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Strike a Yoga Pose: Noose
This majestic and stable looking pose is a great way to open your shoulders, work the muscles in your feet and lower legs, and also challenges your sense of balance.
Sanskrit Name: Pasasana
English Translation: Noose Pose
Also Called: Twisting Bound Squat
This is a tough pose so to learn an easier modification read more
A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Counting
The thing I love about Ashtanga yoga classes is that they are the same every time you go. Same poses, same order, same amount of breaths in each pose, and the class is always an hour and a half. There are no surprises, so you always know what to expect.
Are You Slipping on Your Mat? Try a Rug
Saying that Ashtanga, Bikram, and Vinyasa yoga classes are sweaty is a bit of an understatement. The room is heated (in Bikram can be over 100°F), and you're moving vigorously, so your body sweats profusely to cool you down. In the first 15 minutes, my entire outfit is soaking wet and little beads of sweat start dripping from my chin.
A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Animal Names
When you take a yoga class (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructor will call out the names of the poses in their original language, Sanskrit. Here's a list of some animals in Sanskrit and the poses they're named after. Knowing these Sanskrit words really helped me to remember the names of certain yoga poses.
Move it at Home: Beryl Bender Birch Power Yoga - The Practice
Sometimes you have to stick with a winner, and even though Beryl Bender BIrch's Power Yoga: The Practice DVD came out in 2002, it illustrates Ashtanga Yoga's Primary Series beautifully. Since this series of poses never changes, this DVD is timeless.
It illustrates the poses of Primary Series just like David Swenson's Primary Series DVD, but what I love about this video is that the instructor is a woman.
A Little Sanskrit Lesson: Basics
When I go to certain yoga classes (especially Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Jivamukti classes), sometimes the instructors don't demonstrate the postures. They walk around assisting students, and call out the names of the poses - in SANSKRIT! Here's a little lesson so the next time you go to a yoga class like this, you can have more of an idea of what poses you're supposed to be doing.
Guess Who?
Guess who's got these toned and muscular arms?
Want to find out? Then read more
Class Act: Mysore
If you're checking out classes at an Ashtanga yoga studio, you may come across a class called Mysore.
In a Mysore style yoga class, you lead yourself, following your own breath and a series of memorized poses, either First Series or Second Series. If you are an advanced practitioner, you may even do Third Series.
Move it at Home: David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga - Second and Third Series
You know how much I love David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga First Series DVD, but I love his Second and Third Series DVD even more.
Many Ashtanga yoga teachers have made First Series videos, but it's tough to find a video that explains Second Series.
David Swenson takes you through this ancient and challenging series of yoga poses.
Will Yoga Help Me Lose Weight?
People have been asking me the seemingly rather simple question, "Will Yoga help me lose weight?" Ahhh...but the answer is not so straight forward because losing weight is different for everyone, depending on your genetic make-up, your habits, your diet, your personal willpower, and your lifestyle.
Yoga focuses on having mind/body awareness.
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