Top 9 Questions I Get Asked About Yoga

1. I’m not flexible – can I still practice yoga?

Of course! The practice of yoga will open your hamstrings slowly over time. Think of it this way: If you are not flexible now, where will you be next year without yoga?

“Yoga is not about touching your toes, it is what you learn about yourself on the way down.”

 – Jigor Gor

2. Is yoga a religion?

No. Yoga is a philosophy that began in India about 5,000 years ago. Yes, yoga sometimes interweaves other philosophies like Hinduism and Buddhism, but it’s not expected that anyone align with these, it’s just part of the yoga education.

All religious beliefs are welcome on the mat. In fact, you may find that as your mind becomes quieter, your connection to your faith deepens.

3. How often should I practice yoga?

If you are attending one 75-minute class a week (like the ones offered at More Peace Yoga), that’s a fantastic start and you will experience many benefits from just that one class. You may find that’s just right.

Adding another class, or a home practice, will likely organically evolve as your body and mind begin to crave the gifts of feeling more open and relaxed.

4. I have ugly feet! Do I have to be barefoot?

This is one of the most common things I hear – it seems no one likes their feet! But after a short time on the mat in mountain pose, really honoring the gifts of our feet from a place of gratitude rather than critique, we find what was once considered ugly is now beautiful.

After all, how would we get around without feet? :)

If your feelings about your feet don’t transform this way, there are always yoga toe socks that allow you to feel almost as connected to the mat as bare feet.

“Change the way you look at things,
 and the things you look at change.” 
– Wayne Dyer

5. What does namaste mean?

Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you. Therefore, namaste literally means “bow me you” or “I bow to you.”

As a way to honor the light within one another, I like to use this phrase at the end of class as a ritualistic and positive conclusion to a lovely experience.

6. What is Hatha yoga?

Hatha is also translated as ha meaning “sun” and tha meaning “moon.” This refers to the balance of masculine aspects—active, hot, sun—and feminine aspects—receptive, cool, moon—within all of us.

Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each pose.

Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation. It asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and be more present in the unfolding of each moment.

7. What should I wear to class?

You don’t need to dress like the women on the cover of Yoga Journal in order to practice yoga, and that can get very expensive.

In the More Peace Yoga studio, we dress casually. Just be comfortable and consider making sure that your shirt doesn’t slip over your head when you’re in an inverted pose (head beneath your heart). 

8. What if I can’t do some of the poses?

There is only one pose you must learn and that is a pose where you are comfortably able to breathe and relax if another pose isn’t working for you. That might be child’s pose, puppy pose or on your back in Shavasana.

You’ll learn the poses when the time is right, and until then, I’ll show you modifications that will get you close.

9. What Is yoga?

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning to yoke or bind, and is often interpreted as “union” or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner, a yogini.

There are 8 limbs or asanas (the poses and the physical practice) of yoga in total. The asana were created in order to provide comfort, physical strength and stamina that is needed during long periods of meditation. We practice the 3rd limb (asana) most often in our classes.