Tuesday, June 18, 2002


yoga. . .

it's not just for grown-ups anymore. since health experts say that children face an obesity crisis, and many schools now have eliminated recess, could yoga be crucial to youth today?

unlike team sports, yoga doesn't require expensive equipment, playing fields, or uniforms. there's no pressure to conform. and there is a form of yoga suitable for every individual body type and temperment. early and late bloomers alike can progress with yoga at their own pace, feeling accomplishment and self-esteem. right on, atlanta parents!

on another yoga note, this month's elle, normally a magazine suitable only for reading in the bathtub when you're home with the flu, actually has a timely article on "yoga's downside." which is, as most practitioners know, the danger of being injured. often injuries occur when a beginner tries poses that they don't belong in, or are placed at the mercy of the under-qualified teachers now stocking so many gyms and fitness centers.

but bad practice habits and a greedy desire for fancy poses can fell even more experienced yogis and yoginis. the article quotes one chiropractor as saying most of the injuries he sees come from people over-doing it in bikram classes.

i personally advise everyone who is considering trying yoga to go to a specialty yoga studio for one of the special 6-week ultra-beginner classes. these are widely offered nowadays and offer an excellent and safe introduction to yoga. don't be afraid to ask about the teachers' certification. make sure the teachers have completed at least 200 hours of training in accordance with the yoga alliance guidelines; 500 or 700 hours is even better. definitely avoid those former aerobics teachers who've been to the weekend yoga workshops!

some of the most experienced and respected teachers, of course, got started in the 60s and 70s before certification programs began. they have had decades of experience and have often lived in india with teachers like jois, desikachar, or iyengar for long periods of time. these expert teachers are of course quite happy to discuss their experience with you. always talk to the teacher; if he or she is unwilling to answer your questions, that's the hint that you should leave.

but young or not-so-young alike, yoga is an activity that has much to offer everyone. i encourage those of you who haven't yet tried yoga to take a class or two. search for the kind of yoga that speaks to you. the benefits are real; the practice will change your body -- and your heart.

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