Yoga?

I had a very long talk with a very dear friend last night, who has been through a year so excruciating that I can't even start to imagine what it feels like.  She asked about yoga classes, and I started blabbing jibberish about doshas and vata times of year, and how she could take a class that would make her feel grounded.  And she very kindly said, "Uh, what's a dosha?" which made me realize that we can get so wrapped up in this yoga thing that it's almost like a different language.  There needs to be a back-to-basics guide.  There already is an Idiot's Guide to Yoga, and I'm sure it's way better than what I'm about to write, but I thought I'd throw out a few things that I've picked up.  Disclaimer: I'm writing totally out of my brain and there are no works cited, so if you see something that needs a correction (or is totally wrong) please let me know!

What IS a dosha?
Doshas are the elements: vata is wind/air, kapha is earth/water, and pitta is fire.  Your dosha is the most prominent of those elements in your body and mind.  Here's a handy-dandy dosha quiz.  Your job is to balance those three elements, and it's likely that your needs will change from year to year, and with the seasons.  If you are out of balance with lots of vata, for example, you will be all over the place mentally, and be cold and dry physically, neither of which is very fun.  So to balance that, you can go to yoga classes that are slow, methodical, and grounding, like a Yin Yoga class, or a restorative class, and you can sway your diet toward heavy, wet, and oily foods.  In my experience, cooking for your dosha is actually really fun, but you can really choose how much to delve into ayurveda (the Indian science behind doshas).  I ate for my dosha for a month when I was in teacher training, and I have to say that I felt great.

What is yoga?
This question is super complex.  Yoga means, as far as I know, "to yoke," so we focus on yoking the mind and the body.  If you want to get into the history of yoga, then yoga is an eight-fold path to samadhi, or enlightenment.

Yoga can happen anywhere.  Even on a mountain
with a big sweat-spot on your back.
(Please ignore the big sweat spot.)

(If you are curious, the eight "limbs" are yamas [stuff you shouldn't do: Ahimsa: nonviolence, Satya: truthfulness, Asteya: nonstealing, Brahmacharya: continence or sexual control, Aparigraha: noncovetousness], niyamas [stuff you should do: Saucha: cleanliness, Samtosa: contentment, Tapas: heat; spiritual austerities, Svadhyaya: study of the sacred scriptures and of one's self, Isvara pranidhana: surrender to the universal power], asana [the physical poses], pranayama [breathing], pratyahara [drawing your senses inside], dharana [concentration], dhyana [meditation], and samadhi [yay!].

In American-brand yoga, we pretty much focus on asana practice, or the physical stuff.  This makes sense, because the yamas and the niyamas can be dealt with relatively quickly.  The next thing on the path is getting your body in shape so that it helps you, instead of hindering you.

But what about yoga classes?

There are a million different kinds.

Hatha- the word "Hatha" refers to the oldest kind of yoga, so it's a little bit of a vague term.  I've heard "hatha" used to describe everything from Kundalini to Bikram.  Classes that are labeled "Hatha Yoga" typically are unheated, and focus on slow stretching and strength-building, tied in with breathing, meditation, and sometimes chanting.  I have my teacher training in Hatha, but I've taken some pretty extensive classes in all the kinds of yoga that I'm mentioning here.

Kundalini- these classes are mostly taught by Sikhs (a belief system from India- most Sikhs wear turbans. Sikhism is a very interesting and beautiful set of beliefs, but I won't do justice to it, so I won't get into it).  They focus on repetitive movements and chanting.

Vinyasa- Vinyasa means flow, so most of these classes involve some kind of constant movement, and are usually sun salutation-based.  They usually come in heated and non-heated forms.

Hot Yoga- Usually heated vinyasa, but sometimes Bikram.  These types of yoga require a lot of concentration, but they're typically popular because they promote weight loss.  For me, a room heated to about 95 degrees is delicious.  Anything above that feels like torture to me, but some people love it.  Be sure to ask the teacher what the peak temp will be.

Iyengar- This type of yoga is usually billed as paying extra attention to alignment in each pose.  I was afraid to take a class for years because I'm not typically the nitpicky type, but the Iyengar classes I've taken have 

been amazing.  I've learned more about anatomy, joints, and muscle groups from Iyengar classes than in any other class.

Bikram- I've only taken one Bikram class, so this is based on limited experience.  The room is heated to 105 degrees, the poses are all standing or seated, and every class is the same.  This means limited demonstration from the teacher, and a predictable class with no surprises.  There are no "transition" poses- instead, there is a pause between each pose.  Bikram is very popular, but very controversial. I've always had a problem with the attempt to copyright 4,000-year-old poses, and I didn't like taking the class at all.

Anusara- Anusara is another attempt to copyright yoga, this time by an American (John Friend).  The classes that I've taken have been great- they focus on alignment, opening the heart (or the front of the body), and meditation.  I once spent a blissed-out twenty minutes in a handstand that I had previously thought I was incapable of.  That having been said, John Friend has fallen hard lately, and Anusara has had a lot of fallout to deal with.

Dahn- Dahn yoga was founded by a Korean teacher, and I have it on good authority that it is a cult.  Once you establish a regular practice, you may be pressured to involve yourself, emotionally, physically, and financially.  My advice, based on first-hand stories, would be to stay away.

Gentle- Gentle yoga is great for people with injuries, those who are just starting a workout regimen, or anybody who needs to catch a break.  In my experience, good gentle yoga teachers are very well-versed in anatomy, and are great at making students feel accepted and comfortable.

Restorative- This is the next step above, or below, gentle yoga.  Real restorative yoga only has a few poses, and all of them involve the practitioner to be on the floor, draped over some assortment of pillows and blankets, sometimes with sandbags stacked on top of you.  The idea is that your body can truly relax and heal itself if you can allow it to relax completely, so the class involves quiet talking or occasional visualizations lead by the teacher, and long stretches of silence.  

I'm not totally sold on all the spiritual stuff- especially all the words with weird spellings.

The great thing about American yoga is that you can really customize your level of spiritual involvement.  If you want a lower level of meditation, chanting, and Sanskrit words, try a vinyasa or hot yoga class.  Kundalini, Hatha, Anusara, and Dahn seems to be the most spiritually oriented of what I have listed here.  If you want chanting, but not any creepy cultey stuff, just check out your studio carefully.  Eventually you'll find a practice that you like, and it's all downhill from there.

What if I hate yoga?

Tiny little arms!

I mean, it has to be possible that some people weren't cut out for yoga at all.  And, there are a lot of things that yoga won't do.  Yoga won't heal everything for everyone, and yoga teachers aren't trained, in most cases, to be physical therapists, doctors, or mental health professionals (although there are notable and awesome exceptions).

That being said, there is such a wide variation of yoga practices (the difference between Bikram and restorative, for instance, is huge) that I believe there has to be something for everyone.  But don't stop after one class!  If you hate the practice, try a different type of class.  If you love the poses but not the teacher, try another teacher.  Try another studio.  

Yoga is a different experience for everybody, and everybody needs different things from yoga.  Don't be afraid to be idealistic and take your hopes into the studio with you.  Give each practice a fair shot, but be picky about what you want and who you want to work with.  Life is a journey, and I think it pays to take the time to delve into the American yoga experience and find what works for your body, for your mind.