Frequently Asked Questions
and some comments, for good measure
send yours in
Yoga Practice in Class and Out
Q: Is there a minimum amount of time that you should practice? Is it worth practicing 10 minutes if that’s all the time you have? –M.M.
Mmm. This is a difficult question. The standby, “it depends on you, your needs, goals, and schedule” is true, but also frustrating, especially if you are new to yoga and just want some steadfast answers.
Ten minutes is enough to make a difference, believe it or not. If I have to squeeze in a bare minimum, I do a:
2-minute Uttanasana (standing forward bend)
2-minute Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog)
2-minute Sirsasana (headstand, or substitute L-pose, dolphin, handstand or your favorite)
2-minute Sarvangasana (shoulderstand)
2-minute Savasana (relaxation pose).Though it’s tempting, don’t skip the Savasana.
If you have only 5 minutes, or even 2, take the time to do a forward bend or down dog, and gently bring yourself back to the breath each time you stray. These few moments can shift your awareness, and it may open up time for more. This is especially true when you feel like you don’t have time!
Q: Would it be better to practice twice a week for an hour instead of doing once a week for an hour and a half? –M.M.
Yes. An hour-and-a-half class is great, but if you don’t practice more at home, one hour, twice a week is better.
Q: What is the ideal amount of practice (length of session) for the average person with a busy life? –C.A.F.
Ideal? I am an average person with a busy life, so I’ll share my ideal. It’s 90 minutes of asana practice, 10 minutes of pranayama (breathing) and 20 minutes of meditation. This is two hours, and I manage it 3-4 times a week. There are also days when I only have time for 20-60 minutes of yoga, and that’s okay too.
If this seems impossible with a busy life, understand that the days I do a full practice, I use my time much more efficiently than the days I don’t, and the 2 hours more than pays for itself.
Q: What sequences of asanas (poses) are good to do if you are practicing at home? –S.A.M.
For this I recommend Yoga Journal magazine. It’s great for asana and practice technicalities, though the rest is a bit soft. I also recommend getting a DVD or two (the NYPL is a great source. They have tons of yoga videos and DVDs to try. Search online and request them for pickup at our Morningside branch). I’m not a video person, and I rarely watch them, but when I was learning sequencing, I’d try a video, then write down the sequences to practice on my own.
Q: How do I find the discipline and inspiration to make my home practice an every day occurrence? –B.J.U.
One teacher told me that if you want to change your habitual patterns, and therein your life, simply dedicate 5 minutes a day to something you love and believe in. This can be yoga, meditation, drawing, singing—whatever it is that lights you up. Give yourself to it fully for those 5 minutes and do it everyday (not 5m. today, 0m. tomorrow, and 15m. the next), no matter what comes up. We humans are so fond of our fixed ways that we will create resistance to even this small act of awareness. Somehow, we can watch that and move past it, and those 5 minutes blossom into something much larger.
Q: During class I got quite a bad headache (too much blood to the head). Is there anything I can do to prevent that? –J.L.The headache should go away after the first week or so of yoga. I suggest you do a standing forward bend every day just to get your body used to it. In class, you can either come out of the inversions if it bothers you (into balasana/child's pose, up to tadasana/stand, into plank, etc), or lift your head and chest a bit to take the pressure off. Please let me know if it continues.
Q: I've begun to wonder a little bit (and this is strictly based upon my own idiosyncrasies) what a yoga class would be like conducted in silence. Is it possible to do? Is it done? I think that listening is a very good practice but I worry about how much privilege we give to the voice. What does yogic philosophy say about this? –R.W.J.C.
Mysore-style Ashtanga is more or less conducted in silence, but for the Ujjayi breathing that fills the room. The teacher does walk around and make individual corrections (using voice and touch), but it’s directed to one person rather than the entire room.
Yogic philosophy has much to say about sound as well as voice, which can be used for creating sacred sound, or a scattered, unfocused state of mind, and everything in between. I’d love to research this further for you. If you’d like to beat me to it, I’d start with the Upanisads (Olivelle’s translation is lovely). The Upanisads stem from the philosophic system called Vedanta, which had a large influence on the other five orthodox philosophic systems, including Yoga.
C: Yes, (I have a personal practice). I sort of weave yoga into my day every day...I can't seem to help it. –R.W.J.C.Excellent, R. That made me grin. Let’s hope we all get there—I must admit there are days I’d rather just stay in bed and read.
to close, a short video of John Cleese on the benefits of laughing yoga.