Even though the world population has shifted from mainly rural to mainly urban in the last decade, there are still lots of folks like me who live in the sticks. Doing things like taking a yoga class becomes a different thing in our case from driving to the neighborhood gym. Since He live 40 miles from the nearest town large enough for yoga studios, when He decided to take a class, He was more interested in the schedule than He was the type of yoga. He couldn’t afford to be picky if He preferred not to wait around for a couple hours after getting off work. So He looked in the phone book, and didn’t pay attention to anything but the schedule. There it was: M-W-F at 4:00. Perfect. He don’t know what rock He’d been living under, but the word “Bikram” writ large across the ad in the yellow pages didn’t trigger the term ‘hot yoga’ in my mind, and that left me in for a big surprise.

He showed up with a comfy pair of sweatpants and a long- sleeved t-shirt. As the woman at the desk was giving me a little orientation information - explaining that the room was heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit - He realized that my concept of yoga clothes weren’t going to work here. Apparently, He wasn’t the first to make this error. Susie told me they had loaners. Now, it’s been a while since the last time He wore hot-pants, so when she handed me the little scrap of shorts, He thought, “No way.” She said, “Trust me, you’ll fit right in.”

Susie continued, giving a few more orientation tips, which started to seem like a set of warnings. “Our first-time students are encouraged to rest whenever you feel you should - kind of take it gradually. The instructors just ask that you do your best to stay in the room for the entire time.” What? Were we still talking yoga here? He’d seen pictures. Sure, He might not be able to balance on one leg while holding the other one over my head at my first try, but come on. How hard could it be to stretch as far as He could go and stop there? Why would He get desperate to leave the room?

Her next suggestion: “OK, He see you brought a bottle of water. That’s good, but you’ll be tempted to drink a lot, and He recommend you just drink sips - not too much at a time.” Hmm. What was He getting into here? It sounded like He was facing some kind of ordeal - not what He had in mind at all since He was thinking of yoga as a peaceful, low- impact way just to stretch and keep my aging body flexible and strong.

Once He was dressed in the little bit of shorts, He opened the door to the yoga studio and was met with a rush of hot, stultifying air. Oh goody. He walked to an open space, spread my mat, lay on my back, and understood exactly what she meant by asking me to at least stay in the room. He was already dripping sweat, and we hadn’t even begun the class.

Ninety minutes and twice through the 26 poses later, He was indeed still in the room. In the non-competitive, supportive atmosphere He had been completely guided to go to my edge, but not so far that He would be turned off by struggle. In fact, He was exhilarated. He lay on my back at the end, eyes closed in the peaceful, very hot room, and knew He’d be back for more.

       

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?

       

Ananda
Ananda Yoga is a classical style of hatha yoga that uses asana and pranayama to awaken, experience and begin to control the subtle energies within oneself, especially the energies of the chakras. Its object is to use those energies to harmonize body, mind, and emotions, and above all to raise oneself with higher levels of awareness. The unique feature of this system is the use of meditation while in the asanas as a means of working directly and consciously with the subtle energies of oneselves to achieve the state of attunement. Ananda Yoga is a gentle, inward experience, not an athletic or exothermic practice. It was developed by Swami Kriyananda, a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi.

Anusara
Anusara (a-nu-SAR-a) means, “to flow with the devine will - your heart”. A new style developed by John Friend, Anusara yoga is described as heart-oriented, spiritually inspiring, yet grounded in a deep knowledge of outer and inner body alignment. Each student’s various abilities and limitations are deeply respected and honored.

Ashtanga
A strong physical form of yoga, meant for those who want a serious workout. Developed by K. Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga is physically demanding. Participants move through a series of flows, jumping from one posture to another to build strength, flexibility and stamina. It’s not for beginners or anyone who’s been taking a leisurely approach to fitness. The so-called Power Yoga is based on Ashtanga.

Bikram
Founded by Bikram Choudhury, bikram yoga is performed in high temperatures. A series of 26 asanas, sometimes performed twice, are designed to “scientifically” warm and stretch muscles, ligaments and tendons in the order in which they should be stretched. Bikram Choudhury studied yoga with Bishnu Ghosh, brother of Paramahansa Yogananda

Iyengar
Ever think standing was just a matter of keeping your body on top of your legs? It’s hard to appreciate how involved a simple thing like just standing can be, how much concentration and how many subtle movements and adjustments it takes, until you take an Iyengar yoga class. Of course, the point is that you’re not just standing. You’re doing Tadasana, Mountain pose, and in yoga in the style of B.K.S. Iyengar, Tadasana is an active pose. B.K.S. Iyengar is one of the best-known yoga teachers and the creator of one of the most popular styles of yoga in the world. His style of yoga is noted for great attention to detail and the precise alignment of postures, as well as the use of props such as blocks and belts. No doubt, part of Iyengar’s success is due to the quality of teachers, who must complete a rigorous 2-5 year training program for certification.

Kali Ray TriYoga
Kali Ray TriYoga, founded by Kali Ray, brings posture, breath and focus together to create dynamic and intuitive flows. The Tri Yoga flows combine flowing and sustained postures that emphasize spinal wavelike movements, economy of motion, and synchronization with breath and mudra. The flows are systematized by level and can be as gentle or as challenging as desired. Students may progress from basics to advanced as they increase their flexibility, strength, endurance and knowledge of the flows.

Kripalu
Called the yoga of consciousness, Kripalu puts great emphasis on proper coordination of breath and movement, and allows you to work according to the limits of your individual flexibility and strength. You focus on the physical and psychological reactions caused by various postures to develop awareness of mind, body, emotion and spirit. There are 3 stages in Kripalu yoga. Stage 1 focuses on learning the postures and exploring your bodies abilities. Stage 2 involves holding the postures for an extended time, developing concentration and inner awareness. Stage 3 is like meditation in motion in which the movement from one posture to another arises unconsciously and spontaneously.

Kundalini
Kundalini yoga draws its name from the coiled snake. It is in the tradition of Yogi Bhajan, and focuses on controlled release of coiled energy said to reside at the base of the spine. The practice involves classic poses, breath, coordination of breath and movement, and meditation.

Sivananda
Sivananda is one of the world’s largest schools of yoga. Developed by Vishnu-devananda and named after his teacher, Sivananda yoga follows a set structure that includes pranayama, classic asanas, and relaxation. Vishnu-devananda wrote one of the contemporary yoga classics, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. First published in 1960, the book is still one of the best introductions to yoga available.

Svaroopa Yoga
Developed by Rama Berch, Svaroopa Yoga teaches significantly different ways of doing familiar poses, emphasizing the opening of the spine by beginning at the tailbone and progressing through each spinal area in turn. Every pose integrates the foundation principles of asana, anatomy and yoga philosophy, and emphasizes the development of transcendental inner experience, which is called svaroopa by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. This is a consciousness-oriented yoga that also promotes healing and transformation. Svaroopa is not an athletic endeavor, but a development of consciousness using the body as a tool.

Viniyoga
Viniyoga is not so much a style as it is a methodology for developing practices for individual conditions and purposes. This is the approach developed by Sri. T. Krishnamacharya, teacher of well-known contemporary masters B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois and Indra Devi, and continued by his son, T.K.V. Desikachar. Key characteristic of the asana practice are the careful integration of the flow of breath with movement of the spine, with sequencing, adaptations and intensity dependent upon the overall context and goals. Function is stressed over form. Practices may also include pranayama, meditation, reflection, study and other classic elements.