A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teens with eating disorders benefited from establishing a yoga practice, reports Time magazine. In the study, teens (mostly girls ages 11-16) with eating disorders showed longer-lasting improvement when they added a yoga practice to their treatment program. "Food preoccupation may be reduced by focusing attention on yoga poses,"  wrote researchers.

Posted by Erica Rodefer on November 5, 2009 10:33 AM Permalink Comments (0)

Is yoga a fitness regime or a spiritual endeavor? This is the question at the root of a debate brewing in Missouri, which recently became the first state to collect sales tax on yoga classes, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"At issue is a Missouri statute that mandates a 4 percent tax on fees charged for athletic events like Cardinals games, fitness club memberships and other entertainment, amusement or recreation businesses.

Yoga teachers say the service they provide is not recreation, but a form of physical preparation for meditation, based on ancient Hindu texts, with the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment.

But even yogis concede the American interpretation of yoga that has blossomed, especially in the last 30 years or so, has become popular for its stress-reducing properties and physical health benefits."

It's a debate we've been having in the yoga community for ages, and both sides have compelling arguments. Do you think yoga classes should be subject to state sales taxes?

Posted by Erica Rodefer on November 4, 2009 2:36 PM Permalink Comments (9)

If you are anything like me then when you practice yoga you focus on the asana -- poses that stretch the body (and often the mind). You know that meditation is an important part of the practice and you might sneak in a minute or two of stillness at the beginning or end of your asana fiesta.

Or maybe you sit and meditate for five, ten, twenty minutes a day.

Or maybe you think you should. And you don't.

At one time or another I have fallen into all of these categories. When I began yoga it was hard for me to sit for ten seconds. I was so used to moving and doing and multi-tasking that I'd completely forgotten how to get still. As I became more involved with my asana practice I gradually started to unravel and could proudly hit the ten second mark without even a flinch. From there my endurance grew so that now, ten years later, I can sit for ten minutes straight and not run screaming from my zafu.

Doesn't sound like much, does it? Well, for me, ten minutes feels like a huge victory. (Even then, I go in and out of my meditation practice more often than I would like to admit.) But I know that every time I meditate I feel like I want (need) to do it more.

Where do you sit on meditation? Or do you sit at all?

Looking to learn more about meditation? Check out our collection of meditation articles.

Posted by Hannah O'Reilly on October 23, 2009 9:31 AM Permalink Comments (10)

I was recently watching Yoga Journal's latest DVD: Yoga For Strength and Toning with Flow teacher Stephanie Snyder. (Full disclosure: Stephanie is my main teacher so I am thrilled that she just released this brand new DVD.) Strength and toning seems like a great reason to do yoga but it got me thinking: I wonder how many different reasons there are that people practice yoga?

Some super-busy students of mine do yoga to de-stress; others to stay in shape. Some sporty students do yoga to stretch out after their workout.  I do yoga for different reasons on different days but mostly because it makes me feel good: mind, body, and soul. (And sometimes I joke that I do yoga because it makes me a little bit less crazy.)

I know my students do yoga for some many reasons. What are those reasons for you? What brings you to the mat?

Posted by Hannah O'Reilly on October 21, 2009 10:46 AM Permalink Comments (16)

Recently I came across An Offering of Leaves by Jivamukti yoga teacher Ruth Lauer-Manenti. This new book is a collection of "'dharma talks' -- stories from her life that accompany her classes and represent the yogic commitments to ahimsa (non-violence), compassion, and service."

Usually when I pick up books based on yoga philosophy, all full of enthusiasm to absorb some yogic wisdom, I get lost after three pages and end up abandoning ship. Thankfully, this book was a very welcome exception.

Ruth writes with such simplicity, humor and authenticity that I was immediately drawn into each story. It was easy to see the connection to the Sanskrit verse with which the story began. By the end I felt like I had delved into the ancient texts of The Yoga Sutras and The Bhagavad Gita in a way I never had before and in a way that made sense to me. I'm hoping I can bring this new-found knowledge into my days and to my students.

What other books have helped you deepen your understanding of yoga philosophy in an easy and accessible way?

Posted by Hannah O'Reilly on October 13, 2009 1:00 PM Permalink Comments (3)

This weekend I had the pleasure of teaching an Intro to Yoga workshop to a shiny, new crop of yogis. Some of them had never done yoga. Others had done yoga a bit but had never gotten the basics. And yet they all had one thing in common: they were super-eager to learn.

It was as if just by signing up for a workshop called "Intro" they had taken on the "Beginner's Mind" and embraced it. And oh what a wonderful thing that was.

In case you're not familiar, we often refer to a "Beginner's Mind" in yoga as that space where you examine everything as if it were new. By opening ourselves up to the possibility that there is always something new to learn (even when you have done the "same" downward facing dog a thousand times) all kinds of things can shift and change and evolve.

I found myself inspired by my beginners. Not only were they discovering yoga with all of its possibilities but they were so open and receptive to everything I (and yoga) had to offer. I found myself wanting to give as much of myself as I possibly could. I wanted to learn more and absorb with the same openness and fearlessness that they were exhibiting.

And so, my beginners, for this I thank you. And I ask you, my readers, where could you benefit from applying your Beginner's Mind?

Posted by Hannah O'Reilly on October 6, 2009 4:55 PM Permalink Comments (2)

Since I began teaching I've been on a quest to learn the secret to adjusting. Until last weekend, it hadn't gone so well.

I've been down many avenues on this quest: I learned a bit in teacher training ("adjusting basics", which I then promptly forgot in favor of pose names and sequences); I've bought "adjusting" books (its hard to learn hands-on from a sheet of paper); I've attended short "adjusting" trainings (they didn't quite get into what I was seeking); I've assisted other teachers (I was free to give all the adjustments I wanted but I was never quite sure what those should be). None of them measured up to what I was hoping to learn.

And then last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a Thai Yoga Massage workshop led by Jonas Westring, (Anusara Yoga Instructor, Therapeutic Bodyworker, and owner of Shantaya Yoga and Bodywork School).

I have to admit, when I signed up I thought the workshop would be informative but have very little to do with my yoga teaching. It was obvious from the first sequence that I was dead wrong. Turns out I had discovered the secret to all of those fantastic, deep, yummy adjustments that I have been longing to learn.

After just one day with Jonas I left equipped with clear insight into how to adjust the body, be sensitive to what is going on with my students' bodies, and to take care of myself while I'm adjusting. It was an invaluable experience that left me feeling like I had finally found a practice that could deeply change not only the way I adjust but how I interact with my students and their practice. I can't wait to learn more.

To get a taste of some Thai Yoga Massage adjustments check out Saul David Raye's article: Get in Touch.

Posted by Hannah O'Reilly on October 1, 2009 3:58 PM Permalink Comments (2)