Faqs & Resources

Yoga Faqs - Frequently Asked Questions

What style of yoga do you teach?
I teach a form of Iyengar based yoga for beginning students and gradually introduce flow poses based on Anusara Yoga. I take an interactive role in the classes, guiding students as needed in order to help them move more deeply into the poses. I teach with the use of props, in the beginning and as needed to aid in deeper understanding and greater ease in the poses.

Is Yoga a Religion?
View the article Is Yoga a Religion? from Yoga Journal explaining why yoga is not a religion, and also explains the differences between religion and yoga.

What should I wear to class?
You should wear close fitting knit pants or shorts, a close fitting top or sports bra with tank top or T-shirt. Clothes that are comfortable and flexible are recommended. All poses are done in bare feet in order to avoid slipping on the mat.

Should I bring anything to class?
If you have your own yoga mat, please bring it with you, otherwise mats and all the other props are provided in the home studio. Props include mats, blocks, belts, blankets, bolsters, chairs and walls.

Where can I purchase yoga props and mats?
Stores such as Target and Kmart, just to mention a few in our area, have mats, blocks, and belts. You can also order online from stores such as YogaDirect.com, EverydayYoga.com, and Manduka.com.

How do I clean my mat?
For older thin rubber mats, open your mat in the bath tub and cover it with water using just a teaspoon full of dish soup and a cup of vinegar. Use a soft cloth to scrub over the mat on both sides. To rinse out all the soap suds, use water and a cup of vinegar and then squeeze as much water out at possible. Towel dry and hang to dry in a warm place away from the sun. Because of the dense mat material, it will take 3 to 4 days to dry completely at room temperature. For the newer organic mats, such as the Pro Mat from Manduka, use a non-solvent household cleaner with a damp cloth or sponge. Hang to dry in the sunshine or a dry area in the house. Do not clean the Pro Mat with the garden hose nor put it in the bath tub, shower, or washing machine. This may ruin your Pro Mat and break your machine.

Is it OK to eat immediately before class?
No, you should wait at least 1 ½ - 2 hours before practicing yoga. Some instructors recommend 3 hours before class if you eat a light meal and 4 hours after a heavy meal especially if inversions are included in the practice.

Can I get as much from a video as I can in a face to face class?
Videos are great after students have at least several years of consistent class instruction. The problem for beginning students is that their muscular memory for correct alignment has not been developed for each pose. In other words, students think they are doing the pose described by a video, when in fact, they are not in correct alignment. Students need specific cues and hands on instruction in order to develop muscular and skeletal alignment for the full benefit of the poses. If you practice incorrectly, it is harder to unlearn the incorrect muscular memory and the full intended benefit of the pose has not been accomplished.

Can you recommend any videos or books?
Videos featuring either Patricia Walden or Rodney Yee or John Friend are especially clear and useful. A good book for beginners is entitled, "Yoga, the Iyengar Way" by Silva, Mira & Shyam Mehta. It's a very practical book with great pictures and directions, and includes a section on the philosophy of yoga at the beginning of the book. Another book for beginning students is "30 Essential Yoga Poses" by Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T. If you are wanting a more advanced book about yoga philosophy, breathing techniques (Pranayama) and how to develop a personal practice, read T.K.V. Desikachar's text entitled, "The Heart of Yoga…Developing a Personal Practice".

Additional Yoga Resources - Books

• Hatha Yoga Illustrated by Martin Kirk, Brooke Boon and Daniel DiTuro
• How to Use Yoga by Mira Mahta
• Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar
• Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater, PhD, P.T.
• Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee by Rodney Yee with Nina Zolotow
• Relax and Renew by Judith Lasater, PhD, P.T.
• The Breathing Book: Good Health and Vitality Through Essential Breath Work by Donna Farhi
• The Everything Yoga Book by Cynthia Worby
• The Language of Yoga by Nicolai Bachman
• The Path to Holistic Health by B.K.S. Iyengar
• The Woman's Book of Yoga & Health by Linda Sparrowe with Yoga Sequences by Patricia Walden
• Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff
• Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing by Mehmet Oz, M.D.
• Yoga: Discipline of Freedom: The Yoga Sutra Attributed to Patanjali by Barbara Stoler Miller
• Yoga for Arthritis by Loren Fishman, M.D. and Ellen Saltonstall
• Yoga Journal resourceful online and print magazine
• Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing by Richard Miller, PhD
• Yoga The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness by Erich Schiffmann