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this combination- yoga and poetry i agree its really good

thank u very much

Yoga schools

I was fortunate enough to luck out with a inner city, diverse yoga studio owned by a welcoming husband and wife, Deb and Russ Young. Their studio is set up and promoted in such a way as to tend to attract diverse clients, so although there are some of the young, slim and gorgeous types wearing the latest lululemon [not available in my size!] these young people are in no way intimidating or unwelcoming towards me. They have a gay clientele as well as straight, unemployed as well as senior local professionals such as doctors and lawyers and quite a few uni students. The mix is great. The yoga studio runs come charity events throughout the year, such as one recently to assist with fund raising for a Cambodian children’s orphanage, events to promote interesting yoga clients’ business such as a local jewelery maker as well as a fun Xmas party so it is not a one-dimensional space.
Everyone who genuinely tries is welcome, irrespective of your level of fitness, appearance, etc. It is always so comforting when Deb or Rus remind us that yoga is a lifetime practice, to listen to our bodies and not press ourselves into pain but to pull back as they do not want us to damage ourselves as we have 20-60 years in which to improve our yoga practice. It is a great perpective to be reminded of.
There also appears to be a significant number of male students – apart from the pre-natal class and classes whose times suit women available during the day, most classes have plenty of male partipants. I had the interesting experience for a middle aged gay woman of being in a class recently which was 90% male. I actually enjoyed the “Ohmm” chanting section even more than usual as the tonal resonance of the deeper voices resonated so strongly on my collarbones. I also felt perfectly comfortable in that studio under those circumstances.
I feel very fortunate to have found such a comfortable studio to do my yoga in in Wollongong.
I cannot offer any academic research on the health benefits of yoga, however I have lost 25 Kilograms in just over 6 months, my muscles have and are developing much greater tone and I am now off my blood pressure medication.
I have not consciously been on a diet. However, I don’t eat 4 hours before a yoga class as somehow if I do, my energy levels disappear as does my strength so I feel like I waste 50% of a great class if I eat. I also now like to eat lighter food and most junk food is gone simply because I am not craving it, with the exception of chocolate, pre-period.
I now also eat my main meal at lunchtime rather than at night, as I tend to do yoga either mid morning or early evening so this fits in with that. This has had a knock on effect in regulating my eating.
As for yoga perhaps not being fat burning, the vinyasa style I am doing definitely is fat burning. I can’t comment on the more prone or more relaxing styles of yoga. With vinyasa, my heart rate rises, I sweat till salt is dripping my eyes and drops off my nose and forehead, and I recognize the familiar ‘taste’ of ketosis [fat burning] in my mouth, so I know that for at least 30 minutes of a 90 minute class I am in cardio/fat burning territory. The heat generated in my muscles from this also stokes a furnace that continues to burn away for many hours after the yoga class – the stronger the practice and the more I put into it, the longer the heat generates. This seems to burn through food at a faster rate.
I have dropped 4 clothes sizes in just over 6 months and I am now headed to the 5th drop in clothes size.
The ironic thing about this is that weight loss was not my goal when I began. I simply wanted muscle tone, greater flexibility and calmness. If those things came with or without weight loss, that was fine with me.
The only negative I could even contemplate with yoga is that I believe it has had a slightly negative effect on my eye sight. Again, I cannot scientifically prove anything, other than I always had exceptionally acute eye sight at both long range and short and I have noticed a deterioration in my previously super-perfect close vision in the last 6 months. I suspect it may have something to do with the inverted postures and my blood pressure.

It sounds like you handled the incident with grace and poise, perfect for a yoga teacher.

I’m very intrigued by the idea of niche yoga classes to increase students’ comfort levels. It is indeed difficult to focus on learning or practicing when emotions are negative.

I suppose we just have to hope – and point out exactly as you did – that there is room for a wide variety of us in yoga practice and classes, and that it’s up to teachers to reduce stereotypes and judgments through their example.

I’m delighted to have found your writing!
Namaste