non-cheesy yoga = awesome
Or, How to Talk Intelligently About Yoga Is yoga spiritual? Is yoga religion? Is yoga science? What is yoga? These questions matter to me because it affects how I relate to students. I teach yoga in a university gym largely because I have the autonomy to do what I want, as I’ve yet to find [...]
yoga practice in class and out
This post is part of an integration of the info on the first yoga site I made for students back in 2007, as I’ll be taking it down soon. Enjoy! Q: Is there a minimum amount of time that you should practice? Is it worth practicing 10 minutes if that’s all the time you have? [...]
why do yoga?
When I was working on my masters, I made a website about yoga (2007). I surveyed my students for questions and information, and answered them on the site. This post (and some to follow) is an integration of that material, as I’ll take the old site down soon. Why do people take yoga? The reasons [...]
stretching, science, & the wisdom of ‘boring’ yoga asana sequencing
In the last few years, it’s come to light that static stretching isn’t a great thing before activities requiring muscle power. Most recently the New York Times reported researchers have discovered stretching is bad. The article mentions only once that static stretching, as opposed to dynamic stretching, is problematic. The rest of the article states [...]
how to work toward padmasana: lotus pose
So you want to do padmasana. Because like headstand, lotus pose is an asana that comes to mind when people think of yoga. And for good reason. It’s one of the fifteen poses mentioned in the 15th century text, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika which makes it one of the few asanas with a history. There [...]
yoga mats: the good, the bad, and the crumbly
The yoga mat. It is very good to have your own if you practice yoga regularly. You can contract some pretty gross stuff from communal mats. What kind of mat you want will largely depend on your yoga. If you practice a few times a week and don’t mind PVCs, a cheap mat from Yoga [...]
to practice or not to practice: ladies’ holiday
There are as many takes on yoga asana practice during menstruation as there are euphemisms for it. Ladies’ holiday, your moon (not to be confused with the moon), ladies’ days, your flow, the curse, crimson tide, the rag, that time of the month, and, refreshingly, your period, are a few you’ll hear in wider yoga [...]
ashtanga in new york :: finding a teacher
How to find an ashtanga teacher? LMGTFY. Because honestly, that’s how I found Lori. An internet search. I then asked two ashtangi friends if they knew her and heard good things about both her and her assistant, as well as a little gossip. I had a feeling that’s where I’d end up, but since I [...]
the search for a new yoga teacher/studio
It took me about a month of heavy searching to find my yoga teacher. How you do it depends largely on what you look for. Instead of making a list for you: location, teacher’s credentials (dubious), price, style, schedule…which I touched on in the last few posts (1, 2, 3), I will tell you my [...]
nyc yoga class reviews~yogaworks
Last time I promised that I’d share my experience finding a new studio. When I had to start looking around, I went to classes at YogaWorks, where I’ve been a member for a few years, practicing Mysore-style Ashtanga with Evan. When I could no longer make it to his class, I went to some others [...]
how to find a yoga teacher/studio
Students frequently ask me upon graduation or a university break “Do you recommend a good yoga studio around here?” Unfortunately, I don’t. Finding a yoga studio, or as you become more advanced, finding a teacher, is an extremely personal endeavor. It’s a mix of solid logistics, such as location, cost, and schedule, and an indescribable [...]
v: hot dog performance art
the last installment. part v of why meditate, thoughts on my two 1-week back-to-back meditation retreats. part i, part ii, part iii, part iv, & part v. An abridged version for moderns exists at Shambhala New York. And that was it. After lunch there was a banquet to close the week, and a bit of [...]
when you sit on a cushion
Part iv of why meditate, thoughts on my two 1-week back-to-back meditation retreats. part i, part ii, part iii, part iv, & part v. An abridged version for moderns exists at Shambhala New York. A few days earlier, while making tea at home and fighting with myself about how to deal with the situation, I [...]
meditation 3: better, happier, more centered
This was not the only thing going through my head during the retreat, mind you. In fact, it wasn’t even near top billing. Each time I came around to the fact that my attention wasn’t on my breath, but in any of all sorts of places, maybe only 2% of the time on the Zka [...]
to cut through the nonsense of mind
Oh, look, that’s (the title) basically the second line of The Yoga Sutras. Totally unintentional. Wasn’t thinking yoga scriptures when I wrote it. yogash chitta vritti nirodhah ||2|| योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः ॥२॥ Yoga is the mastery of the activities of the mind stuff ||2|| Anyway, last time I left with some of the emotional process that has [...]
why meditate?
I had promised myself I’d do a meditation retreat back in May, when I’d finally have some time. But, May is a festive time for university people and I had a lot of celebrating to do. Then it was June and I am a summer girl. I couldn’t dedicate a week or more to sitting [...]
the thing about gurus: a kumaré review
Gurus have always been problem for me, perhaps my biggest in the yoga and meditation worlds. Though perhaps it’s the strange and often appropriated spirituality that bothers me, and gurus are an offshoot of that. The reason I’ve left most sanghas (communities) is because there comes a point that if you aren’t into the guru, [...]
yoga & film: kumaré & five ways
Hey, Art & Yoga people: Purva’s Kumaré opens this week at IFC, screening on Wednesday and Thursday. I first saw Purva in East is East at MTC in 1999. Seven (?) years later she showed up in my yoga classes, and is still a Sunshine fan. The documentary is getting lots of great press and [...]
yoga fun
You practice yoga. We practice Ashtanga. Like Madonna. Used to. We still do. Ouch. We do our practice and all is coming. Om. Tat. Sat. – by Kiki Flynn
yoga for insomnia
Over a year ago I designed a class for insomnia, because a number of students asked what could help them sleep. I did a bit of research, but for the most part I offered what had helped me the most. Sometimes a pose just shifts me out of monkey mind toward slumber. I just did [...]
otherness & self
Last week, Julia, a student who seldom misses class (maybe twice this semester?) gave the best excuse I’ve ever heard for not coming to yoga. “I was at Ted Talks.” Excellent. Okay. I often listen to Ted while I’m cleaning. Last weekend I heard this talk about self and otherness by Thandie Newton, and I [...]
the daily minimum, at home
Wednesday I shared a basic ten (ok, fifteen) minute class to practice at home. Today we have a slightly more vigorous ashtanga-based option. We call it “the daily minimum.” If you are just beginning to practice at home, make sure to the same things you’d do in a class. Turn off your phone. Take a [...]
yoga at home for the holidays
Last week I was commiserating with a student who’d missed class about how difficult it is to establish a home practice. It took me about two years of consistent led classes to really get into practice on my own. Establishing a daily home practice took not only dedication, but concentration. It’s much easier to make [...]
ouch. my wrists/hands hurt in adho mukha svanasana (downward-facing dog)
I’m reposting this as many of you have had questions about wrist and hand pain in down dog. This is a quick post to answer MM’s question about her hands—the base of her hands hurt in down dog. This is a great question, because it’s a common problem. Often the wrists hurt for people who are [...]
