Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Here’s a little secret: you don’t need to be able to touch your toes, balance on your hands, or look great in yoga pants to do yoga. In fact, yoga was never about that. It’s about showing up—exactly as you are—and discovering how good it feels to move, breathe, and reconnect with your body. This week’s YogaDownload theme, Yoga for Every Body, is a celebration of that truth. Yoga isn’t reserved for the super flexible, the super fit, or the super zen. It’s for everyone—every age, every shape, every background, and every level of experience. Whether you’re stiff as a board, an athlete looking to improve performance, or just someone who wants to feel a little better in your body, yoga meets you right where you are.

When you’re choosing a yoga class, do you immediately avoid Vinyasa because you believe you must have a certain level of fitness and strength? Don’t be intimidated by Vinyasa Flow Yoga––there’s a class suited for your unique abilities. If you have physical limitations, are recovering from an injury, are new to yoga, or are approaching your golden years, there is a class for you. The definition of Vinyasa comes from Sanskrit and means to place in a special way. This style of class usually links the asanas to the breath in a continuous flow. The focus on breathing with the movement helps you quiet your mind and settle into sensations arising inside and out.

What do a person who just recovered from back surgery, a woman just cleared to return to exercise after giving birth, a triathlete, and a dancer have in common? They are all people who can do yoga. Yoga is inclusive and accessible, no matter who you are. There is no such thing as a “yoga body.” If you have a body, you can do yoga. It’s as simple as that. The Father of Modern Yoga, T. Krishnamacharya is credited with creating what we know as Vinyasa yoga. One of his guiding principles was "Teach what is good for an individual." Initially, he taught Hatha yoga to young boys in his school in Mysore, India. For many years, women weren’t allowed to practice or teach yoga. In 1937 this all changed when T. Krishnamacharya, admitted Indra Devi into his school. She was the first woman student and the first Western woman in an Indian ashram.