End-of-Summer Lakeside Retreat in Bolton Landing on Lake George — September 2018

Close out Summer in the Adirondacks' most desirable location after the high-season craze! We'll spend the weekend practicing yoga and relaxing lakeside at historic, family-owned property, The Point. Come solo or bring friends to share one of their authentic log cabins—  all built right over the water, offering calming lake views and sleeping up to four people. The weekends are still alive and vibrant in Bolton Landing in September, and the pre-Fall weather is always beautiful that time of year.

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SEPTEMBER 7, 8, 9, 2018 — What's included?

• 2-night cabin rental (sleeps up to 4 people)
• 4 yoga classes (Friday evening, Saturday morning and evening, Sunday morning)
• Group lunch or dinner aboard a Lake George Steamboat!
• Access to an expansive sandy swimming area in a protected bay
• Fireside bevvies and treats on Lacey's patio 
• Quiet places to read and soak in the view

Additional costs: Groceries for your cabin and / or a budget for remaining meals out. 

CABINS (PER PERSON): Double $325 / Triple: $270 / Quad: $240

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About the Cabins: Built in the late 1940s, the cabins all have their original charm. Overlooking the lake and mountain views with large picture windows, all are outfit with their own working kitchen and updated bath. (The kitchens have the original GE electric stoves and cast iron sinks and updated full size refrigerators.) Each cabin is also equipped with a fireplace and its own patio/outdoor space! Expect new mattresses and beautiful clean laundered bedding, pine wood floors throughout, and cathedral ceilings to provide an extra sense of space and light. Stone terraces decorate this exclusive peninsula to bask in majestic Lake George's sunrises and sunsets. 

Other Activities: Hiking, fishing, boat cruises, ghost tours, spa offerings at The Sagamore Resort, and more! Feel free to ask about your options :)

SPACE IS LIMITED!

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To RESERVE YOUR CABIN or make inquiries, please EMAIL ME at laceyoga@gmail.com. Once confirmed, attendees are asked to pay a $105 deposit via cash, check or PayPal. The full balance will be due by July 6th. Thank you <3

Lakeside Yoga Retreat

DEPOSIT $105.00 USD

New Winter Schedule for 2018

Don't believe the hype: taking 2-3 hours out of your week to take care of yourself isn't a luxury, it's survival. Come find me at classes in New Paltz, High Falls, Stone Ridge, and starting in February, KINGSTON! Want to know if a class is right for you? Visit my Schedule page to read each class description for yourself! xo

SUNDAYs
5pm Community at The Yoga House 🔥 NEW

MONDAYs
12pm Alignment at Whole Sky Yog
4:30pm Vinyasa at Ignite Fitnes 🔥 NEW

TUESDAYs
8am Vinyasa at Ignite Fitness
10am Therapeutic Flow at Whole Sky Yoga
7:30pm Align + UNWIND Basics at Vitality Yoga Flow

WEDNESDAYs
9:30am Warm Vitality Flow at Vitality Yoga Flow 🔥 NEW
12pm Slow Flow at Vitality Yoga Flow 🔥 NEW
6pm Candlelight Vinyasa at Whole Sky Yoga

FRIDAYs
12pm Slow Flow at Vitality Yoga Flow
4pm Alignment at Whole Sky Yoga

SATURDAYs
11am Align+Flow at MaMA 🔥 NEW

#CombatCancer: Remembering Reggie Ossé

I first met Reggie through a fuzzy cocktail of friends: Dave, Naud and Marv. After work, I’d go with Dave to tapings of Reggie’s “internet radio show” when it was at PNC Studios in Brooklyn— during The Combat Jack Show's infancy. The energy in that place was bananas, and Combat always showed love.

When he heard I was training to become a yoga instructor, Reggie introduced me to Akim who —instead of extending a fake-invite like most industry spouses would— insisted on taking me to a class with her teacher, Jyll. Jyll would later give me a class slot on Urban Asanas' schedule— my first weekly yoga class ever. I still have the voicemail she left saved in my phone. It was the beginning of a major shift in my trajectory; the birth of my #NotaCubicle one-woman uprising.

Reggie was like that, though— a passionate dot-connector who always seemed sincerely interested in people’s dreams. He was supportive, delightfully inquisitive and borderline nosy! I loved watching him interrogate unsuspecting guests, be a proud Rap Dad to my friends, and looked forward to seeing him at events and shows where, over loud music, we’d talk about anything from Buddhism to industry politics.

To be fully honest, I haven’t spoken the kindest words about Combat over the last year or two. The reasons why aren’t important, but I feel obligated to admit that and not be a hypocrite. Mentors sometimes become titans, but they never cease being human along the way. None of us are infallible.

When I think about my conversations with Combat over the years, one night stands out in particular. During a listening session for Watch The Throne, his prying nature managed to shift what could have been a polite Q&A into a much deeper conversation about the relationship my brother and I had with our dad. As the questions were fired at me, I cautiously reminded myself that Reggie was Half Gossip-Half Concerned, but found myself continuing to answer his questions anyway. When the conversation was over, we hugged and I walked away realizing I had been bracing the whole time— holding back tears. Mr. "Get Ready For Combat" had unexpectedly disarmed me and also made me feel SEEN, much like he’d done with numerous guests on his show. 

Connecting with other beings was one of Reggie’s many gifts, and I’m still in such deep disbelief that he’s gone. He was kind of person who shook things up and single-handedly energized a room. Back then, he made the merging of my worlds —music and yoga— feel natural and free of judgement. I'm eternally grateful for that. Witnessing him grow The Combat Jack Show into what we now know it to be was a privilege, and it helped curate a special era of my own life and career that I won't have the proper words to describe any time soon. Thank you for everything, Reggie. The inspiration, the jokes, the kind words. All of it.

LOVE to Akim and the family, Jyll for being the inspirational G that she is, A-King, Premium Pete, Matt Raz, Dallas Penn, DJ Benhameen, Jaislayer and everyone else who's felt his loss these last few weeks.

Dream those dreams,
& then man up, 
woman up,
and live those dreams
because a life without dreams
is black and white, 
and the universe flows
in technicolor
and surround-sound.

Happy Holidays! Private Yoga Sessions are 2-for-1

All those questions that you want to ask during class will be addressed, and you'll have my FULL attention. Email, text and FB message me to reserve: laceyoga@gmail.com.

Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous holiday season— and a graceful transition to 2018!  

Fall Schedule 2017

While wandering a contemporary art museum in Paris solo this summer, I asked a kind stranger if she'd mind taking a photo of me. I figured I had about 10 seconds to hand her my phone and hit a pose before she (and others in the room) found me burdensome. As a result of me rushing, my hips aren't square in the revolved wide-legged forward fold below— somewhat of an alignment faux-pas. And that's why I love it. With help from another human I'll probably never see again, I now have this perfectly imperfect memory of a day exploring art in a city I love.

Come find me this Fall! LACEY'S FALL SCHEDULE

Saying Farewell to Abhyasa with Spring Tide

Last weekend, the incredible DJ Tara and I welcomed the new moon at Brooklyn gem, Abhyasa Yoga Center. While merging music and movement, I was also able to say a formal goodbye to Abhyasa— where I trained with J. Brown and used to teach weekly classes— unfortunately closing at the end of this year. Sincere thank you to call who attended, and to J. for being so supportive over the years!

New Years at BSP Kingston

Ringing in 2017 was an absolute joy. Ali and I are so grateful to everyone who came to sweat and shimmy for our second Vinyl Vinyasa at BSP's upstairs dance studio— quickly becoming one of my favorite Hudson Valley venues!

Art & Yoga Under The Harvest Moon

Still in awe of everyone who came out to the HEartWORK workshop at DM Weil Gallery last Friday. Grateful for support from Sunflower Art Studios, and for all my teachers too. 

Vinyl Vinyasa with DJ Ali at Whole Sky Yoga, Friday at 7pm

I'd seen DJ Ali's name on fliers all over New Paltz and in my Facebook feed when I first moved back to the Hudson Valley. We had some mutual friends, so I knew we'd cross paths eventually. 

One night last winter, I popped into Market Market to hang quickly before another event, and she was spinning classic 90s flames. For the first time in months, it was a party that I didn't want to leave!

(At the time, I was unpacking ten years of a career and lifestyle filled with sometimes-mesmerizing "VIP" access — while also dealing with the fact that it no longer served me. In my music-industry evacuee haze, bands, DJs and the local nightlife usually left much to be desired. But with Missy Elliott in the background of the moment Ali was curating, transitioning back to my hometown community to teach yoga felt manageable— maybe even right.)

A couple weeks later, Ali and I met in person, and a hefty co-sign from an always-fab mentor / friend I adore came soon after. Tamar confirmed what I already knew: Ali was a baddy. 

Fast-forward, and "the mayor" and I are collaborating on an event that's been brewing for over a year, and we're HONORED to help kick off Whole Sky Yoga's first TGIF Flow!

Join us on Friday night, March 25, 7pm-9m to welcome the weekend and celebrate Spring with 2-hours of yoga flow alongside a live DJ! With the support of Sara Trapani and the amazing WSY community, Vinyl Vinyasa will surely be a soothing and fun night for all— just like that night back in February at MKT. Hope to see you there!

SIGN UP HERE!

February 13th at Whole Sky Yoga: 'One Billion Rising' Helps Stop Violence Against Women

This weekend, One Billion Rising comes to the Hudson Valley for a day-long event honoring the commitment to take care of ourselves so that we can also do our part to take care of others. 

COMMUNITY, CARING, AND REVOLUTION

One in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime. Do the math: that's about one billion humans on this planet — too many mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts — who will experience physical abuse and its aftermath. Joining the movement on Saturday, 2/13, local teachers from around Ulster County are donating their yoga classes with all proceeds going to The Washbourne House, a shelter which houses and supports survivors of domestic violence. 

AT WHOLE SKY YOGA, COMING TO CLASS = DONATING

Whole Sky Yoga is participating— donating my 11am Saturday class to the cause! What's that mean, exactly? In addition to making a generous donation on behalf of WSY, studio owner Sara Trapani is donating the income from each student in attendance to The Washbourne House. Students compelled to make additional contributions are welcome to leave cash or checks with us to deliver. ($40 is the suggested donation, but again, any contribution helps. I'm donating my teaching fees!)

YOUR REWARD FOR SELF-CARE?

Students with WSY class cards won't be impacted at all— Saturday is a regular class and donating is completely optional. But as a gift to you for simply showing up, Whole Sky will be giving One Billion Rising wristbands to ALL in attendance, giving you access to incredible discounts at businesses in the area and free classes at other participating movement studios!

Together with One Billion Rising, we're helping to raise awareness on an important issue: violence against women. If you and some friends want to get wristbands and make a day of it by popping into Le Shag or Birch Body Works, or a taking a meditation, dancing or pilates class later on, you should! Either way, you're taking care of yourselves through yoga asana, and that's a revolution of its own.

An updated schedule of participant studios and businesses is below. If you want more information, feel free to contact me or visit the One Billion Rising Hudson Valley Facebook page. 

Hope to see you in class on Saturday! 

Creating Aha Language That Resonates

We can all think of moments when a yoga teacher offered a directive that really resonated and maybe even catalyzed an emotional response or new level of body-mind awareness. What is the inspiration behind their methods? How have these powerful verbal landmarks been crafted?

Genny Kapuler, an Iyengar teacher, sees herself as a messenger of a poetic lineage. “Language threads the mind into the body,” said the seasoned instructor. “It’s a vehicle.”

When I asked her to discuss the power of metaphorical speech in classes, she quickly made the distinction between an example cue —“breathe into the mucus membranes of your nose” — and a more elegant alternative. 

“What if I say,‘there’s a lining in the nose that would be like the silk lining of a kimono, and as you breathe, you can actually feel the fibers open, so the fibers open in a way that would be like flower petals… the petals of the inner nostrils open, and they open all the way wide, into the sinuses of your face.’”

Thinking about it as “the silk lining of a kimono” that can be blown open is one directive you’re likely to remember after you’ve felt it once.

Kapuler says that her love for language pre-dates her yoga experience and goes back to when she was little. Not surprisingly, Kapuler has always been a voracious reader and has a highly tuned ear, which explains the verbal flexibility that flows from her. 

Delivering an "Aha!" moment isn’t easy. New teachers are often guilty of over-teaching,
while some ego-driven instructors talk just to showcase their knowledge. But metaphor enthusiasts, for the most part, seek to establish deeper connections.

Developing this can be done, but it begins with self-awareness. Cass Ghiorse, a yoga teacher and wellness coach, has been slowly backing off from over-cuing since last year. “I’m a lot less wordy now. I think part of it is because I’ve grown and evolved. I’ve learned the power of silence. I’ve become my own editor.”

Ghiorse credits The Breathing Project’s Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews for unveiling concepts that have allowed her to ask more questions rather than firing off layers of instruction.

Ghiorse—who memorizes her students’ names to make them feel “seen” and starts each class by saying “give yourself time to arrive”—admits that syncing thought-provoking offerings with students can sometimes be tricky. “They don’t want questions, they want answers,” she said of the paying public.

Now she gives these in a new way. Ghiorse thinks of sequences like “poetry in your body” and offers poet Mary Oliver-like pauses between asanas to let her inquiries seep-in. “You can’t answer it for your students, you have to let them answer it for themselves, and so there’s a quiet there that I cannot tell you, is so invaluable," she said. 

“One holds the poses quite a bit in Iyengar yoga,” agreed Kapuler, “and within that holding, one has time to plummet the depth of their psyche and their being.”

Another trick of these teachers: They are always asking themselves what’s working and what’s not. With an experienced group of students doing sun salutations, Crown Heights studio owner Jyll Hubbard-Salk wonders “Why am I gonna keep talking?!” She’s learned to “just let them get in their vibe,” intuiting when to “fall back and shut up.”

While she does try to make a point not to use profanity, Hubbard-Salk’s students appreciate her nurturing-but-direct style and those four letter words do slip out. “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, I need to stop fucking cussing when I’m teaching.’ And some of my students are like, ‘Girl, that’s why we come—‘cause you’re real!’”

Perhaps a bit eccentric, Hubbard-Salk finds that being uncensored is effective. “When I’m like ‘move your bottoms down,’ nobody moves. But when I say, ‘move your asses down’— they drop!”

Mirroring that sentiment, Ghiorse discussed the process of trusting her authentic self by using relaxed, familiar language. For some, “familiar” might not go all the way to foul language, but Hubbard-Salk, too, walks in her truth unapologetically. “I woke up like this.”

Originally published on YogaCityNYC. Illustration by Sharon Watts.

Exploring Yoga Teacher Stage Fright

I've struggled with performance anxiety since I was a kid, and there were points during my yoga teacher training when I thought I'd never be able to actually TEACH. At least not without having a public meltdown. Thankfully, practice and repetition have given me the confidence to, most of the time, feel comfortable in my own skin.

Many thanks to Brette Popper and Cynthia Kling at YogaCity NYC for the opportunity to explore the stage-fright-as-an-instructor experience, and to Patricia Pinto, Julie Ewald and Mel Russo for sharing their stories in the piece. Honored to be contributing to the site, I got a lot of out ruminating on the triggers and physical / sensory experiences that are part and parcel of the process. 

Here's hoping that you guys get something out of our variety of experiences in the FULL STORY.

See you on the mat! x

Support Survivors of Domestic Violence While Giving the Gift of Self-Care

Beginners often tell me that they don't feel prepared to join a class full of already-familiar yoga practitioners — even despite being eager to give it a try. Like doing anything new for the first time, I wholeheartedly understand the varied degrees of apprehension here. I just wish that more people could see how accessible yoga really is. 

With this in mind, I'm happy to announce the following SPECIAL...

The details? Sign up for a personal, one-on-one session with me to help introduce you to the practice that's changed my entire life. In addition to being almost HALF the normal cost of a private, $5 of your payment will go directly to women and children in need.  

THANKS FOR THE 40%, BUT WHAT CHARITY WILL MY $5 BE GOING TO?

The Washbourne House is a 17-bed shelter for women and their children, located in a confidential location in Ulster County. Residents receive individual and group support-counseling, case management, parenting and children’s services, advocacy and extensive referrals. [DONATE DIRECTLY.]

Please know it would be my absolute pleasure to work with you and your loved ones, and that I'm always available to answer questions that you may have — even if it's as simple as "what do I wear to a class?" Thank you, and happy holidays!

FOR ALL ONE-ON-ONE BOOKING INQUIRIES, PLEASE FILL OUT THE CONTACT FORM OR CALL 914.475.3132, AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU ASAP. 

Lessons in Comfort Orientation from Pema Chödrön, Zosia Mamet and Patanjali

At the end of June, I put my entire life in a U-Haul truck and drove it out of Brooklyn. Circumstances and timing were in alignment, and after almost ten years of living in my beloved NYC, rebooting made sense. 

There was no plan. The only thing I knew for certain was that this self-imposed career break came with a neighboring expiration date that would emerge organically (and be relatively painless), or be birthed out of necessity. Either way, time off was imperative. 

Choosing to roll the dice and put myself in a position that could wind up being potentially unpleasant was out of character for someone so practical, and as you might imagine, reactions to the decision ran the gamut. Thanks to a generous and supportive friend close to home, I had a place to lay my head while sorting out the noise.

POOR ME

In my new surroundings, pursuing a relaxing, limber schedule instead of actively looking for a new full-time job summoned jolts of fear almost immediately. Morning jogs, actually spending time with family, teaching / taking yoga, having intimate conversations, traveling, and roaming in nature were interrupted by misgiving story-lines in my head. What if I don't figure out a way to support myself after this break? 

The Universe doesn't care if you're in the midst of a Xennial life renovation or if you have 90% of your belongings boxed up in storage— things keep moving forward and stuff comes up. Opportunities slip from our grasp, hearts and smart phones break, friends hurt our feelings, and people fly off the handle in line buying kale. With several personal and professional unknowns looming, my yoga practice quickly became a day-to-day anchor in uncharted territory. Reading helped too.

“Comfort orientation murders the spirit.... Opting for cosiness, having that as your prime reason for existing, becomes a continual obstacle to taking a leap and doing something new, doing something unusual, like going as a stranger into a strange land.

Rinpoche’s oldest son, the Sawang Osel Mukpo, told me that Rinpoche told him that he liked to arrange the furniture in his rooms so that it was just slightly uncomfortable to reach for a glass. Instead of putting the table close so that everything was comfortable, he liked it to be about half an inch too far away so that you had to reach.”

— Pema Chödrön, "The Wisdom of No Escape”

Writings from American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön had admittedly influenced this temporary lifestyle change in the first place, and I was hopeful that intentionally sabotaging my own coziness would allow my concept of "normal" to transform for the better. And it did. Little things that would generally summon internal aggravation — running out of hot water in the shower, having little-to-no spending money, cleaning up after other people — started becoming much less icky to endure. Those moments accumulated, and like Rinpoche reaching to get his glass, the discomfort got to a point where it was almost welcomed.

There is no guess what happened next portion of this blog post, though. It's October and I'm still here. Floating in the in-between. 

Maybe I'll return to the digital media / broadcast space I know and love, or maybe sipping-in a few extra weeks of unplugging is more productive to explore a potential career pivot. In the interim, I notice that even though I teach twice a week and work a handful of odd jobs, pockets of rest and leisure leave me feeling deep-seated lethargy-shame. But I come from a 24/7-email, "we don't sleep, we take naps" world, so it's clearly just conditioning. Using a new lens to examine ideas and emotions previously attached to my day-to-day priorities, aspirations, and appetite for success (read Zosia Mamet ask "Must every woman build an empire?") invites valuable critique, I'm learning. So exploring all that has been fun.

It's natural for us to focus on milestones and events— taking inventory on our lives is a constant. We hop from A to B, one relationship to another, downward-facing dog to plank pose. Thanks to a treasured yoga teacher of mine, I've been trying to flip that mentality and approach life's pockets of transition with curiosity. Why don't the in-between moments that separate our achievements demand more of our attention?The car ride from A to B. The thought patterns that surface when we're between partners. And the muscle energy harnessed while shifting from down-dog to plank. There's important information there.

WHAT'S A PATANJALI?

Despite feeling like my identity is getting jostled about, I'm adjusting more each day. Going from nine years of swearing by living alone to having two roommates isn't the nightmare I thought it would be (full disclosure: they're both pretty wonderful), and in turn, my comfort zone continues to swell. 

So what if my savings is hemorrhaging! If cultivating some quiet can't help me produce anything tangible in the long run, then at least I can be grateful and content for each tranquil moment that passes here. That honestly might be enough. Time, I'm assuming, will inevitably tell if having the footing to explore writing and teaching yoga full-time was worth trying in the first place. 

Thoughts about the future still play duck-duck-goose in my mind, but willingly relinquishing control might actually be my favorite part of the transition these last few months. It's also the most alarming.

Luckily, I have reinforcements.

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the eight limbs of yoga include guidelines called the Yamas and Niyamas — things we should consider abstaining from, and practices we should consider cultivating, respectively. Aparigraha (the fifth Yama describing non-grasping, be it possessions, relationships, or ego-gluttony) has allowed me to get over myself when it comes to my current surroundings, my previously stable income, and the people I interact with. Taking Santosha (the second Niyama describing satisfaction and not requiring more than what you have) into consideration, it's hard to ignore my formerly rigid, rule-centered mindset suddenly being tolerant of all the chaos that comes my way.

I'll be back in New York eventually. I'm just not sure when. 

Far from turning my back on the big apple, visiting yoga teachers, event-hopping with cronies and face-to-face meetings lure me back in. Meantime, I'm thankful to have kind words from supportive well-wishers and colleagues serving as reminders that there are benefits to this perhaps-reckless recess, and that I'll come out shining on the other side. I suspect they're right, but it wouldn't hurt to pour out a little kombucha for your girl either. 

Hip-Hop Veteran Dan Charnas On His Relationship With Yoga

Yoga has many definitions, but this is one of my all-time favorites. As an author, screenwriter, editor, pioneer of hip-hop journalism and Kundalini yoga teacher, Dan Charnas has incredible stories to tell.

From my Instagram account, @zillagram. instagram.com/p/tD5t9PuAC6/

Autumn Yoga Series: Ashtanga Yoga of New Paltz

Welcome to laceyoga.com! Now take off your shoes, and grab a mat.

On the heels of the site's launch, I am thrilled to announce an incredible partnership! Starting September 18th, I'll be teaching a six-week-long restorative yoga series at esteemed Hudson Valley studio, Ashtanga Yoga of New Paltz!

Whether you're an experienced yogi, just starting out, or managing a chronic condition, this gentle yoga practice will help you build strength, improve circulation, relieve stress and, over time, even facilitate healing. My personal approach adapts to each individual's specific needs, so beginners are most welcome. Plus, aside from simply feeling better, beneficial patterns of thought and behavior are cultivated in each breath-centered class. 

Many thanks to Ashtanga owner Michael Stein — who, coincidentally, was my FIRST yoga teacher over 15-years ago — for this wonderful opportunity. I'm honored. And I can't picture a more-fitting set of circumstances to launch a website that's been a long time in the making.

Hope to see you all in class! 

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• WHERE: ASHTANGA YOGA — 71 MAIN STREET, NEW PALTZ
• WHEN: THURSDAYS AT 8:15PM & MONDAYS AT 7AM (STARTS 9/18, ENDS 10/27)
• DROP IN: $14 / $7 FOR SUNY NP STUDENTS

CLASS BUNDLES AVAILABLE — CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO!

The Benefits of Yoga Practice

According to our friends at Yoga Alliance, there are many benefits of yoga.

Stress relief: The practice of yoga is well-demonstrated to reduce the physical effects of stress on the body. The body responds to stress through a fight-or-flight response, which is a combination of the sympathetic nervous system and hormonal pathways activating, releasing cortisol – the stress hormone – from the adrenal glands. Cortisol is often used to measure the stress response. Yoga practice has been demonstrated to reduce the levels of cortisol. Most yoga classes end with savasana, a relaxation pose, which further reduces the experience of stress.

Pain relief: Yoga can ease pain. Studies have shown that practicing yoga asanas (postures), meditation or a combination of the two, reduced pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases and hypertension as well as arthritis, back and neck pain and other chronic conditions.

Better breathing: Yoga includes breathing practices known as pranayama, which can be effective for reducing our stress response, improving lung function and encouraging relaxation. Many pranayamas emphasize slowing down and deepening the breath, which activates the body’s parasympathetic system, or relaxation response. By changing our pattern of breathing, we can significantly affect our body’s experience of and response to stress. This may be one of the most profound lessons we can learn from our yoga practice.

Flexibility: Yoga can improve flexibility and mobility and increase range of motion. Over time, the ligaments, tendons and muscles lengthen, increasing elasticity.

Increased strength: Yoga asanas use every muscle in the body, increasing strength literally from head to toe. A regular yoga practice can also relieve muscular tension throughout the whole body.

Weight management: While most of the evidence for the effects of yoga on weight loss is anecdotal or experiential, yoga teachers, students and practitioners across the country find that yoga helps to support weight loss. Many teachers specialize in yoga programs to promote weight management and find that even gentle yoga practices help support weight loss. People do not have to practice the most vigorous forms of yoga to lose weight. Yoga encourages development of a positive self-image, as more attention is paid to nutrition and the body as a whole. A study from the Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found that regular yoga practice was associated with less age-related weight gain. The lifestyle study of 15,500 adults in their 50’s covered 10 years of participants’ weight history, physical activity, medical history and diet.

Improved circulation: Yoga helps to improve circulation by efficiently moving oxygenated blood to the body’s cells.

Cardiovascular conditioning: Even a gentle yoga practice can provide cardiovascular benefits by lowering resting heart rate, increasing endurance and improving oxygen uptake during exercise.

Presence: Yoga connects us with the present moment. The more we practice, the more aware we become of our surroundings and the world around us. It opens the way to improved concentration, coordination, reaction time and memory.

Inner peace: The meditative effects of a consistent yoga practice help many cultivate inner peace and calm.