As a yoga instructor I get lots of interesting questions about Yoga. Here are just a few!
Is Yoga a Religion?
No. Yoga is really only a philosophy. Yoga has guidelines, ideas and lifestyle tips. Everything is up for debate.
Yoga is way more than just the poses that you do in class. Yoga is compatible to any religion or lack there of. In yoga you can take what you like and leave the rest. That is the beauty of yoga. If you only like the poses and the philosophy leaves you feeling uncomfortable you can ditch it. If you do not want to do the poses but love learning about the philosophy or doing meditation that is fine to. Yoga finds you where you are.
Don't you worship Hindu Gods on Yoga?
No. No gods are worshipped in yoga, that is unless you choose consciously to do so. There is however a definite Indian influence in the naming of poses and some of the chants spoken in some classes. Yoga originated in India so it does stand to reason that their culture would be an influence.
Don't you need to be flexible to do Yoga?
No. You do yoga to maybe get flexible as well as strong. It is like asking “do I have to be strong to lift weights?” If you are not flexible take beginning level classes and work your way up to more advanced classes.
Isn't Yoga just stretching?
Yoga is so much more than stretching. The poses make you long, lean and strong. Yoga is also meditation, breathing techniques, and can help you learn to be more comfortable in your own skin.
Can I lose weight doing Yoga?
Absolutely! Yoga is a complete calorie burning workout. Plus, when you learn more about yourself through some of the yoga philosophy you might find the root to many of your problems, possibly stopping some self destructive cycles that lead to over eating.
How do I start practicing at home?
One of the easiest ways to start is with Sun Salutations. Then take a few classes and you can incorporate a few of your favorite poses. Take it slow and start with fifteen or twenty minutes and work from there. Another easy way is to find a yoga DVD you like, Amazon has plenty with reviews! You can also try some free classes online.
If you have any questions about yoga feel free to send them my way!
