Yoga, a physical and spiritual practice which is thousands of years old, has exploded on to the American scene. Every one is doing yoga from Hollywood movie stars to your local fireman. Yoga studios are popping up everywhere. Physical fitness, stamina, strength , flexibility, youthfulness, weight loss, stress reduction are all reasons people are flocking to yoga. Once a student finds a yoga class, there is an overwhelming array of traditions to choose from, including specialized fields of yoga practice- such as yoga for women, and yoga for children.

What is it about yoga that keeps people coming back? The benefits are amazing on many levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. What may have begun as a quest for flexibility turns in to a life transformation with job changes, relationship changes and lifestyle changes.

Yoga is that time to regroup and call your own. And best of all , while you are nurturing all your vital systems of the body and soothing the soul you are getting a great workout. I don’t know about you, but that seems like multi-task heaven!

If time is truly a constraint, why not incorporate yoga in to the family routine? Set aside 15-20 minutes per day to do yoga with your family. Create a sacred space in your home with candles, soft music, soft light and make it your daily yoga space.. Children are equally as stressed these days as adults and many are not nearly as flexible as we think they are. Children are also very open and curious, responding easily to both yogic breathing, yoga postures, and meditation.. Their refreshing perspective can only encourage our own growth and mind/body/spirit awareness. Husbands/fathers, too, may become more open to their own emotions as they honor their inward journey through yoga.

Being present is a gift that you can give yourself and your family at any age. When you are present , you are timeless and ageless. Life is meant to be lived fully .What that means is that we are here with each breath, each moment, BEING ourselves. So why not give yoga a try?

       

“What!” you’re thinking, “How can my yoga outfit have an effect on someone else’s practice?” Let’s take a look at different aspects of yoga clothing and how they can affect you and others.

Breath: It is the most important aspect of our practice. It is a pillar of yoga practice and living a yogic life. Breathe, always breathe, especially through the tough spots, whether that means an asana, an argument with your partner, watching your child ride their bike alone for the first time, or driving in your car. In yoga class, when the music is gently floating around us and our teacher is gently talking us out of our past and future moments to right here in our poses, should be the easiest time to breathe. If we have restrictive clothing on in our practice, it can prevent us from taking the complete breath we need to nourish our bodies and spirits. As your pants cut into your waist and a small roll develops on your side, are you breathing or are you worried about what your neighbor is looking at?

Fit is important, especially as you pretzel yourself into a warrior interlock. We’ve all seen what can happen if our clothes don’t fit exactly as they should, a student with a little too much cleavage, the yoga pants that you have to constantly pull up or, even better, the ones that should be pulled up but instead the woman in front of you has her thong in plain view all during class. The proper fit for yoga clothing should be comfortable and easy to move in without leaving a lot of room for the clothing to gap or expose too much. Yoga pants come in all sorts of different versions–Capri length, long, wide waistband, above the waist, below the navel, wide-legged, narrow-legged, etc. Unfortunately, finding the perfect pair is like finding the perfect shoes: You may have to try on 30 pairs to get the right fit for you. Yoga tops are a similar story but worse. Not only do they have to fit on your body but they also have to stay in place as you work through your practice. When I try on yoga tops, I always make sure I try a down dog and a forward fold in the dressing room. You don’t want any accidents in class!

You may think I’ve really gone off the deep end with this next idea. Ethics. How can yoga clothing affect one’s ethics? We try to imagine our fellow yogic companions as others on the path, but can we ever assume we understand what that path is? What we might forget is that for some this time in class is the only time to themselves they get. For you it may be working on a more balanced Bakasana or crow pose, but for others it may be a time when they figure out how to deal with the fact that their family has walked all over them for the past 20 years, or that their eating patterns are impacting every aspect of their lives. This is sacred time and it needs to be respected as that. So how can yoga clothes be unethical? Imagine that you are watching a student in front of you go into down dog and the seat of their pants is so worn through that you can see everything. Or that a man in class wears shorts a little too loose and, in Badda Konasana, you can see right up them. Now imagine that you are recovering from sexual abuse and this is what you see in class. We have an ethical responsibility to respect everyone in our class, including ourselves. The clothes you wear may not be fully respectful of those around you.

The last idea I would like you to consider as you explore the path with your yoga practice and work to heal yourself is how we can carry that healing beyond us through our clothing choices. One way is to buy eco-friendly products. We may accomplish this by purchasing organic cotton and hemp clothing or by purchasing clothing from retailers who believe in fair trade or paying employees in developing countries a livable wage. Whatever your choice, take a moment to consider the larger impact on the earth, those who created your clothing and the children who will live here after we have left this world.

Clothes definitely do not make the person in yoga, but they can influence you and those around you. Next time you are considering a yoga clothing purchase, actually try it on and do a pose or two. If you are fiddling with it in the dressing room, then you will probably fiddle with it even more as you work through your practice. Yoga is supposed to be a safe place where you can relax, let go and explore some of the life gunk that we all have to deal with. Why not take one more aspect out of what can drive us crazy and buy comfortable clothes with full coverage in which you can move and breathe. In fact, this is probably not a bad idea for every aspect of our life; shouldn’t we always wear what is comfortable, appropriate and good for our well-being?

       

Meditation and yoga are natural compliments to each other. Yoga is an active, physical way to prepare the mind for meditation. Meditation relaxes the mind and body, preparing them for the physical demands of yoga. Together they form a circular relaxation technique that can renew the mind, body and spirit completely.

Getting the most out of your yoga routine

To get the most out of your yoga routine, take a few minutes and meditate to center yourself before you begin. If you’re new to yoga, this will focus your mind and help you slip into those first yoga poses more easily.

Already got the hang of those tricky postures? Starting your yoga sessions with a new meditation technique can keep you from getting in a rut and help you reach new levels of concentration during your poses.

Pre-meditated yoga

One great way to jump-start your yoga routine is to begin with powerful but quick object focus meditation. Choose a meditation tool, like the Zen StickT, that will engage as many senses as possible.

A meditation tool that looks beautiful, gives you something to touch, and can produce a rhythmic sound sooths tired senses. You’ll forget all about the over-stimulating world around you and relax into a perfect meditative state.

More ideas for combining meditation and yoga

The same simple but effective meditation technique is a lifesaver when you’re learning new, more challenging yoga poses or working to perfect old ones.

If you’re getting frustrated or your mind is wandering during a particular pose, take a meditation break. Grab your meditation tool, and spend five minutes re-centering yourself and getting in tune with your natural rhythms.
When you return to your yoga posture, your mind will be clear, your body more limber, and your frustrations long gone.

A relaxing cycle

Meditation is achieved most quickly when multiple senses are engaged by a single focal point. Find a meditation tool that will engage your senses, and you’ll find yourself achieving deeper focus and a more peaceful state of mind during yoga as well.