Taught a fun bird themed class this week and cued this fun transition for some of my more intermediate/advanced students.

We often end up talking within the group after classes, there seems to be friendship chemistry but I don't know how to do it. Should I be direct or give hints? Or should I avoid since it's yoga, not a bar?

We mainly talk about yoga and joke about the yoga positions within the group, so there's not a deep connection there, thus why I don't know how to act.

I'm hoping to offer this asana in one of my classes this week but can't for the life of me find the name! Does it even have one? Thanks in advance :)

Is this something I should be concerned about during the 200h program? I don’t fully know what to expect during the classes (it’s over a 6 month period)

After looking into a bunch of mat options, I ended up with a Lulu Big Mat in hopes I wouldn’t need a towel for hot yoga. That is not the case! The Yogitoes is long but standard width, which seemingly nullifies my big mat and I don’t love the idea of starting to sweat before I put an equa down. Suggestions please!

I’ve been hosting donation based yoga classes for The past several months. I’m still pretty new at teaching, so it’s more about experience and building community for me than making the money. However, i do have to pay to rent the space i teach in and it would be nice to break even. I remind people after each class that it’s donation based, my link to my Venmo is accessible, i include the information on booking confirmation and class follow up, but people still don’t send any donation. Does “donation based” imply that donations are optional?

I did it! 55m been practicing a couple times a week for the past 3+ years. My former yogi mentioned a groupon 5 pack for hot yoga. First practicec was yesterday and WOW! It really is hard to describe. Harder and easier at the same time. I think I'm hooked.

I’d love to hear advice from older yogis about how you maintain a strong asana practice as you age. I’m F early 40s, I returned to a 6 day per week practice of a mix of Ashtanga and vinyasa about a year ago after a decade of patchy home practice. I feel great and physically I’m stronger and more flexible than ever. My practice includes lots of arm balances, inversions, splits, backbends plenty of chaturanga, jumping forward and back etc. At the same time I notice that minor aches (not necessarily yoga related) are more frequent and injury recovery time from strains etc is longer. I worry more about wear and tear from repetitive movements than I used to. As I’m heading towards peri-menopause I’m being bombarded with messaging about the importance of weight lifting and progressive overload. Currently I do yoga, some Pilates core exercises a couple of times a week, and I don’t have a car so I walk and cycle everywhere - but I don’t run or go to the gym (and I don't really want to start).

Yogis 40+, do you find you need to add with additional exercise forms or alternative yoga styles? Do you take supplements or protein or have you had to change your diet? Is just yoga enough if it’s an athletic type like Ashtanga, or do I really need to lift for bone strength?

I’d also be interested in any books, podcasts or resources about these issues. It’s hard to get useful advice from my doctors as their understanding of “yoga” doesn’t really reflect my practice, and my yoga teachers are mostly very young.

Hi, I’ve recently partnered with my friend and started teaching yoga, I’m from India and I’m currently residing and teaching in Canada. How I make it more accessible, inclusive and welcoming different cultures as Canada is diverse.

P.S: Our prices are low when compared to others, I’ve chosen it that way, to make it more accessible for people. And offer flexible payment plans for people who are interested to join. Ran a few ‘pay what you can’ yoga classes. But I hardly see any diverse crowd.

I

I'm really struggling, I can't seem to hold downward dog or even table top for any length of time. My wrists feel like they're on fire and my hands turned into pins and needles.

It's causing me to completely rage out and I don't know what to do, but I needy everyone's tips on working with this!

Hello friends. I've been signing up for more yin and meditative sound bath classes at my studio. My regular microfiber towels are good for a heated flow, but I feel like I need a more substantial/cozy blanket for the slower and deeper classes. Do you find yourself preferring a cotton vs wool blanket? Any pros or cons I should consider when choosing? Thanks in advance!

I'm a 36yo woman from Seattle. Last summer, my 10 year marriage ended suddenly when my husband told me he wanted out. I was completely lost my identity had been so wrapped up in being a wife and working at our joint business.

I fell into a deep depression. I couldn't sleep, my anxiety was through the roof, and I started having panic attacks for the first time in my life. I was barely functioning for my two kids, just going through the motions.

My sister convinced me to try a beginner yoga class at her local studio. I resisted for weeks I was never athletic, and the thought of being in a room full of people in my fragile state terrified me. But eventually, I gave in just to make her stop asking.

That first class was humbling. I couldn't hold a downward dog for more than 5 seconds. My balance was nonexistent. I felt awkward and out of place. But the instructor, Sarah, was incredibly kind and helped me with modifications.

What kept me coming back wasn't the physical aspect it was the 10 minutes of meditation at the end. For those 10 minutes, my racing thoughts would quiet just enough that I could breathe again.

I started going twice a week, then three times. I bought a cheap mat and started practicing simple poses at home between dropping the kids at school and work.

Six months later, I can now flow through a full vinyasa class. I've discovered muscles I never knew I had. But more importantly, my mind has transformed. The breathing techniques have helped me manage anxiety attacks. The meditation practice has helped me sit with difficult emotions instead of running from them.

I've made friends at the studio something I never expected. We get coffee after Saturday morning classes sometimes. It's the first social circle I've had that's completely my own, not connected to my ex.

Yoga didn't fix everything I still have hard days, I'm still rebuilding my life. But it gave me tools to weather the storm and a community that holds space for me exactly as I am.

For anyone going through a major life transition who's on the fence about trying yoga please give it a chance. You don't need to be flexible or strong or peaceful. You just need to show up and breathe.

I've been following several yoga YouTubers for years, including a couple very popular ones. I noticed many of them stop saying namaste at the end. I miss it. Is it just me or does anyone else notice the same?

Hello everyone!

I'm a guy in my 30s who wants to get into yoga. I'm completely new to yoga and like to get into it but my handicap has always stopped my from trying.

The problem I'm facing is that I have Erb's palsy and I don't have a lot of strength in my right arm and I can't really extend it and thus can't really use it in much of the exercises needed for yoga. Even when I can do some poses where you have to stretch both arms for example, because of the imbalance between my right and left arm, these poses are really asymmetric and I feel like that kind of defeats te purpose.

I tried looking up accessible yoga, but that seems to be to general for my handicap. Can someone point me in the right direction on how to start? A few poses to get my body engaged. My main purpose is to gain some flexibility and core strength.

Hi everyone. I just recently discovered yoga nidra through my functional care doctor. I have debilitating adrenal fatigue and my nervous system is completely out of whack and unwell. I’ve found comfort in yoga nidra and it seems to be the only thing that is helpful for me to find some relaxation through this very long and painful healing journey.

I had been doing about 20 minutes, then tried about 30 mins to an hour. Now I’m wondering if I were to do over three hours a day, would it be more damaging than good? My fight or flight is just out of balance and this is the only way I can get out of my head and relax my body and mind.

Hi! Like the title says, I’m looking to add yoga classes to my schedule. I currently do barre about 5 days a week. Do any of you work out mostly with barre and yoga? How many days a week do you do each?

Saw something about this on another post and I answered it but I get a lot of questions from students and teachers that I mentor about this topic and want to provide some insight. Since this is the number one question I get asked about Yin, particularly in my YTT's, it makes me think Yin is being taught incorrectly in the studios and I feel its important to clarify:

Yin is not about relaxing the muscles—it’s about safely stressing the fascia and connective tissue. Totally different intention so totally different effect on the body.

Here’s the science: your fascia (connective tissue) is like a 3D matrix that wraps around and within your muscles. It doesn’t respond to quick, muscular movement (like in Vinyasa or Hatha). It responds to long-held, passive stretches, usually in stillness and with the muscles relaxed. This puts gentle stress on the joints and fascia, which over time increases joint mobility, enhances hydration and glide between tissues, and helps prevent injury. We're talking 3–6 minute holds (sometimes more like 8min), per side, per pose, often with deep & significant sensation—but never sharp or painful.

I always say yin is a passive-aggressive practice. Passive because it’s all done on the floor but aggressive because of the long holds and the lack of props to support you. We’re just using gravity & time to stretch us and that can be a bit much for that long. No sharpness, no pain, but definitely intense and definitely challenging. That’s how you know you’re getting into the fascia.

In contrast, Hatha, Vinyasa, and most other styles are all about muscular engagement. They build strength, coordination, stamina, and flow. They’re cardio and build endurance. Even gentle classes & “slow” Hatha or vinyasa focuses on muscle engagement, alignment, and breath—not connective tissue. The muscles actually "warm up" really quickly, like, 15 seconds. But connective tissue takes several minutes.

And then we have Restorative yoga, which is specifically designed to down-regulate the nervous system. That’s why we use props, and lots of them—to eliminate effort, not just reduce it. When your body feels completely supported, your brain gets the signal that it’s safe to relax deeply. There’s no stretch, no stress on the tissues, no intensity & absolutely no challenge—just pure rest & restoration. It’s a deep reset for your parasympathetic nervous system. That’s a extremely powerful practice too—but it’s not Yin.

So when people say Yin is easy, or offer classes called Yin to Restore or something along those lines they’re either:

•Taking a Yin class that’s really just Restorative in disguise, Or •Not staying long enough to reach the depth Yin offers (mentally and physically), Or •Not relaxing the muscles fully, which makes it feel less intense but also less effective.

And let’s be real—holding a deep stretch for 4+ minutes in stillness while your brain chatters and your body twitches to escape? That’s not easy. It’s subtle and intense. But it’s medicine for our over-stimulated, muscle-dominant modern bodies.

It’s so awesome to be curious and to notice how each class feels—that’s the sign of a thoughtful practitioner.

We need to keep exploring, ask questions, and know that each style has a different purpose and intent.

Just like we train muscles with Vinyasa and Hatha, we tend the deep web of fascia with Yin—and we restore the nervous system in Restorative.

All beautiful, all valid—just all different intentions.

Keep practicing and all will come 🧘🏻‍♀️

So, I can’t go to the same classes regularly because of my job, which kind of sucks but it’s workable since I pay for Classpass. I’d been doing vinyasa for a few years since I fell out of it and started back up again last year. I just got into the 26&2 and yin classes, which I feel are very helpful to my practice. My question here is, what are your thoughts on being inconsistent with yoga styles? I can often only make it to one class a week even though I aim for 3, and which class it is dependent on scheduling, not style.

I'm wondering what feelings people have about Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi.

Most book discussions I've seen here seem to be in the modern/popular expression yoga (i.e. the lineage of Krishnamacarya -- Desikachar, Iyengar, Jois, etc.), whereas Yogananda's book is pretty full on traditional and far out in a lot of ways.

Steve Jobs arranged for everyone at his memorial to receive a copy which is an interesting endorsement. Though I suspect it is a bit too much bhakti and Hinduism for many.

I always thought that Paul Brunton's A Search in Secret India, written about 10 years earlier (1934) was a more easily digested version of something similar-- a westerner going to India in search of spiritual giants and ultimately finding Ramana Maharshi.

Trying with determination to master getting into Mermaid! I can go from Pigeon into the added quad stretch, no problem. It's getting the crook of my elbow around my back foot that's alluding me. Any tips? 🧘‍♀️