Are you new to yoga? Have you been going to a yoga class, but find that you experience persistent or even increasing pain? Have you had a bad experience with a particular teacher who either gave you an adjustment that didn’t feel right, or were being told to put yourself in a pose that you were not ready for?

If yes is your answer to any of the above questions, then let me tell you that you are not alone. Many people get injured when they start a work-out routine, and often people get injured during yoga. Sometimes a teacher is to blame, but sometimes it’s your ego that may send you to your doctor.

Yoga has many wonderful healing benefits, but there are also many different kinds of classes, all with different levels. It’s important to know which style and level will be right for you. So, here are some good rules of thumb to follow:

1) Ask yourself when the last time you exercised was – Your activity level DOES MATTER. Now, be honest. You know how many fitness classes or programs come with the disclaimer: “Please check with your physician before starting any physical fitness program”? Take this into consideration. IF you haven’t exercised in 3 years, maybe hopping into that power Vinyasa class is not going to serve you well. I know it’s not how old you are, it’s how old you feel. But when it comes to exercise, it doesn’t matter how old you are – you definitely need to check with your physician before starting a fitness program, yoga or otherwise.

2) Research classes, to find one that’s right for you – When you do get the green light from your doctor, find a class that will be appropriate for your age and fitness level. Perhaps a restorative class might be just the ticket to start you off on the right foot. Research and find studios near you that you are interested in and call them up. Find out what their classes are like.

Remember that a “beginner’s” level class may have a lot of sun salutations which are far from “beginner”, but are part of the beginning series in most forms of yoga. Studios all have different ways of naming the “levels” of their classes, so ask around. Also, it may benefit you to look into a beginners workshop or private lessons before you jump into a group setting.

3) Are you heading into a more traditional yoga class? If so, be careful with your body. Traditionally, yoga follows the 8-limbed path of Astanga yoga. Yogis would very often live and work with their gurus, living a very strict and disciplined lifestyle. Yoga masters focus more on the subtle body, than on correcting asana in the classes. When a traditional style class is offered, the gurus who teach, will not spend time on proper bio-mechanical alignment. This is usually because the yogis who come to these classes have been practicing for a very long time and know what they are in for.

4) Check your ego at the door. Have you ever been in class and suddenly felt terrible about yourself because you couldn’t get your body into all the crazy asanas that your fellow yogis were doing? That’s the ego talking, and you need to let that GO! Be where you are in your practice. Be sure to pace yourself in the class and take appropriate breaks. You could be in savasana the whole time and it’s still yoga! That’s why it’s called a practice. With time, you will get there, but be kind to your body in the meantime. We all started out as beginners.

5) Are you injured? New to class? Pregnant? SPEAK UP! Please let your teacher know if you are dealing with any injuries or if you are new to the practice. You may feel it’s not any of the teacher’s business to know what you are going through, but it’s important for them to know so that they can offer you modifications or adjustments to make in your practice that will accommodate your needs.

6) Listen to the alignment cues being given by the teacher. I remember when I first started practicing yoga, for the first 3 months, I don’t think I actually LISTENED to any of the subtle alignment cueing that was being given by the teacher. Especially if you are new to yoga, try to keep an ear open to these alignment cues. Very often it’s these little cues that are there to help you put your body in the safest version of the pose. Remember to ask questions, if not during, after class. The teacher is there to help!

7) Ask if a studio has a free first-timers or introductory special. Not sure which studio to practice at? Very often studios have introductory specials for new students. Sometimes you can get one free class, or a week of unlimited classes for $25. There is also a yoga pass-book which has free passes to many of the top yoga studios in the New York and surrounding area. Check out the studios that you are interested in first before signing on the dotted line. This will help you find a place that you really like.

Have a safe and happy practice!

Namaste

Written by Jim Catapano

Made by Bo Chang

Starring

Kristin Auble

Jim Catapano

Molly Drummond

Deb Radloff

With Special Thanks to

Shelly Watson

Sonic Yoga

By Deb Radloff

Bo and I had the great pleasure of a veggie-filled evening in the beautiful Peter Max studio, where the beaming Victoria Moran (author, life-coach, animal lover, activist, and avid yogi) was having her book re-release party for The Love-Powered Diet, a book that has been published, and printed twice before, each time coming back because people needed the message in the book. The book comes from Victoria’s own experience with over-eating and yo-yo dieting at a young age, using food as comfort and therefore consuming to excesses. This book  will help anyone  to make peace with food and the wonderful bodies that we were all given. Moran has combined the tested principles of the Twelve Step program and applied them seamlessly to helping find a new way of life with food. More importantly, her book combines many of the principles of Yoga Yamas and Niyamas.  Particularly the Yama-Brahmacharya: Self-restraint, and the Niyama-Santosha: Contentment.  Victoria herself, is a gem to behold. A pure, happy woman; indeed living a well-deserved charmed life.

What’s more is that all of the book sales from her opening party were donated to help bring plant based foods to NYC school lunch-rooms. Bo and I bought our books and we are eager to start on our way to a love-powered life!

In fact, I will check back with a personal live-journal as I read and apply the principles in The Love-Powered Diet! Victoria Moran writes for Beliefnet.com, and you can check out her blog here:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/yourcharmedlife/

Check-out her site today: http://www.victoriamoran.com

Kofi Busia Iyengar Workshop

YogaWorks Downtown NYC

138 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor

www.yogaworks.com

A weekend of Iyengar workshop with my teacher’s teacher sounded good to me until I was in Dandasana again. My legs were about to detach themselves from my torso and stomp out of the studio on their own. My entire body started to shake and tears welled up. Oh, for the love of Krishna, I’m sitting. SITTING!

YogaWorks invited Kofi Busia for 8 hours of workshops over 3 days at the end of May at its downtown NYC location. Kofi is…well, one could say a master teacher of Iyengar yoga and a teacher to many amazing teachers. Yes, that’s all true, but he’s so cool and super-awesome I feel like I need to express it in a different way, for instance, with a whole new dedication asana, an interpretive dance or a 15-minute levitation.

There were no new cool party tricks or any bad-ass Cirque du Soleil handstand sequences. No music, no nice-smelling incense, no new age stuff. He showed up in street clothing (button down shirt, sweater, coat…in late May!), told us his name is Kofi and went on to blow our tiny little minds.

A large majority of the class consisted of experienced Iyengar practitioners and teachers so everyone pretty much knew the asanas, prop usage and modifications. Kofi didn’t take us into 5 gazillion poses, nor did he adjust every little thing. He called out the asanas and told us stories while we held them for a really, really long time. Trust me. Even the easiest pose becomes an epic psycho-physical battle if you hold it long enough.

Oh the stories! First, they make no sense. He talked about tree bark, bass guitars, jazz, relationship dilemas, an old English actress, more tree bark, basketball, John Adams, Wealth of Nation, and on and on (oh, and shared his crazy amazing knowledge in isolation of muscles, bones and ligaments and some sick level of understanding in human kinesics). I mean, the man’s got some great stories! Hilarious! Then the realization set in – his stories are his teachings, his wisdom.

Vrksasana

You know what I learned while sweating in Dandasana and listening to these stories? I learned that I must look deep within myself to understand why I practice asana, how to become a better person through it and how a teacher must truly observe each student with clear eyes and mind in order to help in any meaningful way. No joke. I didn’t know I could get choked up and belly-laugh at the same time listening to someone talk about tree bark while standing in Tree Pose (Vrksasana).

I wish I could tell everyone to go check out his next workshop, but alas, he is rarely in town. He lives and teaches in Santa Cruz. But if he’s anywhere near where you’re going to be, cancel whatever silliness you’re supposed to show up to and go take his classes instead. I think I’ll start saving money to go to California.

Check out Kofi at www.kofibusia.com.

By Deborah Radloff

Swami Dada with Deb and Jim of Bite Size Yoga

When those of us in the yoga world think of Gurus, we think of the great yoga teachers: Satchidananda, T. Krishnamacharya, Dharma Mittra, B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and the list goes on. However spiritual teachers like Dada J.P. Vaswani, offer an insight to the other limbs of yoga that we westerners often ignore: spirituality and connecting to the lord. Dada J.P. Vaswani speaks universally to all religions. He believes love in God (whatever god that may be) is the most important thing, the rest is just detail.

We all know Swami Satchidananda from the yoga sutras. I met with Dada J.P. Vaswani (whose uncle, the revered Sadhu Vaswani, was dear friends with Swami Satchidananda). Dada has carried out the spiritual teachings of his uncle, and created centers in his honor all over the world. Meeting this young 91-year-old is looking into the face of pure happiness, or as Dada says, “happiness incarnate”.

Dada met with a crowd of yogis and spiritual devotees alike at Integral Yoga on Friday, May 15th to discuss and share his wisdom on spirituality, and finding ways to our own personal happiness.

Being a yoga instructor, and lover of yoga myself, I enjoyed what Dada had to say in response to how we westerners view yoga. Dada had this to say:

“There is an over-empasis on asana and pranayama. Patanjali’s Ashtanga yoga is an 8-limbed path. One limb leads to the other. When you have moved on to the next step, you do not need the one before.”

Dada brought joy to me when I saw him, and I know he is such a great inspiration to the many who love him and follow his teachings. He is humble and beautiful.  Here is what he had to say to some of my questions, and the questions of yogis around me:

Q: What is the quickest way to become enlightened?

Dada: The quickest way to become enlightened is to not worry about becoming enlightened.

Q: Is there any right age to start meditation?

Dada: In the womb. It’s the best place to meditate. If only we could re-create the circumstances!

Q: Our site is interested in promoting yoga as a way to laugh and enjoy each moment and to be light hearted. What brings you joy & laughter?

Dada: Being here, with all of you.

Q: It is often hard for us as people to deal with terrible happenings in our life. What should we do to help cope?

Dada: Change your perspective. This is Karma. Be happy, your load is lighter. With every bad action be grateful, it’s free laundry.

Q: If you could leave the westerners with one lesson, What would it be?

Dada: To this class- Be firm in your practice. To the rest of America: Slow down.

Dada added after this last question: “Except the althletes. I don’t want athletes to slow down their pace. Be still in the mind.”

Dada was a delight to behold. He spoke of Karma yoga ( the yoga of action), Raja Yoga (the yoga of wisdom), and Bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion). Dada has the most beautiful Bhakti yoga practice that I have ever seen.

Due to my (hopefully soon to be history) current career in advertising, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make my date with Dada at IYI. I am so grateful that I did, because it was an honor and a privilege to be in his presence and have my question answered by him. I was particularly curious about Dada’s view of Yoga in the Western World, which had picked up on limb 3–Asana–and turned “Yoga” into merely a way to achieve physical beauty and fitness. I myself am just as guilty with getting carried away with this and getting stuck on the 3rd step of an 8 step staircase, as Dada explained. Later visits to see Dharma Mittra and other teachers at the Yoga Journal Conference rammed this home for me; it’s as if the Universe was reminding me to mind my Yamas and Niyamas.

Dada, at 91, was the youngest and most cheerful presence in the room. The closer you get to enlightenment, the cuter you become! His answers to our questions made me smack myself in the head and go “of course!” But there’s something special about hearing those answers straight from a Guru. “I can see God more clearly than I can see you,” said Dada to a student desperate to see his creator, and like most of us, has forgotten that God can be seen in everything. Most of the questions were about God, happiness and purpose; Dada explained that we can find our life’s meaning “in the silence.” We can find our answers by meditating every day—Dada suggests 3 hours, again, another reason to give up the day job!

Have you recently found yourself fretting over which yoga outfit you’re going to wear to practice, how your pants make your butt look in down dog, or if your favorite mala brings out your eyes, or just makes you look fat?  You’re not alone- you have a yoga crush… who hasn’t?  And probably, not just with any yogi, but with your favorite yoga teacher!  Never fear, the dating guru is here!  People often say to me, “Dayle, how can you give yogi’s dating advice?  You don’t have any trouble, after all you’re so attractive!” And while this is certainly true, I have also had my struggles finding love in the yo-mantic world like many of you… Because you see in yoga, as hard as this is to believe, looks don’t matter!  No matter how hot you are, like me, yogis often look much deeper, so we can’t just fall back on our pouty lips and flirting lashes… in yoga, we must be AGGRESSIVE! !  As a yoga teacher myself, I will now divulge the best ways to get and keep your instructors attention:

1. Keep eye contact with the instructor.  Nothing is more important in developing a relationship than establishing intense bedroom eyes, early in class. When most other yogis’ are closing their eyes, listening to their breath and clearing their heads, you have a unique opportunity to probe the instructor with your eyes. Take advantage, Yogi!  Your teacher will automatically feel compelled to give you more attention thinking you are new to the practice and most likely gravitate towards you in case you need more clarifying later on in the class! Also, don’t forget to smile- you wouldn’t want to come across as creepy this early in the class!
2. Ask questions! Don’t be afraid to ask what you want to know- for example being adjusted in a hip opening pose say, ” I wish I could take you home with me! I bet your lover has really open hips, with someone like you around all the time to assist them!” With statements like this you encourage dialogue, show you re interested and also learn if the object of your affection is worth meditating over or if you should move on to the next available, more open hearted yogi!
3. Demand their attention and be vocal.  If you are new to yoga this will be easy, but if you’ve been practicing for a while then you simply need to adjust your practice.  For example in ardha chandrasana (half moon pose, see below) purposefully close your top hip, pay no attention to your crush’s cues to open it and encourage them to physically adjust you! When getting adjusted physically by your instructor let them know you like it when they touch you!  This can be done with small little sighs or even full blown groans… Nothing is too much- it’s yoga after all. 
4. If everything is going well, or even as a last ditch effort- there is one final tip- when relaxing in savasana while your teacher is giving you the final assists, which normally include pressing the shoulders away from the ears, massaging of the marma points of the head and perhaps a little neck massage, make your move!  By using the element of surprise, snap your eyes open before they move onto the next yogi, grab their head and show them your best lip lock-asana!

[Bite Size Disclaimer: Dude, we're not responsible for what happens to you if you actually follow Dayle's advice. Uh, good luck in the county jail.]

Ardha Chandrasana, aka Half Moon Pose