Yoga - Finding a Class

The New York Times Article on January 5 on the dangers of yoga was soon followed by the diverse comments that followed and thoughtful Elephant blogs.
Yoga: Doing More Harm Than Good?  "Yoga Can Wreck Your Health." (7 Ways To Avoid It)  The Hero's Foot & the Cedar Branches: The Gift & Reality of Injury in Yoga PracticeYoga Need Not Wreck Your Body   Not to add more words to the discussion I'd like to share the purely personal advice I give when asked about yoga.Yoga
Full disclosure: Iam a yoga teacher. After neck surgery, yoga helped me when nothing else did, sonaturally, I believe yoga provides the best short and long term way to relax.It's not magic; it just feels like it.

Benefits for the Writer • Removes physicaltension and teaches relaxation techniques• Builds focus andconcentration and may teach meditation• Increasesflexibility, balance, and strength for the skeletal, muscular and nervoussystems• Teaches breathingand improves circulation
Finding a YogaClass - There are many, manyyogic traditions and sub-styles of yoga. "Hatha" is not a yoga style. The termmeans a class will be mostly "postures." If you haven't tried yoga or attendeda class in a long time, do not buy a DVD or Nintendo Wii Fit Yoga and plungein. Find a teacher. Especially if you have injuries or limitations, a teachercan help you modify stretches to fit your body. With a wide variety of yogalevels to choose from, try three teachers or classes before you decide yoga isnot for you. Use common sense and your intuition.
Even if you're veryfit, start with a Gentle Class . Callthe teacher and discus any limitations you may have. If you're not comfortablewith the answers, call another. A ChairYoga Class or a Yoga for Bad Backs class is also a good choice and will provide tips to take home and use at yourdesk. Teachers trained in RestorativeYoga can teach you how to set up relaxing passive stretches and how to usepillows, blankets, bathrobe ties, and stacks of books as props.

Clues You'veFound the Perfect Yoga Class–

Did the level of the class feel right?
If your body told you it needed a hard"workout" before it could relax, did you receive it?
If you needed only gentlestretches, did you get that?
Some classes are more strenuous and/or faster thanothers. Did you feel no pain or soreness after the class? Or the next day?
Wereyou comfortable even if you didn't wear a cute yoga outfit?
And mostimportant   
Did you feelbetter at the end of the class than at the beginning?


Did the Class Offer • Frequentreminders to breathe• Suggestions foradapting each pose for limitations• Contraindicationsfor special conditions (hypertension, etc.)• Reminders of thenoncompetitive nature of yoga• A minimum of 10minutes of relaxation at the end
Excerpt from Relaxing the Writer Section IV. Exploring other Attractions - Yoga