Go to any yoga class around the world and chances are there will be more women than men in the class. I have practiced yoga all over the world and classes range from all-female to maybe a 40/60 ratio of men to women. So why do more women practice yoga compared to men? Many years […]
The 3 Reasons we don’t Practice on Ashtanga Moon Days
Ashtanga moon days are considered special in the Ashtanga yoga world. These refer to both the new moon and full moon. We treat both days like a little holiday or a break from practice. So why do we not practice on ashtanga moon days? We don’t practice during Ashtanga moon days as it is a […]
Why Right Leg First In Lotus Pose?
Lotus Pose, or Padmasana in Sanskrit, is one of the most widely recognized poses in yoga. It is considered to be the ultimate pose for seated meditation. Interestingly, there is a standard way of entering this pose. There is a specific order of placing the legs in lotus. According to traditional yoga texts, we place right […]
Do I Have To Do Yoga Barefoot? Does It Matter?
A question most beginners ask me before their first yoga class is what to wear for their first class. The next question is whether we wear shoes and socks during class. With a smile, I say that we practice yoga barefoot. We practice yoga barefoot because socks are slippery and shoes are bulky. Doing yoga […]
What To Eat Before & After Ashtanga Yoga (Plus a post-yoga recipe)
For anyone who practices yoga or Ashtanga yoga in particular, what to eat and when to eat questions will eventually make its appearance. How much? How little? What is best for me? When? As a general rule of thumb, try to practice yoga on an empty stomach. This means waiting at least 3 or 4 […]
Yoga Is So Expensive, But Why?
For the past decade, yoga has been experiencing a boom. More and more yoga studios are opening up, driving up the competition and with that, the prices of yoga classes. And so if you are wondering why yoga is expensive, let’s have a look. So why is yoga so expensive? In short, the ongoing training […]
Yoga vs Stretching: The 4 Main Differences
When I first stepped on my yoga mat and started practicing yoga, I quickly noticed a big difference in my flexibility. And indeed almost a decade later, I am much more flexible than I was when I first started. And so a normal question to wonder is whether yoga is just stretching. The physical practice […]
Why We Use Sanskrit in Yoga
When I first started practicing yoga, I remember being fascinated by the Sanskrit words my teacher used when guiding the class. And now as a yoga teacher myself, a common question I get asked is: Why do we use Sanskrit in yoga? The foundational texts of classical yoga philosophy were written in Sanskrit, more than […]