FAQs

Yoga is for everyone – but that is not specific to anyone in particular. The truth is, that there are so many good reasons, that anyone can have their own. If you feel that you would like to try Yoga, it is absolutely for you!

In case you are short on time or just want an overview, I have condensed the most important criteria here. If you click the following link, however, I will go more into detail on how to chose a Yoga Teacher.

The following might serve as a help to find a serious Yoga Teacher in your area.

• Your teacher should show contiuity in their own development. Don’t trust yourself to someone who graduated long ago when you don’t know if they continued to teach.
• Your Teacher should demand reasonable pricing. On the one hand that means, that getting an impression of what expects you is cheap or free. This can come in many forms, either by way of a free or cheaper first class, by online material, by a chance to speak to the teacher first or anything else that allows you to assess, if this is for you. On the other hand if your Teacher is the best, he will probably not be the cheapest. Trust your instinct in chosing, who you want to learn from – and afterwards consult your purse. A great Teacher may in some cases even have special options for you if you are in a financially tight situation.
• Try to find out how much your Teacher knows and cares about anatomy before visiting their Asana class. Your Yoga Teacher should either display or let you know upon asking that they have been trained in understanding the anatomy of Yoga poses, and that they will educate you on how to move safely during your practice.
• Your Teacher should be registered with Yoga Alliance Professionals, the World Yoga Council or another community that demand a certain standard from their members. While in itself no guarantee for “Your perfect Yoga Teacher” of course, this is an additional security.
• Your Teacher should be accessible, that means you should be able to get a feel for their methods aims and personality, contact them, and ideally see their lineage.
• Your Teacher offers information on their page, that is not purely promotional.
• Lastly, but absolutely importantly: You must like your Teacher. Yoga is very personal and can lead to great transformations. In order to make this possible, it is imperative that you feel comfortable to open up around your Teacher. Find a Teacher, whom you respect and like and who you genuinely feel taken care of.

First: Yes, Yoga can accomodate you! There are modifications to almost any pose, that you can ease into, if you cannot do the standard version for some reason or another.

Almost all poses are on a continuum, which can accomodate for all levels of fitness, tightness and ailments. Some poses may be contraindicated – but that does not mean, there would not be something else you can do!

If you can move, you are strong enough to do Yoga Asana. From there on, “Do your practice and all is coming”, as Pattabhi Jois said.

As a matter of fact, you are perfect for Yoga. There is something, Yoga can offer you, even should you find, that it is not the postures. Many people think that they need to be strong and flexible to begin Yoga Asana, but as soon as you feel the intended effect, you are doing it right. Come as you are and if you find, that you need not stretch yourself very far before you feel it: Then that is all you need now. As you continue to practice, your body will require more to tire and expand – and then that will lead to the whole practice looking different too. As Yoga is always about practice and never about show, however (very unlike acrobatics) you are doing it right, as long as your alignment is correct and you are mindful – regardless of the way you look.

All you really need, is yourself with an open mind.

Ideally you ask yourself in advance, if you have any ailments your teacher should know about, and if you are comfortable about answering in front of the whole class when the question comes. If not, just walk to your teachers mat before the course begins and quickly make your point known – any good teacher will be grateful to be told!

It is also helpful to have a pair of leggins or other comfortable, loose or stretchy pair of pants, and a top or T-Shirt and some water to drink. Depending on the time of year I would recommend a blanket, as the relaxation in the end can get a little chilly in winter without.
It’s nice to have a towel with you, which can be utilized in multiple ways, replacing some fancy props on a functional level.
As your practice develops you might want to buy your own yoga mat, and any other props that you find yourself using a lot.

Either, what you are doing is not the beginning version, or the pose you are trying is not the one you should be doing. There is probably a preparatory one, that should come first.

Most poses range on an uninterrupted continuum and those that don’t should not be the place to start.

View some examples of what this continuum may look like.

The quick answer is No, you are not!

In my Teacher Training Course we had a woman in her seventies, who ranged amongst the five fittest people of us all. I once approached her, to tell her how impressed I was, and she just gave me a shrug – “well, you know, I have been doing this for ten years now, so…”

That’s right, she started in her sixties and got fitter than most of us twenty-somethings were.

So, unless your aim is to beat her in fitness at age 95, I hope, I brought the point across, that you can get a lot fitter and healthier – and this a lot later than you would believe.

One of my private students was convinced that she had weak arms, had constant shoulder pains and had a fear of being in any way upside-down. She was never “fit” in her youth, actually hearing all the time that she were too clumsy – and believing this. She is in her fifties now and a few weeks ago did her first assisted headstand, reassuring her self-esteem and proving all those nagging voices wrong.