The recent article in the NY Times about Buddha Body Yoga is great. It’s helping to put adapted yoga on the map (and on the mat!) which is wonderful. I was happy to read it because it gets the idea out there that yoga is for every-body. But, I wasn’t crazy about the either/or discussion: should we let those fat folks in with the rest of us or not? Wierd. Yoga’s not just about the body anyway. It’s much more expansive than that. Plus, I was not too pleased that Big Yoga didn’t get a mention. Obviously. My publisher, Rudy Shur from Square One said the editor may have eliminated me because of word count!
When my first DVD came out a few years ago, I patterned it after the Integral Yoga Hatha1 class, with adaptations. The thing I love about Integral Yoga, which is where I got all my training, is that the focus is more on the internal body and mind, rather than the external body, which is usually heavily bogged down with the baggage of the ego.
Some people thought the Big Yoga was too hard, others said it was too easy!! (just read some of those reviews on Amazon! ouch!)So, I’m making it even easier! I was in the studio yesterday working on the new DVD, Big Yoga Flex-Ability. It’s a great place to start if folks are challenged by their weight, their age or any physical limitations. Everybody can breath and stretch a little. This is not your daughter’s yoga!
So if you read the article about yoga for Buddha Bodies, and it made you think you might be ready to try yoga yourself, don’t worry about the other people in the room. Some may look like you, and some may look different. Look for a teacher who makes you feel welcome. Or stay at home with a DVD until you get the hang of the lingo. Whatever you do, don’t wait until you lose 20 pounds. We all know where that takes us.
To make this possible for beginning students and for those whose health or strength is impaired, Iyengar Yoga uses props like the yoga ball. Maritza Diet