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

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.

First, Miss Bite Size would like to clarify this: When folks talk about ashtanga yoga, they may not be talking about the same thing!

When you go to practice Ashtanga on a mat in a studio or a gym, you’re practicing Pattabhi Jois’s system of Ashtanga Yoga, a school of Vinyasa Yoga. It’s a specific school of physical practice (an awesome, challenging and beautiful one).

The ashtanga I’m talking about here translates as “eight limbs” and comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. One diligently practices ashtanga yoga in hope of  achieving a steady, unwavering control of mind.

As quickly discussed in the definition of asana, there are eight limbs one practices. The first are the yamas. There are various numbers of yamas depending on the scripture, but Patanjali prescribes five. One can look at the yamas as the commandments for one’s behavior toward others:

Ahimsa: non-violence. A yogi must not harm or injure living things. This is where the whole vegetarian thing fits in (which shall be discussed ad naseum on this site – trust me). But it’s not just limited to sporting a vegan diet – that would be missing the wider picture. We’re talking about non-violence in one’s words, deeds and thoughts, not just to others but to oneself. A-ha! Now it gets complicated and all Freudian. Awesome.

Satya: truth. Don’t lie. Tell the truth. We all know how hard this is. Who among us mortals only speaks the absolute truth? Not even a little white lie to be polite in public? Liar.

Asteya: no coveting. If it’s not yours, then it’s not yours. Don’t bother thinking about it. It’s only going to disturb your mind. Pretty straight forward, no?

Brahmacharya: abstinence. That’s right. No sex. In today’s Western world, this isn’t exactly applicable to the fullest extent. We also note that most of the gurus we know of were/are married with children. Miss Bite Size has learned from her teachers that basically one must avoid being a total ho and find joy in a meaning partnership. Reasonable, no? Afterall, we’re trying to quiet our minds. Sex, lust, love, relationship dramas all tend to work against that.

Aparigraha: no possessiveness. Don’t grab. Don’t hold on to things. Didn’t your mommy teach you to share? Well, it’s not just about your Barbies. We don’t like to let things, people, emotions go. We define ourselves with what we hold on to. Think about it. Do you want to do that?

Well, guess what? It’s only the first of eight limbs! Better practice.

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!

As a follow-up to last month’s article on Asana Etiquette, here is a supplement list of things you absolutely should NOT ever do.

DO NOT:

- Suck your thumb during Happy Baby Pose

Not a therapy session!

- Scratch your behind and munch on a banana during Hanumanasana

Please, don't pick it.

- Use Forward Fold as an opportunity to clip your toenails

Gross, anyone?

- Wiggle your tongue like Gene Simmons during Lion’s Breath Pranayama

Um...yeah.

- When the teacher asks if there are any requests, say, “Can we do some Yoga?”

- Refer to a Savasana Adjustment as a “Happy Ending.”

- Forget to tell the teacher at the start of class that you’re pregnant. (If you get pregnant DURING class, no such warning is needed.)

ALSO GOOD TO REMEMBER:

Props-

Strap, Eye Pillow, Block = GOOD

Ball Gag, Gimp Mask = BAD

Sounds-

When your teacher invites you to make any sound you want, this is not an invitation to hum the Batman theme.

[January 2009] issue of Yoga Journal features an article on etiquette tips designed to enhance your Yoga practice, and make sure you don’t screw up anyone else’s. I will now go through some of the points and give my own commentary.

1. Get there early.
CRITICAL Yo. There’s nothing worse than showing up after the opening OMing and chanting and trying to jam your mat in between two people who are already well downward into their dogs. (Just like me–LAST NIGHT.) It disturbs the other students and makes it hard for you to get in the zone. Get there early, do your bathroom thing, grab your blocks and put your mind and body where it needs to be.

2. Don’t hog the teacher!
Yes adjustments are great. But there’s a new student in the back that could really use some help and you? There you are front and center every single class with that sad look on your face like a dog begging for a treat. NO. NO.

3. No Omgasms.
Some students do not know the difference between a blissful SIGH, and a MOAN. If you feel like making a sound that you wouldn’t have wanted your mom to hear coming out of your bedroom when you were 14, DON’T.

“There’s no MOANING! There’s no MOANING in YOGA!”—Tom Hanks

4. Save the Scents for the Shower after Savasana.
Don’t be Spraying Eu De Ganesh all over yourself before you hit the mat. People are breathing deeply and don’t want an Ujjayi full of perfume or cologne.

5. Savasana.
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY DO NOT SKIP THIS! This is what it’s all about, it may be the most important pose we do. This is where you soak in the benefits of your Asana practice and rejuvenate body mind and spirit. Do you really need to get to Best Buy that badly? I thought not.

This article was originally posted by Jim “The Mystery Man of Yoga” on NamaYay.

OSSSO        Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

PS        Patanjali’s Sutras

NTE        Namaste

BBL        Back Bending Later?

LMAO        Laughing My Asana Off

OOL        Oming Out Loud

OMG        Oming Mid-Garudasana

TAV        Take a Vinyasa

LDC        Lowering Down Chaturanga

RFOMTACTSIA        Rolling Forward Over My Toes and Coming To Stand in Tadasana

BOF        Breath of Fire

F*CK!        Hanumanasana

Z        Firelog or Agnistambhasana

Zzz        Falling asleep in savasana

$        Old Navy

$$        American Apparel

$$$        Lululemon

)!(        Oh god! I let one out in the class.

x        Don’t breathe! Someone farted in the class.

:- x        Teacher said I was moaning too loud

<3        In a heart-opening Flow

x-(        In Corpse Pose

: -P        Doing Lion’s Breath

xxooxxoo        My teacher was adjusting me but then it got creepy, please call the authorities

0:-)        I have attained Samadhi, bye!

Main Entry: yo·ga

Pronunciation: \’yō-gə\

Function: noun

Etymology: Sanskrit, literally, yoking, from yunakti he yokes; akin to Latin jungere to join

Date: 1820

1 capitalized : a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation

2: a system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being

From Wikipedia

Yoga …refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in both Buddhism and Hinduism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga for detailed information.

From Jim Catapano’s Principles of Yoga

intense and violent martial art… (pronounced “cheez-bur-grr”)

From Miss Bite Size

Yoga, in our modern Western society, initially appears to be a harmless way to get in shape and reduce stress. Then you get sucked in by all the sweet, calm and earth tone-wearing teachers who can bench press a linebacker, bend (forward and back!) to see their own butt crack and trick you into believing you can too. You start out loving the exercise, then move on to obsess about releasing your hamstrings, breathing into weird body parts and quitting your normal daily activities (binge drinking, double quarter-pounders with cheese, judging your neighbor’s choice in jeans…name it) for something “profound.” You want to wear organic cotton, bring world peace and levitate. What the…?! You are an addict.

Beware. Do it only if you want to feel good, be healthy, have fun, meet awesome people who accept you as you are, share your joy with others and experience a glimpse of oneness with the universe. It’s a treacherous discipline. Approach with caution!