Yoga guide...

Benefits of yoga

Hatha Yoga is a system of physical postures designed to develop not only physical, but also mental and spiritual well-being. Flexibility, strength and balance of the mind, body and spirit are all enhanced through regular practice. Over time, yoga also restores all of the body’s systems to optimal function, relieving many health complaints. Below is a list of some of yoga’s many benefits. Click here to buy yoga lessons!

• Enhances flexibility and range of motion

• Cultivates balance

• Builds strength

• Speeds recovery from injury

• Creates symmetry between right and left, front and back, upper and lower parts of your body (being asymmetrical, and therefore unbalanced, creates stress and strain in the body because it requires parts of you to work harder while neglecting other parts. This can result in injury, pain or discomfort)

• Relieves stress and muscular tension

• Improves overall physiological function of the body (i.e., improves circulation, digestion, metabolism, balances hormones, etc.)

• Improves posture

What are the different styles of yoga?

There are several popular styles of yoga in the West and it can be confusing for students to know what all the differences are. If you are practicing yoga for general health it's probably more important to find a class that you enjoy and not worry so much about the style. If you want to deepen your practice or just explore what yoga has to offer the following simple style descriptions may be helpful. Keep in mind that the qualities you cultivate physically in your practice you will also cultivate mentally so choose wisely! And since no two teachers are alike, even if they teach the same style, you should always try several teachers before coming to any conclusions.

• Hatha: this is a general term used to describe a practice of physical postures (asanas) and breath work.

• Freedom style: teaches you to "do your own yoga" creatively and safely by listening to your inner guide as you move through the poses with focus on the breath, your own limits and lines of energy (Kelly teaches Freedom Style).

• Iyengar: emphasizes strict principles of alignment and uses props such as blankets, props and straps to help a student maintain a pose.

• Ashtanga: physically-demanding yoga practice known for jumping into and out of sun salutations.

• Kripalu: a gentle practice that emphasizes holding poses and linking the physical practice to emotional release through emphasis on the breath.

• Bikram: also called hot yoga, it's a series of 26 postures practiced in a room heated to about 100 degrees F and 37 C.

• Viniyoga: a gentle type of yoga therapy particularly suited to those recovering from injury or illness. It respects individual differences and modifies poses to meet each person's needs.

• Kundalini: practice focuses on freeing the body's energy along the spine.

• Anusara: Heart-centered yoga that looks for the good in all things, while emphasizing its own principles of alignment.

• Sivananda: Classes include chanting, breath work and sun salutations. Poses are practiced in a set order. 

• Jivamukti: A vinyasa style class that can be quite physically intense. Each class has a theme, which is explored through yoga scripture, chanting, meditation, asana, breath work and music.

Yoga etiquette
We've all been in the yoga class where someone comes in late--in the middle of meditation usually--making way too much noise. Although most yogis are pretty easy-going there are some habits and behaviors better left outside the yoga studio. Here we offer our thoughts on courteous and respectful yogic practices. Your fellow classmates (and teacher!) will appreciate your efforts. For groovy yoga shirts visit our Inspired Designs™ store.

• Be on time, which means arriving a few minutes early to get set up on your mat.

• Turn off your cell phone, pager or any other device that might ring or buzz.

• Leave your shoes at the door.

• If you are late, wait until the meditation is over before quietly entering class.

• Avoid foods that give you gas before class (sorry, we had to say it).

• Avoid applying lotions to your hands and feet before class (you'll slide on the mat) as well as cologne and perfume, although deodorant is appreciated!

• If you're borrowing a mat, wipe it off after class and roll it back up for storage.

Other tips:

• Tell the teacher about any injuries or diagnosed medical conditions before class.

• Buy your own yoga mat (see below).

• Other items to consider bringing: water bottle, towel, tissues, hair tie.

• Dress in layers, especially at a gym where the temperature is usually cooler.

• Be curious about learning.

• Pause. Breathe. Listen to your inner guide.

• Have fun!

Eco-friendly mats
Say no to PVC and other people's germs! Believe it or not, most yoga mats are made of polyvinyl chloride, an environmental toxin. The base ingredient in PVC, vinyl chloride, is a known carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent. During the manufacturing process, plasticizers are added to make the yoga mat soft and sticky. Among the most common additives are lead, cadmium and a class of hormone-disrupting chemicals called phthalates. When the mat is new, these additives can off-gas while you're practicing (!) and they will seep into groundwater when you throw your mat in the garbage and it winds up in a landfill. Because PVC is not biodegradable, it will remain in the landfill where it poses another environmental hazard: sometimes landfills catch on fire and when your yoga mat burns it releases dioxin, hydrochloric acid and other toxins into the air.

Still not convinced you need your own mat? Dermatologists and podiatrists are reporting an increase in the number of patients who practice yoga on public mats complaining of skin rashes, mainly athlete's foot and plantar warts. This is largely because most public mats are not cleaned as regularly as you might like. One of my yoga instructor friends even found a shard of dirty glass embedded in a yoga mat at a local gym. 

So save the environment and your health with your own eco-friendly mat. You can buy one  at our online store.

But don't let your old PVC mat wind up in a landfill. Instead, clean it and bring it to your local animal shelter for use as bedding. Other animal-inspired ideas include using it as a non-slip pad under food and water dishes or as a car seat cushion for your pet (no hair, no scratches on your seats). You also can use it to kneel on during gardening, cut out shapes for bases in baseball, or use it as a seat cushion at a sporting event or picnic. Be creative and you'll think of other great uses! 

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