I’m stiff and out of shape, can I still do yoga? What type of class should I start with?

• Oh yes! Anyone can do Yoga and start at any age and in any shape. The wonderful thing is that the Yoga postures (asanas) can be adapted to your level, even if you have physical limitations or disabilities.  With regular practice you will find that your flexibility and fitness will improve.  If you have not been to Yoga class before, or it has been a long time, you may want to start with Gentle Yoga or our Yoga Basics class.  While Yoga seems like it is just “stretches” one can get seriously hurt if they do not know the proper fundamentals of alignment.

I have back problems that keep me from doing much exercise. Can I do yoga?

• You may want to consult with your physician before starting Yoga. Be sure to tell your Yoga teacher about your condition, and he/she will adapt the Yoga poses to your abilities. Strengthening your spine and increasing its’ flexibility is a core function of Yoga and you will probably find that with regular practice that your back pain reduces or goes away entirely.

Is Yoga a religion? it seems like one of those “new age-y or hippie” type things.

• Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is an ancient practice with a written history going back thousands of years – it has stood the test of time.  Yoga is a path that seeks to harmonize body, mind, and soul through physical discipline, movement, stillness, and breath control.  While Yoga can have a spiritual aspect to it, most people do not find that it conflicts with their religious beliefs and by quieting the mind of stress and turmoil, it may actually strengthen your religious or spiritual beliefs, whatever they are.

Sometimes the teacher says things that sound like that are in another language? What is that?

• Yoga was started in India many thousands of years ago.  Sanskit is the language that is used for many of the concepts or postures/stretches (asansas).  There are many good resources on the Internet if you would like to learn more about the Sanskit language.

At the end of each class, the teacher says “Namaste” and the other students repeat it back.  What does that mean?

• In Sanskit, “Nama” means bow, “as” means I, and “te” means you. Namaste means “the soul (or spirit) in me recognizes and honors the soul (spirit) in you”.  It is an expression of goodwill and respect.  The gesture (or mudra) of Namaste is a simple act made by bringing together both palms of the hands before the heart, and lightly bowing the head.

What is the history of Yoga?

• Yoga is an ancient form of exercise that originates from ancient India. According to the historians and documents available yoga has been around from thousands of years and has survived into the modern era because it is unbelievably effective in reverting diseases and getting the body into a fit and healthy condition. Yoga involves a number of exercises – some of which are physical, some are breathing and some are purely for meditation. In combination, these exercises engage each and every muscle, tendon, ligament, bone and organ as well as the mind to give you a perfectly healthy body and mind.

Will Yoga help me lose weight?

• Yoga will not directly help you lose weight (unless you were to take a very physical type of class – like “Hot Vinyasa” – several times a week) but there are some indirect ways that Yoga may help you with weight loss.  One way is that Yoga’s “stress reduction” benefit may help you to stop mindless eating, binge eating or just plain nervous habit eating.  Another way is that Yoga can increase your mindfulness or conscious awareness of you body, and that may encourage to you eat more healthily.

How many times a week do I need to do Yoga?

• You don’t “need” to do Yoga a certain number of times a week to get benefits from it.  However it is a good practice to participate in it regularly at least once a week.  You may find you really enjoy it and wish to take more than one class a week.  After you learn the fundamentals so you can avoid injuring yourself, you are also encouraged to additionally practice at home.

What are the scientifically  proven benefits of Yoga?

Yoga can increase muscle strength, improve flexibility, enhance respiratory endurance, and promote balance

• Madanmohan, Thombre DP, Balakumar B, Nambinarayanan TK, Thakur S, Krishnamurthy N et al. Effect of yoga training on reaction time, respiratory endurance and muscle strength. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol1992; 36(4):229-233.
• Schell FJ, Allolio B, Schonecke OW. Physiological and psychological effects of Hatha-Yoga exercise in healthy women. Int J Psychosom 1994; 41(1-4):46-52.
• Gauchard GC, Jeandel C, Tessier A, Perrin PP. Beneficial effect of proprioceptive physical activities on balance control in elderly human subjects. Neurosci Lett 1999; 273(2):81-84.
• Wood C. Mood change and perceptions of vitality: a comparison of the effects of relaxation, visualization and yoga. J R Soc Med 1993; 86(5):254-258.
• Miller JJ, Fletcher K, Kabat-Zinn J. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Gen Hosp Psychiatry1995; 17(3):192-200.
• Hochberg MC, Altman RD, Brandt KD, Clark BM, Dieppe PA, Griffin MR et al. Guidelines for the medical management of osteoarthritis. Part II. Osteoarthritis of the knee.American College of Rheumatology.Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38(11):1541-1546.
• Newsome G. Guidelines for the management of rheumatoid arthritis: 2002 update. J Am Acad Nurse Pract 2002; 14(10):432-437.
• Minor MA. Exercise in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Rheum Dis Clin North Am 1999; 25(2):397-415, viii.
• Bearne LM, Scott DL, Hurley MV. Exercise can reverse quadriceps sensorimotor dysfunction that is associated with rheumatoid arthritis without exacerbating disease activity. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2002;41(2):157-166.

Yoga is also associated with increased energy and fewer bodily aches and pains.

• Wood C. Mood change and perceptions of vitality: a comparison of the effects of relaxation, visualization and yoga. J R Soc Med 1993; 86(5):254-258.
• Miller JJ, Fletcher K, Kabat-Zinn J. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Gen Hosp Psychiatry1995; 17(3):192-200.

Yoga is associated with increased mental energy as well as positive feelings (such as alertness and enthusiasm), fewer negative feelings (reduced excitability, anxiety, aggressiveness) and somatic complaints

• Wood C. Mood change and perceptions of vitality: a comparison of the effects of relaxation, visualization and yoga. J R Soc Med 1993; 86(5):254-258.
• Miller JJ, Fletcher K, Kabat-Zinn J. Three-year follow-up and clinical implications of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Gen Hosp Psychiatry1995; 17(3):192-200.

Short-term Yoga Training Expands Breathing And Lung Capacity In Young, Healthy Adults

• Chanavirut R, Khaidjapho K, Jaree P, and Pongnaratorn P.  Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand. Experimental Biology 2006 conference in San Francisco

Yoga for bronchial asthma. Yoga significantly greater improvement in the group who practiced yoga in the weekly number of attacks of asthma, scores for drug treatment, and peak flow rate.

• Yoga For Bronchial Asthma: A Controlled Study. R. Nagarathna, H.R. Nagendra. Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation, Bangalore, India.

Yoga’s effects: improved mood and functioning; potential help for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; 

• Brown RP, et al. “Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part I — Neurophysiologic Model,” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Feb. 2005): Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 189–201.
• Brown RP, et al. “Sudarshan Kriya Yogic Breathing in the Treatment of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: Part II — Clinical Applications and Guidelines,” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Aug. 2005): Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 711–17.
• Janakiramaiah N, et al. “Antidepressant Efficacy of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) in Melancholia: A Randomized Comparison with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Imipramine,” Journal of Affective Disorders (Jan.–March 2000): Vol. 57, No. 1–3, pp. 255–59.
• Khalsa SB. “Yoga as a Therapeutic Intervention: A Bibliometric Analysis of Published Research Studies,”Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (July 2004): Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 269–85.
• Kirkwood G, et al. “Yoga for Anxiety: A Systematic Review of the Research,” British Journal of Sports Medicine (Dec. 2005): Vol. 39, No. 12, pp. 884–91.
• Pilkington K, et al. “Yoga for Depression: The Research Evidence,” Journal of Affective Disorders (Dec. 2005): Vol. 89, No. 1–3, pp. 13–24.
• Saper RB, et al. “Prevalence and Patterns of Adult Yoga Use in the United States: Results of a National Survey,” Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (March–April 2004): Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 44–49.

Is it true that Yoga will make me taller?

Yes! practicing Yoga can do this (although it’s a very slight increase) by both decompressing your spine through asanas, as well as it has been scientifically proven that when the stress levels in the body are reduced, the levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in your body increase.

Can I do Yoga while pregnant?