Many people, including myself a few years ago, think that there is only one kind of yogi–long and lean (in the Banana Republic way) and able to contort himself/herself in all kinds of twisty poses (in the tiny Chinese gymnast way). Well, that just isn’t true. There are so many different types of yoga for so many different types of people. Here are a few I’m interested in right now.
Credit: Curvy Yoga
If my Lotus Series (update soon, I promise!) isn’t evidence enough that inflexible, non-skinny people can still practice yoga, Curvy Yoga, a Web site and blog dedicated to yoga for overweight people, should do the trick. According to the site, “One of the primary goals of Curvy Yoga is to give [overweight] people a safe space in which to move their bodies—for the first time in a long time, for many people…Curvy Yoga is not about weight loss but rather about building a foundation of self-care and acceptance that can lead to a healthier lifestyle.” Can’t go wrong with that, right? I regularly read the Curvy Yoga blog and find that Anna modifies many poses, ensuring that all can benefit from yoga’s benefits. Check out her 30 Days of Curvy Yoga that begins in July. With daily 45-minute downloads, an online community subscription, a daily e-mail, and more, it looks like a great deal!
Credit: Yoga Download
Some friends recently turned me on to yoga podcasts from Yoga Download. Many are 20-minute sessions, which can be fit in any time of the day, and the site has just about anything imaginable. There are hatha, hot yoga, kundalini, power yoga, yoga for weight loss, and yoga for beginners sessions, just to name a few. As is true of all podcasts, you can subscribe and get one every day, or you can just download the ones you want. All are free, too! I’ve been doing Episode 22 for hip openers. If you’re new to yoga or are unsure of how to do a pose, you can download a visual guide for each episode, but I find that the instructor explains the poses very well. Whether you’ve never practiced yoga before or are a seasoned veteran, you have no excuse not to try one of these downloads. There are so many to choose from. And there are even more (for a small fee) on the Yoga Download Web site.
Kundalini Yoga. Okay, so I’ll admit this looks a little kooky, but I’m still intrigued. It looks so different from what I normally associate with yoga (triangle pose, proud warrior, etc.), and all the fun clothing and props are sure to promise a challenge. I doubt I’ll be donning a head wrap any time soon, but I think I’ll try one of the 20-minute kundalini downloads. Considering this is my year of learning about yoga, I suppose I should give it all a whirl, right?
What yoga resources are you using right now? Feel free to share a link in the comments section.
Namaste.
P.S. Are you buying that she’s 58 (in the video)? ‘Cause I’m calling a big, fat BS on that one. Not because she’s limber and youthful but because I can’t see a single wrinkle on her face, arms, or hands. And there’s my snarky comment for the day.
Namaste (for real this time).
