motivate them to develop a positive outlook.” In addition to teaching the women the practice of yoga, the program provides an environment of healthy values and gives the women an opportunity to develop skills that will help them in society once they leave the prison.

Only 40 women of the 3,000 that are housed at the Gwalior jail were selected to participate in this unique pilot yoga camp. Along with exercises that promote calmness and spiritual guidance, the authorities are providing yoga instruction training. As one inmate says “We have been taught many things which benefited us. Our time has even passed in a good way. We enjoyed it. Earlier we had various problems but now they all are cured.” The women are being encouraged to look at yoga as a means of employment at the end of their term in jail.

Initial results of this program have been so positive that authorities intend to incorporate yoga practice into a daily routine for themselves as well as the inmates.