Yoga’s Popularity is Catching up in the West

Yoga has taken the States in a storm and it is now spreading to the West rapidly.  Celebrities do it, athletes do it, your next-door neighbour is probably doing it, so now it’s you who has fallen under the charm of yoga.  Great!  You may have many reasons to take up yoga – maybe you’ve heard of its many health benefits, or maybe that it’s a trendy thing to do, etc.- but what really matters is that you are now about to take the first step on a journey that may change your life and your outlook on life radically.

So Many Styles!

But how and where to find it?  It always pays off to first do some background research to see what is on offer near you (library, ads in local newspapers, friend’s recommendations, etc.).  Classes are generally held at local gym clubs, church halls, community centres, or at certain schools after school hours.  The first class is sometimes free and most teachers will be more than happy to answer your queries if you phone them.  Any good teacher will always make you feel welcome in a class so there is no need to worry.  Your first experience of yoga may well determine whether you will carry on or give up altogether.  But if the class does not correspond to what you want, try another one.  Obviously, if you live in a remote area, you may be denied the luxury of a wide choice of classes but new classes keep opening up all the time, so be on the lookout and keep an open mind.

What Are You Looking For in A Yoga Class?

What are you expecting from yoga?  How good is your health?  How fit are you?  And more importantly “what does your body really need?”  You certainly don’t want to go to a vigorous class when you are looking for relaxation and breathing techniques or go to a gentle-paced class when you are looking for a strong workout.  Be clear in your mind about your limitations and expectations.  Going to many different classes will enable you to see for yourself what suits you best but even if you are very fit it is best and much safer to start with the slower classes until you’ve learned the basic postures.  Different schools have different opinions as to how a posture should look and you may be confused by some of the conflicting technical advice you are given.   And remember, even if you are very fit, what your body may really need at this very moment is to be able to let go of nervous and emotional tension so a hard physical workout may be the opposite to what you really need…

All Forms of Yoga lead to Union of Mind, Body and Breath

There are basically two main approaches to yoga, one spiritual and one physical with every variations possible in-between.  But it is all yoga.  Yoga is One.  Hatha yoga, the path of physical postures (asanas) is only one of the paths of yoga.  The other limbs of yoga follow different paths:

Although the approaches are widely different, they all ultimately aim at the union of mind, body, and spirit.

Same Postures – Different Approaches

All the different physical styles of yoga are rooted in the same tradition.  The postures are basically the same it is just the focus that varies (rigorous postural alignment, flowing sequences, synchronisation of breath and movement, etc.).  Some styles make use of props, others believe in practicing in a tropical greenhouse.  None is better than the other. They all have stronger and weaker points and in a way, because the focus is different, they complement each other beautifully.  What matters most is that you should find a teacher you are comfortable with, a teacher who enables you to grow as a person and who puts a smile onto your face and into your heart.  You know what they say:  “when the student is ready, the teacher will come”.

The founders of Astanga (Sri Pattabhi Jois), Iyengar (BKS Iyengar) and Viniyoga (TKV Desikachar) were all students of the Indian Sanskrit scholar, Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), and Sivananda and Integral yoga were created by disciples of Sivananda. 
(NB: it is by the way amazing how, after being taught by the same teacher and whilst being part of the same family, Sri Pattabhi Jois, BKS Iyengar and TKV Desikachar could have come up with such different styles).

If you go to a yoga class entitled Astanga or Sivananda, for example, you can expect to find a certain style of yoga with an established set of postures as created by their founder.  So read about those classes before you go!

Next Page