Last weekend, I attended the Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco. Throughout the weekend, I had the opportunity to try many different styles of yoga, such as Anusara, Ashtanga, and Vinyaasa. I especially enjoyed the Anusara class with Master Teacher Desiree Rumbaugh. Although all these various classes and styles were fun, I did not resonate with any of them. Unfortunately, after all those classes over the weekend, all I felt was good…that’s it. But that is not enough for me. After a class at my local studio, I always leave feeling happy, clear, refreshed, energized, and inspired.

With so many different styles and teachers out there, it’s all a matter of finding which style of yoga you like best and which teacher can you relate with. The style of yoga I personally prefer is Hatha Yoga. But each person has their own style and teacher they favor. I have had many people tell me that yoga is not their thing. Yoga is for everyone. It’s just a matter of finding a style that you can connect with. Try various styles and yoga studios until you find one that you enjoy and can resonate with. If you would like to find yoga studios and/or certified yoga teachers near you, go to Yoga Alliance’s website at www.yogaalliance.org and you can search for studios and teachers in your area.

Yoga is not only for the physical benefits. It is also about how you feel on the inside. Find the practice in which you feel at peace and as if you are expanding your boundaries. I know that Hatha yoga is my style, but what is your style?

Varsha

I just saw the Advil commercial on TV. The commercial was about a mother with pain…pain in knees from working out, tension headaches from work, back pains from lifting her son, and so forth. Advil was claiming that it could work for all types of pain so that you don’t have to take a different pain killer for the different types of pain.

Pain is a sign. It is a sign that there is an imbalance in the physiology. It is a sign of weakness in that area. When you feel pain, your first thought should not be where is the painkiller, but rather, how can I fix this? My yoga teacher in fact says, “pain is a blessing.” How is it a blessing? According to Ayurveda, before you are actually facing the disease or illness, you are first face to face with the preliminary symptoms. When preliminary symptoms come about, it is the first sign of an imbalance. Therefore, pain is a warning and as always, warnings should not be taken lightly.

What does Yoga do for pain? Yoga works not just on the physical level, but it works on a deeper, cellular level. All yoga postures provide a health benefit. For example, the cobra position will improve circulation and improve digestion. The downward dog will balance Vata, while stimulating Kapha. And the warrior pose helps to open up the chest and lungs. There is a yoga pose or a series of asanas (postures) that will aid in the recovery from any kind of pain. From basic to complex poses, every point in your physiology can be addressed through yoga.

Suryanamaskar, also known as sun salutations, are great for Vata and Kapha type of people. Vata people should do them slowly and steadily, where as Kapha people should do their round of sun salutations with a quicker, more active pace and do more rounds. Pitta people are recommended to do moon salutations more than sun salutations. The reason being is that Chandra Namaskar (moon salutations) are more calming and cooling for a Pitta physiology.

Many types of pain, such as arthritis, back pain, joint pain, and even headaches, can be addressed through the practice of Hatha Yoga. If you do have any physical pain, my recommendation is to practice Hatha yoga, rather than taking a painkiller. But remember, when you are using yoga as a form of healing, it is important to work with a certified yoga teacher. It can be dangerous to do yoga on your own through the Internet or a video. I have helped many people with their headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, and so much more through Hatha yoga. If you suffer from pain, give yoga a try; you have nothing to lose, except lose the pain itself.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

Yoga is often associated as a type of exercise. That is true…a good yoga class will give you a cardio and strength workout. However, a great yoga class will also place attention upon your mind and physiology as a whole.

Research shows that 75 to 90% of all doctor visits are stress-related. In fact, most diseases, whether it’s a cold or an organ failure is typically caused due to stress.

The secret behind the success of yoga and its practice is that yoga is supposed to address the mind as a part of the yoga classes. Most people always say that they feel great after their yoga class. Part of that reason is due to the exercise portion. But the better part of that is the relaxation of the mind and body while remaining active.

My yoga teacher always says, “a fast mind is a sick mind and a still mind is a divine mind.” Many of us tend to over think, analyze too much, worry too much, or get caught up in all of our other troubles. Ayurveda treats any and all illness from the root cause and addresses symptoms as secondary. Similarly, yoga treats and nourishes the physiology from inside out. Yoga will also target the root cause of your imbalance.

There are many ways to “fix” your mind and body through yoga. All you need is a teacher who can guide you and teach you accordingly. But always remember the most important factor in yoga. That is you must always remember to work with your mind and body as a whole, not only the parts that need the attention.

Enjoy your yoga!

We all know from experience that stress can affect our ability to work efficiently. No doubt, there are a handful of people who can naturally deal with a greater amount of stress than others. However, the bottom line is that majority of the population has no effective way of dealing with stress. Some of the symptoms of stress are anger, frustration, making mistakes, not thinking clearly, decrease in work efficiency, and greater risk of illness. Eating chocolate or junk food and arguing with a loved one about your problems at work will not be the solution to your problems.

One of the questions I often get asked is how to cope with stress. With the economy struggling due to inflation, high cost of living, rising gas prices, and a tough job market, stress is in the air. For the average adult, high loads of stress usually comes from family, work, and finances. For students, some ways they are affected by stress are from class, homework, finances, dating, and peer pressure. Regardless of your age, you have stress in your life.

For each person, his or her method to cope with stress is different because each individual is different from the other. However, for a large amount of the population, exercise seems to be most effective way of dealing with high amounts of stress. But what type of exercise? There are so many different forms of exercise out there. The one I feel is most efficient in coping with stress, is Yoga. A Hatha yoga class will cover all the needs to relax away the stress. The practice of Yoga will clear your mind and relax your body. Furthermore, yoga will allow for a more integrated functioning of the mind and body.

The unique aspect of Hatha Yoga is that a really good yoga class will cover cardio, strength, and flexibility. Along with the physical benefits, this particular type of yoga will also cover some meditation and other relaxation techniques. Yoga will allow you to become and stay physically fit while allowing your mind to relax and be stress free. Many of us carry our stress on our shoulders for example. Yoga will allow for us to take care of the tight shoulders and the headaches, while clearing the mind through Pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation.