Yoga

Access to a online library of yoga videos is a pretty great resource for those times when you can't make it to a class. I particularly enjoy the newish breed of videos that are shot in yoga studios during real, live classes, but if you prefer your videos with Rodney Yee on the beach in Hawaii, you can get that online too. Here is a rundown of the best free and subscription-based websites, with the costs and offerings all laid out for you. Read more...

I've always liked doing the basic version of side crow where you are resting your body weight on both arms, but I've never quite been able to nail the alignment of the more advanced version where all your weight is on one arm. It had been a long time since I had tried it though, so when it came up in one of my classes last week, I went ahead and gave it a whirl. I was completely surprised when all of a sudden it made complete sense to my body and came together almost effortlessly. I just love that even after a decade of this practice, there is still ample room for growth and exploration. Yoga, you never get boring.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it seems like every studio in town is offering a partner yoga workshop this weekend. While these usually have you bringing your own partner, you may also find yourself partnered with a stranger occasionally in class, usually as a spotter or to help you deepen a stretch. Learn how to get the most out of a partner yoga situation and keep you and your partner safe. Read more...

2012 is only a month old and already there's been more drama in the yoga world than we usually see all year. First, there was that yoga injuries article in The New York Times, which prompted responses from many of yoga's leading teachers and much discussion both inside and outside of the yoga community. Now, another story seems poised to make waves: the possible fall from grace of Anusara yoga founder John Friend. Last week, blogger YogaDork published information from an anonymous website, alleging personal and professional misconduct by Friend (for all the details, see here). A response of sorts has now been posted on both YogaDork and Elephant Journal, in the form of a letter Friend sent to members of the Anusara community, acknowledging that there is some truth to the accusations. An interview with Friend by Elephant Journal editor Waylon Lewis is expected to be published this afternoon, and hopefully will begin to elucidate the direction Anusara will take in face of this scandal. Stay tuned...

[Update: Here is the interview, in which Friend admits to inappropriate, though consensual, sexual relationships with female students and employees and supplies documents relating to the discontinuation of the Anusara employee pension plan.]

The New York Times article that created so much buzz a few weeks ago ("How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body") is back in the news, as the book, entitled The Science of Yoga, behind the article has just been published. In addition to my review (which I'm sure you have already read), now you can read The New York Times' own review, listen to author William Broad on NPR's Fresh Air, and/or head to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy.

I've been taking a break from shoulderstand lately due to a stiff neck, but I've been really enjoying substituting legs-up-the-wall pose instead. Try taking a block or bolster under your butt in this pose and playing around with different leg variations, like taking the legs wide, into a baddha konasana position with the soles of the feet touching, or even into lotus if that pose is part of your practice.

I'm not really great with the dates, but I know I took my first yoga class in the fall of 2001, not long after September 11th. I had only been in New York a few months and didn't have a job yet, so I couldn't afford many classes. An old resume shows that I started working for a book publisher in October, but it wasn't until a few months later that I became a regular at the yoga studio a few doors down from my office. So winter/spring 2002 was when I really became a student of yoga, meaning that I have now been practicing a full ten years, one of my longest relationships to date.

My first teachers were wonderful people. I took class with gorgeous, red-headed, down-to-earth Fiona every Tuesday evening. Her classes were always packed. She worked us hard and gave the most amazing adjustments. Then on Thursday evening, it was gorgeous, funny, generous Paula who led us in a heart-centered practice. She was the first person I heard mention inner and outer spiral, and, even a decade later, I still have to think really hard every time I hear those directions. I'm profoundly grateful for all my teachers, who all, every single one, happen to be gorgeous.

During these ten years I got married, had a baby, moved across the country, and had another baby, each life change bringing with it a corresponding change in my yoga practice. My kids roll out a yoga mat and do some poses like it's no big deal. My six-year-old explains to us at the dinner table how taking deep breaths calms you down when you are mad. My two-year-old sets up a row of Barbies doing downward dog on the kitchen table. The six-year-old forgets to take deep breaths when she discovers little sis has been playing with her Barbies. I decide to take the deep breaths instead. Yoga is part of my life so it is part of theirs.

I've learned so much but I still often feel like the new kid, which is a nice way to enter the second decade. I guess I thought I have the splits down by now. (I may never get the splits down.) On some days, I feel like I can't really touch my toes and on others, my foot slides behind my head. Sometimes the hard poses get easier and the easy poses get harder. I love asana, but I have learned that, of course, it's not about the poses. Yoga improves my quality of life, and I hope it does the same for you.

Is your in-box filled with tempting offers to escape to exotic locales with every yoga teacher you've ever known? That's because we're headed into peak retreat season. If you're thinking about signing on, I have a few suggestions on making your trip a success. Read more...

Let's talk about arm variations in warrior III. Arms extended in front has got to be the classic, as evidenced by its inclusion in Light on Yoga, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't mix it up. Arms extended backwards, as shown here, is easier on the shoulders and a little more stable. Hands on your hips helps you to level the hips, which is good for alignment since the hip on the raised leg tends to want to cock up. My personal favorite is reverse namaste, which helps me keep a nice, flat back. How to do like to do it?

I've suggested ways to reduce the stress of travel before, including yoga poses you can do on the plane and at the airport, and now if your travel plans include San Francisco, you can do your asanas in a special yoga room. MSNBC reports that San Francisco International Airport opened the first airport yoga room today, which, now that it's been done, seems like a total no-brainer. It's reported that mats are provided, but considering that I don't even like to touch doorknobs at the airport, I'd think twice before using a communal yoga mat there. If you need a travel mat, check out the Kulae tpECOmat, which is really thin and lightweight. Here's hoping saner travels ensue!