FAQ

Personal enquiry is what yoga is all about, and below are a few of the more popular questions we get asked (click on them for the answer). If you have a question which you don’t see below, please get in touch and ask us directly – it may be that it will appear here shortly, or you can ask your teacher next time you’re in a class. Go on, don’t be shy. It’s what we’re here for!

Q&A
“I’m pregnant - can I come to yoga classes?”
“I’m really stiff - does that mean I can’t do yoga?”
“Is yoga suitable for children?”
“What should I wear to yoga class?”
“Can I do yoga during menstruation?”
“Is yoga a spiritual practice or a physical one?”
“How good at yoga do I need to be before I think about teacher training?”

“I’m pregnant - can I come to yoga classes?”
Yoga is ideal for the emotional and physical journey through conception, pregnancy, childbirth and labour, as well as continuing to be a support through parenthood. Yoga works on your system to promote strength and movement, which may help in labour (although there’s no guarantee that birth will be easy!). It also develops mental flexibility, which will be of most use to you.

If you haven’t experienced much or any yoga asana (posture) classes, seek the help of a reputable pregnancy yoga teacher. General drop-in classes will have people of many abilities and the teacher may be hard-pushed to teach you the basic postures and the adaptations that you will need.
You also need an innate understanding of the basic yogic principles of receptivity and non-violence (ahimsa) so that, as ligaments loosen and your centre of gravity shifts, you will be attuned with and respectful to your body.

If you have a regular, established practice, there should be no problem with carrying on with your regular class. Many teachers will advise you not to attend class and to practice gentle, restful postures at home between the eleventh and thirteenth week of your term, as there is an increased risk of miscarriage. After birth, allow at least three weeks for the body to adjust before resuming practice, as areas that usually support you during certain poses are likely to be temporarily out of service, like the abdominal muscles and the pelvic floor.

*If you have any complications in this or previous pregnancies, seek advice from your GP in full liaison with any potential yoga instructor.
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“I’m really stiff – does that mean that I can’t do yoga?”
No, you don’t have to be flexible to attend a yoga class, as the quality of your practice is not gauged by the scope of your movement. The acid test of a good yoga session is the overall effect it has on your life.

The term ‘hatha’ can be understood as the synthesis of action (sun) and receptivity/reflectivity (moon). Hatha yoga, therefore, transforms the term to its more usual implications of spiritual and emotional harmony and union.

Yoga is primarily aimed at the mind, where we are encouraged to be mentally supple and fluid so that we don’t let our personal accumulated experiences become the basis for our views on life.

The physical practice of asana postures is merely one aspect of yoga: if practiced sensitively, tuning into the subtleties of the body is a means of letting go of external distractions and drawing in to explore the mind.

Approached with the understanding that a yoga session is merely a moment on a long physical and emotional journey, it certainly does improve flexibility, strength and calmness over time. If you are stiff, unfit and stressed, the yoga class is clearly made for you!

Yoga: flexibility of mind and body
Yoga itself is not centred on improving physical flexibility – it has the broader, more encompassing goal of minimising our suffering and increasing our joy. The name ‘yoga’ alludes to union and harmony on all levels. The knowledge is more like a mirror than a list of absolutes and the yogi comes to see directly some of the currents that underpin his or her life. So flexibility in yoga is primarily aimed at the mind. Yoga practices are aimed at refining, even purifying our minds, and the practices are often stripped down, accelerated microcosms of life, since it is considered all contain aspects of the whole.

Although yoga as a tradition is not centred on physical flexibility and strength, one form of yoga and specifically one branch of that does. Under the umbrella term hatha, we find asthanga yoga, meaning ‘eight limbed’ or ‘eight branched’ yoga. One of those eight branches is asana, the well-known form of yoga postures. One way to see asthanga is of a gradual development model where one progresses from one limb to the next in order, so asana can be seen as a development of strength and flexibility as well as a means of promoting calmness and longevity to support the later stages which include pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation in the sense of formal seated practice.

In this respect, it is essential that the practitioner understands that the practices involve the nervous system and therefore employ the emotions and the imagination to help with movement in the asanas. Stiffness, resistance or lack of movement is very much a relative phenomenon – it only really exists within a limited framework. For example: a flower, when observed by the human eye, will seem static and unmoving, but when seen documentary-style from a camera’s viewpoint, over time, it can be seen to unfold.

In yoga asana then, the practitioner is encouraged to take the longer view and not view his or her class as starting at the beginning of any given session and ending at the end of that particular practice, but to think of their whole practice as a continuum. There is also a focus on refining awareness to tune in on the more subtle so that one can start to promote movement that originates from the body and to flow with and to develop from that. This makes sense of and incorporates so-called earlier stages on the ashtanga path such as non-violence (ahimsa), from the five yamas, and self-study (svadyaya) from the niyamas (these being the first and second stages respectively).

Of course, it soon becomes blatantly obvious that these limbs of the asthanga path all contain elements of each other and that it is a two-way street. So we have aspects of earlier stages as I’ve just mentioned being found in later stages but also it is plain that aspects of later stages such as those of sense withdrawal (pratyahara) and meditation (dhayana) and absorption (Samadhi) are clearly a part of preceding practices – notably pranayama and asana.
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“Is yoga suitable for children?”
The one word answer is yes. But that needs some qualification. Yoga can be adapted for anyone as long as you remember what its principle thrust is – that is a movement towards integration.
Where you begin your journey defines the nature of the first steps you take: on the journey to the top of a mountain one may start on the plains, the foothills or closer to the mountain top. Wherever one starts one’s journey, one will need to adopt a certain pace, psychological balance and a certain level of energy, which will alter during the different stages of the journey. Similarly, on a journey, seeing where one wants to go on a map without knowing where one is relative to it without knowing the destination is of no use at all. Finally, the journey will be a personal one.

One can see therefore that children will need a certain approach that may be different on the whole to adults, and younger children may need a different approach to older ones. Any good yoga teacher has to have a thorough and deep connection with yoga, a deep personal understanding and then that should relate to the psychological and physiological responses of the students as they move into their practice. The teacher needs to be like a conductor guiding the orchestra towards the over all destination of the piece as the conductor perceives it to be ideally played but working with the sound as it moves along creatively to do so. In practical terms, the teacher develops a fusion between his/her insights into yoga and the observation that he/she has of his/her class.

So it is obviously of no use to talk to small children of resistance, tuning in, or to discuss any of the more refined ideas in yoga explicitly but to teach them the essence or the feel for these things in language that relates to their environment. When talking about ahimsa or non-violence, for instance, it may give the idea more gravity for them if one discusses things in their lives that may embody that kind of softness – laying in bed with a clean sheet and cuddled up to your favourite bear after mum or dad has tucked you up. Generally, sensual images are useful in teaching yoga to all but particularly to children where security in the form of familiarity, pleasant foods and safe social environments are particularly important.

Many of us suffer from a huge difficulties with concentration and this is apparent in the postures where what we are being asked to focus on is subtle. We might find ourselves thinking that we are bored or that we do not like this pose or that we are not in the right mood but all of these excuses are the mind just simply finding it difficult to concentrate. Concentration is really a matter of integration or acknowledgement, acceptance and working with all the different selves that make up our character. Children also find concentration difficult, especially young children who may find that they are so stimulated by everything that their attention is drawn from this to that with some speed.

Anyone teaching yoga to children needs to think what might be of interest to them, what might draw them in, what might concentrate their minds and what might calm them so that they might develop some contentment (santosa). So in this way they might become more interested or realise that anywhere can be of interest when the mind is more settled. So the important thing is to get on their level.

For this reason, it is probably best to have yoga classes tailored for particular groups, right down to the point where it could be one to one. You might have groups from four and a half up to seven, from seven to 13, then 14 up to 20, and then right through until old age, say from 65+. Of course, all but the very youngest and very oldest would be fine in a normal drop-in class.

To conclude, then, yes, engage kids with practice but don’t make it heavy. The best case scenario is that yoga will help them feel more peaceful and relaxed and that concentration will not be an ordeal but an easy engagement they will have a positive association with yoga so that they might wish to carry it on and go deeper with it in their adult life.
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“What should I wear to a class?”
It is important to consider your clothing choice well when you are getting ready to come to your yoga class since the mind needs the freedom to draw inwards for successful practice and your clothing choices can support or undermine this intention. Because the weather in most countries is changeable, it’s good to make sure that you bring along some loose-fitting trousers, joggers or leggings and a long-sleeved t- shirt or a light fleece style top, no hood.

For reasons of comfort and so that the mind as far as possible is free to turn its attention inwards, the clothing should not have belts, poppers, straps in any position that may effect your comfort in any of the various asanas or poses, bearing in mind that these may be of a wide range. For similar reasons it should be noted that the clothing should be something that you feel comfortable and relaxed in and does not make you feel self-conscious.

Many of the asanas are best supported by bare legs and bare arms, for example bare legs in Vrksasana or bare arms in Bhujapidasana or Bakasna make a huge difference in terms of grip. Personal awareness and sensitivity increase by a significant amount when the skin is exposed to the air and bare skin aids student and teacher alike when visually checking alignment. So shorts, not too low in the leg, and a sleeveless top are perfect with a warmer top and joggers to slip on during quieter poses, pranayama and savasana if needs be.

The material should be light, breathable and flexible such as a cotton-Lycra mix or something similar and although the clothes should not be tight, over-loose clothing should also be avoided as they tend to hide alignment and can cover what should be exposed and expose what should be covered. Some of the clothes aimed at joggers are suitable and there are a great many companies making yoga clothing, some better than others.

Socks can be brought to wear in resting poses, mantra, pranayama, savasana but for the main again bare is best once more aiding grip sensitivity and awareness, although there may be certain foot conditions where you may want to keep your footwear on and there are yoga socks or socks with grip that will help if that is the case.
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“Can I do yoga during menstruation?”
As always, this is not a straightforward yes or no question. The simple answer is yes but it is often the case that certain asanas will be more or less suitable and owing to the wide range of experiences that can be had during menstruation there are a few guidelines that it is wise to follow.

Firstly and foremost, stay tuned in on what you feel comfortable with. Menstruation experiences are not only diverse from person to person but also each menstruation has different phases and experiences from one month to the next. Certainly it is possible to see a change in the nature of a cycle over the years. Generally speaking, the first and second day are the heaviest and during this time it is advisable to avoid inverted asana as well as during the day just before the menstruation begins. This is for two reasons: one to do with making sure that the flow of the menstruation is not disturbed and secondly, due to hormonal levels, the concentration levels may wane making it hard to focus and remain clear. These conditions may remain through out the whole cycle of course and each person must carefully listen to their inner body and respect the indications it shows.

Twists and some forward bends may prove uncomfortable during the cycle or at certain points during it, as there is often swelling around the reproductive organs. Other areas of the body may also become more sensitive and any asanas that cause tension due to discomfort should be avoided.

This all being said, the right use of asana practice can be of great help with many of the difficult experiences that sometimes come with menstruation. For some, menstruation is a time where one intuitively feels the need for introspection and it sometimes feels like a inner dying and rebirth take place, which naturally leads to a more sensitive and reflective mind state at this time. So asanas that support this inward awareness and sensitivity are recommended such as Sidhasana, Baddha konasana and Sukhasana gentle Pranayama – rechaka and puraka with ujjayi – can also be done but extra attention should be given to keeping the mind relaxed and the body free from tension. No retention should be practiced and any dizziness or tightness in the body is a sign to bring down the level of practice to a simpler practice of mindful breath awareness.

Simple mantra can also be practised but again such a practice should not go beyond what the practitioner is comfortable with and one should be prepared to stop and return to savasana whenever necessary. Where cramp or aching occurs in the legs, womb or lower back, supportive asanas such as Supta baddha konasana can be calming and restorative and supported chest opening and hip openers can be useful, though it is often worth avoiding having the head tipped back lower than the heart as changes in blood pressure can lead to dizziness.

Viparita Karani can be a good relief for leg tension as well as other legs up the wall supported asanas and are often best practiced later in the cycle. For some, towards the end of the cycle, some supported inverted work may become comfortable, particularly Salamba Sarvangasana using a chair as this can help dispel any last aches and pains and help to open up the womb and lower abdomen where it may have tightened during the cycle, as well as helping to dispel any mental tension that may have arisen and reset the brain. Care should be taken particularly of the lower back and the asana can be practise with the legs higher either with a higher backed chair or by placing a support beneath the legs, by raising the legs up altogether, or bringing them over to rest on a flat-topped chair or table top where the womb is not inflamed.

Supta Virasana is also often helpful as again it helps to open up the front body as well as helping to release lower-back tension, through the release of the front thighs and groins allowing the front groins to release and the pelvis to therefore turn more easily. This asana can also be useful in restoring the breath cycles to a deeper easier rhythm.

Always tell your teacher when you are menstruating and let them know if you are uncomfortable for any reason during a class. Don’t forget that yoga is creatively working from where you are towards a deeper state of integration and this might also mean that sometimes you may feel a warm bath, a few gentle stretches and some well-attuned breath cycles may be what your body needs. Or maybe it’s just a time for a little home study, some quiet reflection and a cup of hot chocolate.
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“Is yoga a spiritual practice or a physical one?”
This is a great question, because it takes us straight away to the heart of what yoga is dealing with: dualism. In yoga, as pointed to by the very word itself, the practitioner’s aim is in achieving yoga, “union” or one could even say “integration”. It is not uncommon to find at the start of a yoga book, talk of this union is of union with God, union between the mind, body and spirit or other similar explanations. Yet, at least early on in our yogic career, we often only experience these words as concepts or abstract philosophies and we may find them appealing or off-putting.
Yoga can be immensely integrating calming and energising and our approach to life becomes at least a little more enthusiastic, even refreshed. For some, this experience may fit the term “spiritual”, for others perhaps not. If “spiritual” means integrated and whole, more calm and tranquil, less reactive more reflective, earthed or centred in our present experience, then many of us would be happy to use the word to describe our personal connection with yoga. If, on the other hand, the word means believing in that which is outside any personal penetration or experience, if it means being somehow being separate from others, feeling more clever or special than others, then again there are a great many of us who would shy away from its use.

It is not, then, a question of being physical or spiritual. It is more that through the increased intimacy from moving into the practice, through, say improving the postures on a physical level (moving with more grace, precision, depth and range) then we begin to experience our physical reality more subtlety. This increased subtlety means that where we saw big obstacles, each with its own title and fairly fixed attributes, we begin instead to see detail. Instead of seeing “can” or “can’t”, we see the journey ahead and we can feel our relationship with our lives rather than having a sense that we have to somehow happen to our lives or that our lives somehow happen to us.

So, in yoga, the physical experience simply deepens and we see its inherent and constant movement where before where we may have been only sustaining snapshots of reality. We begin to view it as a flow which is calming and brings the mind into a peaceful resignation, content that life is not against us but simply has its own flow; the mind no longer views its surroundings as favourable or unfavourable but simply as a creative opportunity and becomes absorbed in its relationship with life. This feeling then being profoundly blissful, connected and peaceful can then be described as “spiritual”. One could say then that at the deepest, fullest experience of the physical, one finds oneself immersed in the highest penetration of the spiritual.
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“How good at yoga do I need to be before I think about teacher training?”

Being good at yoga is not so much a matter of flexibility but more a matter of understanding, and this comes about through a union of practice and study. Furthermore, it is not just practice and study that are important but how you practice and study.
Robot-style emulation of postures and parrot-style repetition of the yoga (party line style) philosophy are not the way forward; one needs to bring yoga home. Bringing yoga home means staying open to your experience of practice surrendering your views and opinions to the reality of applied practice. This I have found does not lead to a rejection of traditional yogic philosophy but a deeper understanding of it.
Furthermore, one will be able to sift through the multifarious teachings of yoga to find the real gold, to discern genuine yogic teaching from social and cultural conditioning. The great thing about yoga is that it is applied, so that outmoded or dogmatic views will be cleansed in the fire of practice, as implied by the Niyama Tapas (tap=to heat up).

All of this does require a certain amount of trust and commitment on the part of the yoga student to go beyond the apparently safe, protected world of a follower to the dynamic living world of the open-minded explorer. This attitude changes yoga from point of view to creative relationship with both practice and life itself.

Regarding teacher training, there are many routes to take: weekend-long, week-long, month-long training courses that require more or less prior contact with yoga and sometimes more than one teacher, but these can be lacking in depth and personal integrity. Having a longer period of time where training as a teacher occupies a central position in your life allows you to own it more, to make a personal relationship with yoga and your teacher.

One advantage of having one teacher is that you can pick up their language and method or style of expressing yoga, so that you can travel in deeper to the experience of yoga rather than just staying on the surface of the practice because you are having to re learn different expressions for what may be essentially the same experience. Because of the importance of longevity and connection with your teacher one has to feel that one can trust one’s teacher and that one has a certain personal resonance with the form and method with which they express yoga, so it is important that the interested party has tried a few different teachers before one settles down with the one who fulfills the above needs.

There are many different schools offering teacher training courses: Iyengar, Scaravelli, Sivananada, Satyananada, The Life Centre, Bikram, Dru as well as Vajrasati and a great many more besides, so check out what each one is offering, go to some classes and find which one best suits you on the above levels and then make your commitment. All schools will except you if you show the right level of commitment, which again will vary from one school to another (a school that requires a high level of commitment is a good sign as this might mean that they understand the importance of giving your whole self to your practice - as expressed by the Niyama Ishvara Pranidhana - but check to see what there explanation for this commitment is).

Find out more about Vajrasati teacher training.
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