If you're familiar with the Upper West Side yoga scene in Manhattan, you probably hear a slew of confusing yoga phraseology every day. Words like Iyengar, Bikram, and Vinyasa flow are either part of your daily vocabulary or the reason you haven't ventured into a yoga class yet. It's intimidating enough to put on those spandex pants and wander into a room full of super fit UWS yoga aficionados, but add in Sanskrit and you'll find your new Lululemon pants never make it inside a studio. Here's a little guide to help you translate your way into a yoga class.
Three Tips to Master Bakasana
Everyone loves the elusive bakasana (crow pose) that seems to regularly appear during your standard Vinyasa yoga class. And who would blame them? Crow pose is a challenge, builds stamina and strength, helps the practitioner engage bandhas, and it just looks really, really cool.
Unfortunately sometimes the vision of your perfect bakasana is easier to dream up then it is to manifest and you wind up with buckling arms and a face full of your mat. With these three tips you should be able to skillfully make your way into a firm, graceful bakasana with just a little determination and consistent practice.
Sunset Stretch Yoga Thursday's 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Check out our new Sunset and Stretch classes at Sloane Stecker Lincoln Square on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Early bird gets the worm when you pre-register: $35 two-for-one. This class is guaranteed to have you sleeping better, operating more smoothly, and generally radiating happiness in no time. See you there!
Yoga for Mobility
Yoga for runners. Yoga and Chocolate. Foam and Flow (beer+yoga). You name it, there's a yoga practice for it. What happened to yoga for health and mobility? There's almost never going to be a reason in your life to execute a perfect Surya Namaskara A, but you are going to have to get a cup out of a high shelf on the daily for many, many years to come and that's where the perfect Surya Namaskara A comes into play. You can do yoga cause it's a killer workout or because the tops are super cute, but here's three unexpected ways a yoga practice will keep you in your best body for the rest of your life.