I was reading a newly discovered blog, Namaste, Bitches (just the title alone was enough to make me HAVE to explore it) and came up with a great question. What is yoga? Or more specifically, what do people who don’t really know much about yoga think it is? In the post “Takin’ It To The Street“, Holly goes to a Philadelphia construction site to expose workers to yoga. What a cool (and possibly brave) idea! She made a comment about the disconnect between yoga teachers/studios and the “real” people out there who could most benefit from the practice, which I think is right on target.
I know there are many misconceptions out there about what yoga is and is not. I figure since I’m training to teach I should probably explore just what some of those ideas are (I’ve heard some interesting ones over the years). This is when it is really handy to have a knitting blog as opposed to a yoga blog and I hope you’ll humor me. Many of you have nothing to do with yoga and thus are just the people to ask! When you hear that someone is “doing yoga” what is it exactly you think they’re doing? What kind of imagery and ideas come to mind when you think about yoga?
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
4 Responses to What is yoga?
Leave a Reply
Diva Knitting
Diva Knitting Store
Carefree Yoga
Yoga For Golfers
Diva Knitting Logo Merchandise
Link to Diva Knitting! (please save to your server) 
Deals and Gifts
Search with Google, win stuff! I've arleay won multiple Amazon certificates and a $400 check!
Yoga conjures up images from the 70′s…lots of New Age-y “visualizing.”
That’s the first set of images.
Then, I take myself to more modern images of people doing a lot of various poses in positions my body won’t go in anymore or that I lack the balance to hold.
Generally, I think of it more from the exercise view, increasing strength and flexibility, but I know some people also incorporate more of the vegetarianism, ohm-type aspect. I’ve done some yoga from tapes, but I’ve never actually been to a class. I should do more, I could use some additional strength and flexibility!
I imagine it’s stretching & meditation. I also realize that it probably would create more problems for me with severe arthritis & fibro.
I go to a lot of yoga and pilates classes, so I think about relaxation, stretching, and visualizing my body reaching further or going further without pain or discomfort while I am in a pose. I think about deep breaths and a special kind of chipper personality from an instructor.