Yoga is not a religion. You don’t have to chant mantras or belong to a certain faith to practice yoga. As a mother, yogini and teacher– here is a little bit about the practice.

Don’t let the weird or hard to pronounce words known as Sanskrit (the ancient language of yoga) put you off. Just as some mom’s look better in a fitted dress and other mom’s prefer a comfy pair of jeans–It’s about what style fits you.

What style fits?
If you have ever looked into a yoga class or yoga practice you may have seen or heard these words: Astanga, Iyengar, or Viniyoga. These are the names of students of Krishnamacharya, known as the father of modern yoga; other classic styles come from the guru Sivananda. If all of these syllables are making your head spin what you need to know is what makes these styles different is emphasis. Some traditions place the emphasis on the strict alignment of the body, while others focus on the coordination of breath and body movement or the flow from one posture to another.

No one style is superior to another
Not all yoga fits into a classic category. Teachers may have trained under more than one tradition and then fused their interpretation into a different “style.” A yoga class can vary from a heat-induced strenuous physical workout to a gentle meditative relaxation. No one style is superior to another. Think about what fits you, and you’ve found the right style. My own practice has evolved into a fusion of my teachers’ styles—from my formal yoga education with the Bihar School in India to my practice in the tradition of the late Vanda Scaravelli.
Whichever style you choose, take your time and be mindful of your choice, for the rewards can last a lifetime. Let me hear from you. Do you practice yoga?

And, if you want to find out the benefits of a good laugh? Check out Dr Weil’s Take on Laughter Yoga

Tags: Education, Healthy Mother Healthy Child: Creating Whole Families from the Inside Out, India, Religion, Religion and Spirituality, stress-relief, Teachers and Centers, United States, Viniyoga, Yoga