The Straight Leg Question in Triangle

This is a question I get a lot: “Should I straighten my front leg in triangle? My teacher told me I should never straighten my leg, it should always have a micro bend.”

First of all, I have to say that there is no one “right” answer. This is often frustrating because we want to know what the “right” answer is. My stock answer is “it depends”.

Generally, I would say that if the person is healthy, has nothing going on in the way of an injury, is relatively flexible, then yes, the front leg should be straight in Triangle. Tight hamstrings, and I mean tight hamstrings , like I can’t even reach my knees tight hamstrings, would pretty much necessitate bending the knee. Any knee injury would have to be looked at specifically to the individual. There are many types of knee injuries that would be adversely affected by a straight leg.

Anatomy
According to the Yoga Sutra, the asana should have the qualities of steadiness and ease. When the bones are stacked or aligned in a straight line, the effort is transferred along the length of the body part with relative ease and equilibrium. If there is a bend, the force or body weight and the relentless pull of gravity can cause that bend to increase over time. Take the example of holding a straight arm push plank position as opposed to bent arm plank position, or Caturanga. You can hold the straight arm position much longer and with more ease than you can the bent arm position. Why? Because when the bones are stacked or aligned it takes less effort to keep them that way. Muscles work in agonist and antagonistic pairs. If the appendage is straight and the muscles are engaged, both pairs of muscles are working together with the same amount of effort. If there is a bend anywhere, the muscles that are holding the bend are working harder than the opposing muscles and will fatigue faster as the relentless pull of gravity does its thing. There is a time and place for bent arm and straight arm planks. If you can’t hold a bent arm plank with your arms bent at 90 degrees, you might micro bend them to start building strength to work on a full Caturanga.

That was an obvious example, but let’s take a look at the same thing in standing poses: Triangle and Warrior II. In Triangle the front leg is supposed to be straight (see disclaimer above). In Warrior II, the front leg is supposed to be bent. Which pose do you think you could hold longer? It is easier to hold Triangle for longer than Warrior II because the bent front leg fatigues faster than a straight leg.
I am not a fan of hybrid poses. If your front leg is bent in Triangle, what is the difference between Triangle and Warrior II? One of the opposing issues here is also how much do you bend the front knee in Warrior II? I see lots of students whose front knee is not over the standing ankle in Warrior II. Sometimes it is hard to know which pose is being performed because the front knee is not bent deep enough to be Warrior II nor is the front leg straight enough to be considered Triangle Pose. It is not as important how deeply the knee is bent, but, the alignment of the front knee should be over the ankle (barring any injury). Yoga poses work the body in a full range of motion. Our job is to see that we work the body in that full range of motion: legs straight in straight leg poses, knee bent in bent leg poses.

Locked out leg
The difference between a straight leg and a bent leg is pretty obvious. The more subtle difference is between a straight leg and a locked out leg. The instruction to have a micro bend in the front leg comes from seeing a student lock their leg out. If you let your front leg lock out in Triangle Pose, it means that you have basically relaxed all of the muscles in your leg and have allowed your knee joint to move backwards as far as it will go, hyper-extending the joint. The leg will look slightly bowed in this position and the weight in the foot will lift off of the inner edge of the foot and all of the weight will be on the outer edge.

Hyper extended leg. Notice calf bowing toward floor and the lifting of the big toe mound off of the floor.

Hanging in the ligaments
This can be damaging to the joint over time because you end up hanging in the ligaments. Ligaments connect bone to bone and their purpose is to stabilize the joint; they have very little elasticity. If you continuously hang in your ligaments, these structures can become stretched out over time and will not spring back the way muscles will. Also, every joint has protecting structures and fluids cushioning the bones and protecting the “joint space”. When a joint is hyper-extended, the joint space is compromised and the bones will move closer together on one side of the joint and further away on the opposite side of the joint. This can cause uneven wear and tear on these cushioning surfaces and lead to bone on bone contact which can lead to arthritis, pain and joint dysfunction.
Most yoga teachers will correct this position by telling students to micro bend their front knee. What most students will actually do is bend their front knee.

Straight leg
What I tell my students to do in Triangle is to engage their quadriceps muscle while pressing down in the ball mound of the big toe. In the locked out leg, the quadriceps muscle is not engaged, neither is the calf. If you reached down and felt your quad in this position, the muscle would be squishy and wiggly and you would be able to wiggle your knee cap from side to side. If you engage the quad while pressing down through the mound of the big toe, the knee cap would lift, the calf would also engage and the leg would straighten. If you were to watch someone do this from the side, it would look like they were micro bending their leg from a hyper extended position, but the leg would appear straight. Typically this takes a while to learn how to do. Most students have habitually let their quads relax in Triangle and initiating this change takes a concentration and time. Another instruction I give is to hug all of the muscles in your leg to the bone. This often helps to straighten the leg.

Straight leg. The muscles of the quads are lifted as are the muscles in the calf.

Bent leg
The instruction to lift the knee cap is a much more subtle instruction and could be lost on beginners. Tightness in the hamstrings makes it difficult to straighten the leg, but once the student learns to straighten the leg, they typically begin locking it out. The next instruction seems to be to put a microbend in the leg. There is a subtle but important difference between bending the leg and lifting the knee cap. Bending the leg involves engaging the hamstrings and stretching the quads. Lifting the knee cap involves contracting the quads and stretching the hamstrings.

This is often what I see when a student says they have a micro bend. This is a bent leg.

You can see that these two instructions, bend the knee or lift the knee cap create two very different actions in the leg and two very different looking poses.

Too many cooks spoil the pot.
One of the sources of confusing instructions is that students typically take classes with many different teachers. Some teachers may be newer and have less experience than others. Not all yoga teachers have a lot of anatomy training. Some styles of yoga are different and have different instructions and methodologies.

If you are taking classes with a lot of different teacher, you will hear different and often conflicting instructions based on the style and the teacher’s understanding. And a teacher’s knowledge and understanding can change over time. I want to be careful that I am not saying that my instructions are right and their instructions are wrong. I believe that every teacher teaches from their heart and from what they know to be true at the time. I am only stating what I know to be true from my experience and understanding.

When in Rome.
It is important that you follow the instructions of the teacher during the class that you are taking. It is also important to test theories out for yourself and experience the differences in your body. That is what I have done and what my teachers have encouraged me to do. My experience has taught me that the front leg should be straight in Triangle (Even when I tore my hamstring. I simply did not put my hand down as low until the muscle healed.  I did not work a bent leg.) It has also led me to investigate what the difference is between a straight leg in and a bent leg in Triangle.

If you would like to learn more about this, if you would like to learn more about anatomy in yoga, I have a workshop coming up from 12:00 to 2:00 on October 26th called Hamstrings and Quadriceps: Strength and Flexibility, Two Sides of the Same Coin. This is an anatomy focused workshop; understanding the underlying structures.

The Site of the Pain is often not the Cause of the Pain

This is my answer to students who ask about wrist pain while doing back bends: "The site of the pain is not the cause of the pain". They often want to know what they can do to stretch their wrists. First I usually ask them to bend their wrists back so that I can see how much range of motion they have in their wrists. If they have normal range of motion and no injuries to the wrist, then the wrist is not the issue. I don’t usually have to see them do the pose to know that their arms will not vertical when they do wheel. When the arms are not vertical in wheel, the wrists will be bent at less than 90 degrees and that is not in the normal range of motion for the wrist and therefore not very comfortable.
However, just to be sure, I always ask them to do their pose for me so I can see if there is anything else going on. But more often than not, their arms are not vertical.

Here is a picture of me doing wheel where my arms are pretty vertical:

This version of Wheel looks more like an upside down letter "U".

Here is a picture of me doing wheel where my arms are not vertical.

This version of Wheel looks more like an arc of a circle.

Observe the angle at the wrist. Which one looks like it hurts?  Ouch!  The wrists aren't meant to bend that way!   If the shoulders aren’t open, the lumbar spine doesn’t bend or the quads and/or psoas are tight then other body parts will have to compensate.

In the final form of the pose Wheel should look like an upside down “U”. When it looks more like an arc of a circle, then there is more shoulder or hip opening that needs to be done and the wrists should be supported; either on blocks, the wall, someone’s ankles or even a tightly rolled up blanket placed against the wall can work.

Mantra - Hridaye Citta Samvritta

This mantra comes from the Yoga Sutras, Book 2, verse 35

Hridaye means on the heart

Citta is consciousness

Samvritta means knowledge, awareness

By focusing and holding concentration on the region of the heart, the yogi acquires a thorough knowledge of the contents and tendencies of consciousness.

“The citadel of purusha (consciousness) is the heart.  It is the anahata chakra (heart chakra) the seat of pure knowledge as well as consciousness.  By focusing and holding concentration there a yogi can become aware of consciousness and of true, pure knowledge.  He learns to unfold and tap the source of his being, and identify himself with the Supreme.”  - from Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar.

I hope you enjoy watching this video.  It comes from the Iyengar yoga conference of 2016 in Boca Raton, Florida.  It features 3 of the top Iyengar yoga teachers in the US.  Their devotion in performing a series of back bends is very inspirational!  Near the end of the video, at 15:25, they do this chant.

Vinyasa Pose of the Month - Salabhasana or Locust Pose

Salabha means a locust, grasshopper. The pose is said to resemble a locust resting on the ground.

Salabhasna is a beginning back bend. It builds the strength in the back body to prepare for all of the other back bends. Although it is called a beginner’s pose, it is not that easy to do. Because we spend so much of our time hunched forward, it is often difficult to arch back. The muscles on our back body become atrophied from disuse.

Technique:
Begin by lying on the floor in the prone position. Stretch the arms back.

On an exhalation, simultaneously lift the head, chest and legs off the floor as high as possible. The arms are stretched back alongside the body and lifted off the floor as well. The body weight rests on your abdomen.

Contract the buttocks and stretch the thigh muscles. Keep both legs fully extended and straight.

In the beginning it is difficult to lift the chest and legs off the floor, but this becomes easier as you grow stronger. There are modifications to make it easier: lifting just the front body, lifting just the back body, lifting the opposite arm and leg, lifting one arm and the opposite leg and using props to support the chest or the legs.

The benefits of Salabhasana
This pose is said to aid digestion, relieves stomach problems, improves the function of the bladder and prostate and helps cure flatulence. Arching the back in this way improves elasticity in the spine and can relieve pain in the sacral and lumbar areas. Mr. Iyengar states that regular practice of this pose can help people with disc problems without recourse to surgical treatment.

After all of the other challenging poses we have worked on this year, you may be wondering why I chose Salabhasana. One reason is that it is the one basic back bending pose from which your ability to do all other backbends originates. The other reason has to do with a new word that has been introduced in the English language: “i-hunch”; that head forward position we assume when we are looking at our phones. We are spending more and more time hunched over our electronic devices and it is affecting our posture. Salabhasna is a counter-pose, a remedy if you will, for i-hunch!

Where can we go from here?
Salabhasana is the foundation for other back bends such as Bow, Camel and Wheel. But the strength it develops in the back is also important for Caturanga and the lift you need in Forearm Balance and other arm balances such as Scoprion. So, expect to see some of these other poses in the more advanced classes as we work on Salabhasana to set the foundation.

The Difference between Sirsasana I and Sirsasana II

Out of the several different arm/hand positions for Head Stand, there are two that are the most frequently practiced: Sirsasana I – where your forearms form part of the foundation, and Sirsasana II – or Tripod Headstand where your hands are on the floor with your arms bent at 90 degrees.

People often have a preference, one that they like better than the other. Often this has to do with their ability to perform the pose. If your shoulders are tight, Sirsasana I is harder. If your arms are weak, Sirsasana II is harder. While preference is fine, there are reasons to work on both variations. Each headstand requires different competencies and each headstand prepares the body for different further variations.

Sirsasana I
Typically the first headstand taught is Sirsasana I. Because it is a closed chain movement, where the hands are brought together and the fingers interlaced, it makes a closed circuit of the forearms, it is the most stable of the two and it strengthens the shoulders for other inversions and arm balances. But, it requires shoulder flexibility, specifically the ability to raise the arms overhead. For some students, this is difficult. We hold a lot of tension in our shoulders and if we have a slightly rounded upper back, this inhibits the range of motion of the upper arm. Sometimes students exhibit what is referred to as deceptive flexibility. An example of that is when a student raises their arm overhead and their back arches. This makes it look and feel as if there is flexibility in the shoulder joint, but there is really compensation in the back. This range of motion is an important aspect of poses where the arms are in the overhead position such as: Down Dog, Warrior I, Chair Pose, Wheel, Handstand, Forearm Balance and Cow Face Arms. If you have shoulder tightness, these poses may present a challenge for you.

Sirsasana II
Being an open chain movement, where the elbows can move in and out, this pose is less stable than Sirsasana I. It requires less flexibility because the arms are straight out from the shoulders, rather than overhead, but you need more strength for Tripod Headstand than you do for Sirsasana I. If your shoulders and upper arms are weak, this position will feel wobbly. This upper body strength is relevant to other arm balance poses where the arms are also bent 90 degrees: Low Push Up, Crow, Side Crow, Peacock, Swan, Dragonfly and those crazy arm balances named after sages such as the Koundinyasa variations, the Galavasana variations.
Sequencing

Although the two Head Stands are related, notice there was no overlap in the poses I associated with each headstand. When I am sequencing a class, I think about logical progression of postures. Practicing yoga is about a progression of skills rather than a performance of asana. While you may be proficient in one version of Headstand, it is a good idea to practice both variations to increase your repertoire, strength and range of motion.

Making Choices to be Healthy

What do you really need to do to be healthy?  Is it the food you eat?  Exercise?  What about your creative health?  Financial health? Spiritual health?  Do you find time to relax or meditate?  I think all of these factors come into play and contribute to your health and sense of well being.  Lissa Rankin, a physician, speaker, founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute, and mystic depicts your health as a cairn, a human made pile of stones, with each stone representing an aspect of your health.

Medical Intuitive Caroline Myss has spent the last 35 years learning about how people can heal and why they don’t.  In many of her talks, I have heard her say that food and exercise don’t matter as much as the power of the choices we make on a daily basis.  She often says that you can eat cat food and still be healthy provided you are able to live in present time; that you don’t spend your energy rehashing the past and worrying about the future.  Her work centers on where we are losing energy.  Just like a financial debt, if you continue to drain your resources pretty soon you will have nothing left.

This sounds very much in line with the teachings of yoga and mindfulness.  We need to learn to live in the present moment. What does that mean?  Live with integrity.  Pass on your wisdom, not your woe, learn from your mistakes.  Make a choice to take risks.  How many risks have you already taken in your life to get where you are today?  Make a list of them to help you remember. Don’t wait for proof that your actions will turn out successfully, not all of them will.  But, as famous guru Shri Wayne Gretzky-ananda said, “I didn’t make 100% of the shots I didn’t take.”

Don’t look backwards for guidance.  The reason you are where you are is because that part of your life is over.  Look forward to new adventures.  Trust that your resourcefulness that brought you this far will continue to serve you.

Caroline Myss says that we need to pay attention to our words; our words are universes unto themselves.  Each word we use has the power to shape our world.  She teaches that there are toxic words and that these words should be banished from our vocabulary.  Ms. Myss suggests that there are three toxic words that we should banish from our vocabulary: blame, deserve and entitlement.

Blame.  You have probably all heard the expression that no one has the power to ruin our day unless we let them.  We are responsible for our own happiness.  Other people may do things that intersect with our lives, but they are acting upon their own ideas and principles.  If we blame them for our unhappiness we are giving away our own power.

Deserve.  There are a lot of things that happen to us that we don’t deserve, stuff just happens. My mother didn’t deserve to get Alzheimer’s, it just happened. People don’t deserve to win the lottery, it’s just chance.

Entitled.  We really aren’t entitled to anything.  We often just think we should be.

The practice of banishing these words from your vocabulary is very similar to the complaining fast I invited students to go on a while ago.  Think of this as an elimination diet where you eliminate a food from your diet to see if your symptoms go away.  Try giving up one of these words for a day or a week and see if it has an impact on your life.  Just like a food, it may take longer than a day or a week to get it completely out of your system, however, so be patient and give it time.

At the end of her TED talk, Caroline Myss asks us to make this choice to be healthy.  She says, “Make the choice everyday to get up every day and bless your day.  Don’t be grateful for the things you have because these things can change.  Wake up every day and bless the fact that you are alive and things will never be exactly this way again; these people, this situation will never be exactly this way again.  Appreciate the gift of being alive.  If you can wake up this way every day, this shapes your life with grace and beauty."

What choices can you make to live a happier and more fulfilled life?

Overcoming Your Fears

Medical Intuitive Caroline Myss has spent the last 35 years learning about how people can heal and why they don’t.  In many of her talks, I have heard her say that food and exercise don’t matter as much as the power of the choices we make on a daily basis.  She often says that you can eat cat food and still be healthy provided you are able to live in present time; that you don’t spend your energy rehashing the past and worrying about the future.  Her work centers on where we are losing energy.  Just like a financial debt, if you continue to drain your resources pretty soon you will have nothing left.

This sounds very much in line with the teachings of yoga and mindfulness.  We need to learn to live in the present moment. What does that mean?  Live with integrity.  Pass on your wisdom, not your woe, learn from your mistakes.  Make a choice to take risks.  How many risks have you already taken in your life to get where you are today?  Make a list of them to help you remember. Don’t wait for proof that your actions will turn out successfully, not all of them will.  But, as famous guru Shri Wayne Gretzky-ananda said, “I didn’t make 100% of the shots I didn’t take.”

Don’t look backwards for guidance.  The reason you are where you are is because that part of your life is over.  Look forward to new adventures.  Trust that your resourcefulness that brought you this far will continue to serve you.

Caroline Myss says that we need to pay attention to our words; our words are universes unto themselves.  Each word we use has the power to shape our world.  She teaches that there are toxic words and that these words should be banished from our vocabulary.  Ms. Myss suggests that there are three toxic words that we should banish from our vocabulary: blame, deserve and entitlement.

Blame.  You have probably all heard the expression that no one has the power to ruin our day unless we let them.  We are responsible for our own happiness.  Other people may do things that intersect with our lives, but they are acting upon their own ideas and principles.  If we blame them for our unhappiness we are giving away our own power.

Deserve.  There are a lot of things that happen to us that we don’t deserve, stuff just happens. My mother didn’t deserve to get Alzheimer’s, it just happened. People don’t deserve to win the lottery, it’s just chance.

Entitled.  We really aren’t entitled to anything.  We often just think we should be.

The practice of banishing these words from your vocabulary is very similar to the complaining fast I invited students to go on a while ago.  Think of this as an elimination diet where you eliminate a food from your diet to see if your symptoms go away.  Try giving up one of these words for a day or a week and see if it has an impact on your life.  Just like a food, it may take longer than a day or a week to get it completely out of your system, however, so be patient and give it time.

At the end of her TED talk, Caroline Myss asks us to make this choice to be healthy.  She says, “Make the choice everyday to get up every day and bless your day.  Don’t be grateful for the things you have because these things can change.  Wake up every day and bless the fact that you are alive and things will never be exactly this way again; these people, this situation will never be exactly this way again.  Appreciate the gift of being alive.  If you can wake up this way every day, this shapes your life with grace and beauty."

What choices can you make to live a happier and more fulfilled life?

Pose of the Month for August - Transition from Prasarita Padottanasana to Sirsasana II

Sirsasana II with wide legs

This month our focus will be on two poses;  Wide Legged Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) and Tripod Head Stand (Sirsasana II).  We will work on each one separately and on the transition from one to the other.

In Wide Legged Forward Fold we will be working on the flexibility of the hamstrings and inner thighs as we work on elongating the torso and getting the head to the floor.  This pose prepares you for Head Stand by getting the head lower than the heart and getting you accustomed to having the head on the floor.  If you don’t do Head Stand this is a good alternative or a preparatory pose.

We will also work on Sirsasana II.  This is Tripod Head Stand where the head and hands are on the floor and those three points form the points of an equilateral triangle.  Sirsasana II takes more arm and shoulder strength while Sirsasana I takes more shoulder flexibility. Some people prefer one version of Head Stand over another, however, they each have their purposes and functions and it is nice to be well versed in both.  Mastering Sirsasana II is important for performing many of the arm balancing postures such as Crow, Galavasana and the Koundinyasana variations.

The alignment of the head, neck and shoulders are important in Head Stand.  No matter which Head Stand you are in the part of the head that should be on the floor is the very top of the head.  To find this spot, place the heel of your hand on the bridge of your nose and then stretch your fingers up over the top of your head.

The spot where your middle finger touches is the spot that should rest on the floor in Head Stand.

The head and torso should be in a straight line when you are coming into Head Stand so there is no strain on the neck.

Dolphin

The transition from Wide Legged Forward Fold to Head Stand requires a lot of core strength and stability so expect to see some abdominal work and some plank work.  If you are not a person who likes working on your core because it just seems hard, let me encourage you to stick with it.  There is a big payoff here when you can finally float your feet off the floor and move into Head Stand. It can be an exhilarating and empowering experience.

While we are always looking for the balance of effort and ease in every pose, in the beginning these transitions feel hard and students are tempted to grit their teeth and hold their breath.   If you ever find yourself gritting your teeth in a pose it might mean that you are trying too hard and trying to force yourself into the pose.  That is a signal to back off, breathe and try again.  Wait for the pose to come to you.  Holding the breath while in Head Stand is contraindicated because it can build up too much pressure in the head and the eyes in particular.

We will work on the transition to Head Stand in Stages:  First, we will practice Dolphin, then bent knees:

And finally moving up into full Sirsasana II.  We will also work on coming down from Head Stand.  Coming down is easier than going up and it is how you learn control.

As always, remember to breathe and honor where you are, have fun and be playful as you experiment with your edges.  Develop a curious sense of exploration and see where it takes you.

I look forward to seeing you in class!

Karin

Om Mani Padme Hum

Om Mani Padme Hum as Temporary Tattoos

My friend and yoga student, Dan Telep died on August 5th, 2014, a few days before his 80th birthday. He went out for a bike ride and that day and never came back. He died doing one of the things he loved doing. He said his doctor told him that if he was still riding his bike at the age of 80, the odds were that he would probably die on his bike. I’m sorry to have lost Dan, but I am glad that he went out the way he did, full of life and adventure.

The mantra I have chosen for the month of August is in memory of my friend. Dan told me that he chanted “Om Mani Padme Hum” while riding his bike. It helped him push the pedals and get up hills. It was Dan that inspired me to ride the MS City to Shore Bike Ride. I had always wanted to do it, but I always found an excuse to not do it: “It’s too far. What if I can’t do it? What if it rains, or is cold, or, ….” Losing Dan motivated me to stop procrastinating and get going!

This chant is often called “The Jewel in the Lotus” because the mantra is said to contain the essence of the teaching of the Buddha which is that life is filled with suffering. Once we really learn that suffering exists, we can look deeper and discover its cause. When we discover that the cause is dependent on certain conditions, we can explore the idea of removing those conditions. This is the process of becoming enlightened; to understand what we need to do in order to save ourselves and others from suffering.While this mantra has no direct translation, its six syllables are said to represent The Six Paramitas of the Bodhisattvas, or The Six Perfections. These are six lessons we need to learn to overcome suffering:

The first syllable, Om, is supposed to bless you and help you achieve perfection in the practice of generosity. Ma helps perfect the practice of ethical behavior. Ni helps achieve perfection in the practice of tolerance and patience. Pad helps to achieve the perfection of perseverance. Me helps achieve perfection in the practice of concentration and the last syllable, Hum, helps achieve perfection in the practice of wisdom.

Chanting this mantra with dedication and devotion can transform your impure body, speech and mind into the pure body, speech and mind of a Buddha.

Om Mani Padme Hum is often the mantra depicted on Buddhist prayer wheels.

P.S.  People have been asking me for links to the mantras I have been playing in class.  Here they are:

The first one is the version by M.C. Yogi called Prayer Wheel.

The second one is Secret Sounds by Veet Vichara and Premanjali

FAQs about Starting a Yoga Teacher Training Program

Do I have to want to become a yoga teacher to take a yoga teacher training program?

No.  Some people take teacher training as a way to learn more about yoga in general and their own practice in particular. However, there will be a portion of the program where you will need to step up and teach to your fellow classmates.  It is often surprising to students how much they feel like they know their teacher’s script by heart but when it comes time to tell someone else how to come into Warrior II, they can’t find the words.  One of the best ways to make sure that you know something inside and out is to have to explain it to someone else.

I love yoga and think I want to teach it, but I don’t see myself teaching yoga in a large class in a studio or a gym.

Teaching yoga, as I do, in a large group class in a studio or gym is not the only way to teach yoga.  There are many ways to specialize in teaching yoga:

• You can teach privates only.

• There are opportunities to teach in the corporate world; lots of companies offer yoga as a perk to their staff.

• Find your own special niche: pre-natal yoga, yoga for people in recovery, women who have been abused, kids, teens, seniors, retirement communities, teaching people in nursing homes, people who have MS.

However in order to branch out into any of these specialties you will need a basic 200 hour program under your belt, first.

I can’t touch my toes, stand on my head, do a split or wheel.  Can I still become a yoga teacher?

OMG!  Yes!  I couldn’t touch my toes for the longest time when I first began teaching yoga.  I thought I wasn’t good enough, or a “real” yoga teacher because of that.

But, what I saw as a detriment actually became a skill.  If the yoga poses come easily to you, you might not understand why others can’t do the things you can do.  I had to figure out how to touch my toes and that skill helped me explain to others what they needed to learn and do in order to become more flexible, too.  I learned a lot about flexibility, both mental and physical, anatomy, alignment, the physiology of stretching plus patience and surrender, too.  All of these lessons served to help me become a better teacher. I knew about the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve a pose.  I also knew about the dangers of caring too much about achieving a pose and pushing too hard and getting injured in the process!

While there are some people who can do everything, most people seem to be better in one group of poses over another, and they have to work hard at those other poses to make progress and to stay balanced.  If that is the way you are, then you will have to learn how to modify and use props and to be inventive as to how to get at the pose from another angle.  You also learn lessons of patience, acceptance and surrender.

If you can’t do advanced poses, you probably won’t attract those students to you who want to do those poses, but this is a good thing.  I recommend that new teachers: “teach only what you know”.  As your practice and skills develop, you will be able to teach more poses.

An important thing to note is that most people may not be looking to be able to place their foot behind their head.  It takes a lot of time and commitment to be able to do those kinds of poses.  About a year ago, I took a survey of my yoga students asking them what they wanted out of their yoga practice.  The top five responses had more to do with finding peace and serenity than they did with doing advanced poses.

How long should one have been practicing yoga before beginning a yoga teacher training program?

When I first started training yoga teachers, I thought people should have at least three years of practice before embarking on a teacher training program.  The more you know about yoga and the more adept your practice is, the more you will absorb from the training program.  However, one of my friends and students said that she signed up for teacher training after only one yoga class.  Now, she had been teaching other forms of fitness before.  But, once she found yoga, she just fell in love with it.  I like to encourage students to follow their passion.

Before the founding of Yoga Alliance and the 200 hour certification requirement, it used to be that you apprenticed with a teacher for at least ten years before you would start to teach.  When that teacher felt that you knew enough to teach, they would encourage you to do so.   People don’t want to wait that long these days.   But one of the things that makes sense from that model is the idea of practicing for a long enough time to get past the honeymoon stage of the practice.  If you practice for long enough something usually happens that creates a disturbance in your practice: an illness, injury or outside commitment.  Sometimes circumstances make it difficult to get onto your mat.  If there is a hiatus in practice, beginning again can be humbling.  Going through that cycle is extremely educational.

Am I too old or too young to do a teacher training program?

The beginning of the Yoga Sutras starts with Atha Yoganusasanam, which means “Now Yoga”.  This can be interpreted to mean that now is the right time to start yoga.  If you are considering becoming a yoga teacher, only you know if it is plausible for you to move forward towards that dream.  With more than 36 million yoga practitioners in the US, it seems that there should be plenty of yoga students to go around.  You might have questions of time or finances, but age should not be a limiting factor.

I don’t think you can be too old or too young to begin to teach yoga.  You will probably attract students who are close to you in age as your interests in the type of practice will be more similar.  Younger students may be more fearless and want to have a faster paced, harder workout.  Older students may appreciate a little more time to move into poses.  They may be more cautious and have more physical limitations.  As a more mature yoga teacher, age  will give you experience, wisdom and sympathy for the diversity you may come across in a yoga class.

I have back pain (or neck, shoulder, knee, hip, etc. …) Should I do a yoga teacher training program?

If this is something that you chronically struggle with, but it doesn’t keep you from living your life, then I don’t see why not.  Honestly, though, only you can answer that question.  If your injury or syndrome incapacitates you, then perhaps now is not the best time and you should wait until you are feeling better.  However, I can tell you that your experience is common.  A lot of yoga students and yoga teachers will suffer from these common ailments from time to time.  Your experience can actually help students.

Look up Matthew Sanford.  He is a yoga teacher who is paralyzed from the chest down.  He has a book entitled Waking.  It is a must read.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at mkeisen@verizon.net.