The controversy over conservative Christian parents objection to yoga in Encinitas, CA public elementary schools, which I first covered last October, ended up in court this week. Experts testified on the nature of religion and the secularization of yoga in the first three days of the trial without resolution before it was decided to put the case on hiatus for a few weeks. As before, the Ashtangi bloggers at the Confluence Countdown are doing a great job covering the nuances.

Doesn't it sound nice to have your own yoga room? Well, with a little creativity you can make an inviting place for your practice in your very own home without taking out a second mortgage. Designing a yoga room on a budget is all about making the best use of the space you already have. If you're one step ahead and want to show us your yoga room, we'd love to see it.

Whenever I get on my mat, whether at home or while I'm waiting for a class to start, I like to do this little warm-up sequence, which begins with pelvic tilts. Often, I haven't even realized that my back was hurting until I begin to work it out with these subtle spinal movements. It usually just takes a few minutes of these to alleviate minor back pain and stiffness. Here's a little animation showing the movements.

Sorry Britney fans, but your girl's yoga poses from Shape Magazine (check the The Daily Mail for the pics) are making me cringe. Her warrior II looks super awkward. Her stance is too short, her torso is too far forward, and her front knee needs a deeper bend. In her camel, her hips are way out of alignment. I'd expect Shape to do a better job making sure her poses were looking as good as her bod.