YOGA FAQ'S

1. What does the word “yoga” mean?

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj and means to yoke or bind. It is often interpreted as "union" or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner; a yogini.

2. What does Om mean?

Om is a mantra, or vibration and pronounced "Aum," and is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe.

3. How many times per week should I practice?

Yoga is amazing–even if you only practice for one hour a week, you will experience the benefits of the practice. If you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits. Start off by practicing two to three times a week and if possible, gradually add more days.

4. How is yoga different from stretching or other kinds of fitness?

Unlike stretching or fitness, yoga is more than just physical postures. Yoga is unique because we connect the movement of the body and the fluctuations of the mind to the rhythm of our breath. Connecting the mind, body, and breath helps us to direct our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognize our habitual thought patterns without labeling them, judging them, or trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practice, rather than a task or a goal to be completed.

5. Is yoga a religion?

Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy that began in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. Though I do not, some Yoga instructors interweave philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism, but it is not necessary to study those paths in order to practice or study yoga. It is also not necessary to surrender your own religious beliefs to practice yoga.

6. I'm not flexible–can I do yoga?

Yes! You are a perfect candidate for yoga. Many people think that they need to be flexible to begin yoga, but that's a little bit like thinking that you need to be able to play tennis in order to take tennis lessons. Come as you are, have patience, go at your own pace and listen to your body and my instructional cues for modifications. In time, you will progress and find new strength, agility, coordination, and balance, as well as a sense of physical confidence and overall well-being.

7. What do I need to begin?

Everyone should bring their own yoga “sticky” mat as most clubs do not provide them. In fact, 24 Hour Fitness has a company policy that does not allow them to be used in class. The gym mats that are available at the club are too short, too soft and too slippery to be safe or effective for yoga. I always bring a couple of extra yoga mats for new participants and anyone who forgot theirs. Yoga mats are available at most departments store including Wal-Mart, Ross, Target, TJ Maxx, etc. and sporting goods stores. They cost around $10.00 depending on where you buy and what extra little goodies they come with such as straps, blocks, dvd ’s etc. Also, come to class in comfortable clothes. No special footgear is required because you will be barefoot; no socks either as your feet will slide around causing potential injury. However, you can wear special yoga “sticky” socks which can be purchased at Whole Foods, Target, Borders and online at gaiam.com. It's helpful to bring a towel to class and a long sleeve jacket/shirt in case you get chilly during the warm-up section in the beginning of class or during Suvasansa--our final relaxation at the end of class. The lights do not turn off at the Santa Teresa location of 24 Hour Fitness so you may want to bring something to cover your eyes, like a towel. Blocks and straps are other optional “tools” you can bring that the gym does not provide. On occasion we’ll do a class where we’ll be using a strap so I’ll bring enough straps for everyone but you can certainly bring your own and use it as often as needed.

8. Why are you supposed to refrain from eating two to three hours before class?

In yoga practice we twist from side to side, turn upside down, and bend forward and backward. If you have not fully digested your last meal, it will make itself known to you in ways that are not comfortable. Though you should not eat a full meal before class it is suggested that you eat a light snack such as yogurt, a few nuts, toast/bagel, or juice about 30 minutes to an hour before class so you’re not “running on empty”.

9.What does "Namaste" mean?

"Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." It is actually a gesture and represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another.

 To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect. Although in the West the word "Namaste" is usually spoken in conjunction with the gesture, in India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, and therefore, it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing.  For a teacher and student, Namaste allows two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness, free from the bonds of ego-connection. If it is done with deep feeling in the heart and with the mind surrendered, a deep union of spirits can blossom.  Namaste can be done both at the beginning and at the end of class. Usually, it is done at the end of class because the mind is less active and the energy in the room is more peaceful. The teacher initiates Namaste as a symbol of gratitude and respect toward her students and her own teachers and in return invites the students to connect with their lineage, thereby allowing the truth to flow—the truth that we are all one when we live from the heart.

10. What does “Asana” mean?

Its most literal meaning is “seat”, a firm positioning of the body. An asana is a posture, or pose. Whether standing, sitting, folding forward, bending over backward or standing on one’s head. But ‘posture’ or ‘pose’ doesn’t quite capture the conscious intentionality of asana to promote health and well-being. The words ‘posture’ and ‘pose’ suggests something static and artificial. Asana involves a stream or flow of breath, muscular effort and even movement. Asana is not just that momentary results, it’s the process by which we arrive at the results.

11. What is Drishti?

A drishti (view or gaze) is a specific focal point that is employed during meditation or while holding a yoga posture.

12. What is Karma?

Central to the philosophy of yoga is the universal spiritual concept of reaping what you sow: the law of Karma. Karma is the future consequences of one's current intentions, thoughts, behaviors and actions. While the Karma you currently create is the seeds that present future life experiences, your Karma is not your fate. You have the ability to consciously choose how you respond and react to Karmic generated events, thus reducing the current impact of your Karma and reducing or eliminating future Karma. This is both a psychological and physical practice, with the mental attitude much more powerful than the physical deed. Good Karma is good, bad Karma is bad, but attaining any kind of Karma is undesirable. The goal, through the practice of yoga, is to stop the cycle of Karma by ceasing further Karmic accumulation. The yogis tell us the only way to not produce Karma is to act selflessly, without ego, without the desire for any reward. Liberation from Karma is known as Nirvana, a highly esteemed spiritual state. But striving to attain a state of Nirvana is not a necessary goal; any reduction in Karma will improve one's life, well-being and happiness.

13. Is it normal for my muscles to shake during a pose?

Muscles are made up of many fibers. When a muscle is used, not all the fibers contract at the same time. Some rest while the others work, and then they trade places. When the muscles are really challenged, the changeovers can get a little ragged. Beginning yogis often shake quite a lot. As muscles get stronger from regular practice, the fibers learn to trade off between firing and resting with smoother coordination. Eventually quivering often subsides. To calm the body, try to hug the quivering (contracting) muscle against its underlying bone and press the bone into the muscle being stretched. Quivering is not necessarily bad, but it may be a sign that the body is overworked. Tune into the brain, the eyes, the root of the tongue, and most of all, the breath. If any of these areas feel hard or constricted, you may be trying too hard----so try easier instead.

14. How many calories are burned during a yoga class?

Even though participants feel as though they’re working hard—and from a muscular standpoint, they are—they are not achieving significant aerobic or calorie-burning benefits from a yoga class. Yet despite its limited aerobic conditioning effect, yoga classes remain one of the most challenging and effective means of increasing strength and endurance, improving balance and coordination, and of course, better flexibility.

Depending on your genetic makeup, how hard you are working out, the level of class you are taking, the variation or modification of the poses you are doing, and how long you've been doing the exercise will depend on how many calories you burn during class. Studies indicate that beginning exercisers doing a class at a beginning level with modifications burn approx. 150 calroies in a 50 minute session. An experienced exerciser performing an advanced class with no modifications can burn upwards of 350 calories in a 50 minute session. Pilates classes find similar results: approx. 125 calories in a beginning level 50 minute class class and approx. 250 calories in an advanced level class. Keep in mind that most classes at 24 Hour Fitness are at the beginning level and there are no advanced level classes. My yoga classes are taught at the intermediate level but I show modifications for beginners and options for those needing more of a challenge.

Mind Body classes are not meant to burn calories or be a cardio vascular workout so make sure you include activities such as running, cycling, step aerobics and/or fast paced walking into your workouts.

15. What is Winter Solstice?

Winter Solstice is the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. Since just about the beginning of human time, people around the world have celebrated the solstice in a variety of different spiritual and religious ways. A growing number of people celebrate the winter and summer solstice by saluting the sun--- 108 times. Why 108? This number, like 18, is fundamental to Indian psychology and represents wholeness or completeness. There are many reasons for the Hindu and Buddhist belief in the sacredness of the number 108:
  • There were initially 54 sounds in the Sanskrit alphabet. 2 X 54= 108.
  • There are 108 Upanishads, the sacred Vedic texts.
  • There are 108 names for Hindu dieties.
  • The distance between the earth and sun is 108 times the diameter of the sun, therefore, the number 108 is taken to represent the ‘distance’ from the devotee to the divine.
  • There are 108 nadis (subtle energy channels) that pass through the heart chakra
  • 108 beads on a prayer mala.

The practice of 108 Sun salutations is known as a "Yoga Mala," with each sun salute acting like a bead strung on the thread of the breath. The 108 salutation practice is named Mala, representing the 108 mala beads. Traditionally completed 4 times a year, at the change of seasons, this earthly shift is the perfect time for creating and accepting our own spiritual change and growth.

16. Are there any poses that should be avoided during the menstrual period?

Inversions are not recommended during the menstrual period for philosophic as well as physiologic reasons. During the menses, the pelvic vascular bed contains more blood than at other times of the cycle. The uterine blood supply enters the uterus from the right and left sides of the pelvis. These blood vessels are located in the broad ligaments that suspend the uterus from the pelvis. The uterine arteries are thick-walled and muscular. The uterine veins are thin-walled and easily collapsed.During inversions, the uterus is pulled towards the head by gravity, causing the broad ligaments to be stretched. This can cause stretch and partial collapse or occlusion of the thin-walled veins, while allowing the uncollapsed arteries to continue to pump in blood. Thus, more blood enters the uterus via the arteries than can be carried away by the veins. The vascular congestion that results can lead to increased menstrual bleeding. Hindu philosophy teaches that during menses the direction of energy is down and out of the body. This flow should not be obstructed or reversed as it is in inversions.

There have been numerous misconceptions about why to avoid inversions.

Endometriosis: Endometriosis is a condition in which small areas of endometrial tissue (uterine lining) develop on the surface of the pelvic and abdominal organs. This tissue responds to the hormones of the fertility cycle. When menstruation occurs, these foci of endometriosis break down and bleed just as the uterine lining does. But since there is no exit for this flow, scarring and adhesions result. This can cause pain and infertility.It was once thought that endometriosis resulted from the escape of small bits of menstrual endometrium through the fallopian tubes into the pelvic cavity. It was postulated that these fragments of tissue implanted themselves on the surfaces of the pelvic organs and proceeded to grow. If this theory were true, it would certainly be reason enough to avoid inversions during the menstrual period. However, this is no longer thought to he the origin of endomeriosis. It is now known that endormetriosis arises from the presence of cells in the pelvic lining that are capable of developing into endomietrial-type cells.

Infection: It has been suggested that inversions during menses increase the incidence of pelvic infection. This is not the case. Conditions for the ascent of bacteria up to the uterus are not more favorable during menstruation- or inversion. Bacteria move in the layers of fluid on the surface of the vagina and uterine lining, essentially free of gravitational effect. If inversions did cause pelvic infections, then they would be contraindicated in women regardless of the time of the cycle.

In general, poses requiring the use of exertion and great energy are not recommended during menstruation if your physical strength feels diminished. If you're feeling weak it can cause you to be shaky or off balance. Attempting such a practice when energy is low can lead to injury or further depletion of energy supplies. This may be a time to allow yourself to rest.

The following guidelines are provided for your exploration. They are not presented as restrictions on your practice, but suggested as a way to more deeply experience and enjoy your natural cyclic rhythms.

1. Forward Bend Series-These poses are calming.  Lower abdominal and pelvic compression aids cramps and heavy bleeding.

2. Supported Standing Poses-These poses are helpful for backache associated with menses. 3. Twists-These twists are helpful for cramps and backache. Click here for more information on yoga and menstruation.

17. What are yoga mudras?

The sanskrit word mudra is translated as 'gesture' or 'attitude'. Mudras are subtle physical movements which alter attitude, perception and deepens awareness and concentration. For more information on mudras click here.