YOGA FAQ

COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT YOGA
Carrie Tyler, Rasamaya Founder

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PRACTICE YOGA?
My answer to my students whenever they as this is "as often as doesn't stress you out." Meaning if once a week is a realistic expectation, then commit to that. A dedicated practitioner who really wants to see the benefits of yoga practices an average of three times a week. Really dedicated practitioners make it part of their daily ritual.

That said, don't forget that all forms of movement can be meditation in motion. At Rasamaya we encourage and believe in cross-training. We developed our unlimited membership program and carefully structured our schedules to allow our members to stay for two classes back to back so that they can enjoy the benefits of programs such as barre and pilates for focused strength training, followed by yoga for breath, body and mind connection.

IS YOGA JUST STRETCHING?
This is a common misconception. Yoga is so much more than just stretching. Yoga provides you with the benefits of lengthened muscles and is also an excellent means for challenging cross-motor coordination and balance. The strengthening parts of yoga practice will help with bone density and muscular tone. Additionally, the relaxation and meditation at the end of practice allows space for a parasympathetic response in the body that offers the body time to integrate and process new information.

IS YOGA A RELIGION?
The short answer is no and well... yes. If you look at the history of yoga, you will see that its base is truly in the early roots of what we now know as Hinduism. However, most Western yoga schools (including Rasamaya) view yoga as a philosophy system and a lifestyle. The central tenet of yoga is really simple: Be Good. Do Good. The beauty of yoga is that it allows lots of room for interpretation and anyone can enjoy its benefits, regardless of religious belief.

WHERE DID YOGA COME FROM?
Yoga is a 5000-year-old tradition that stems from the ancient Indus River Valley Civilization. What we think of when we say yoga in the West is often yoga postures, maybe some breathing, chanting and meditation. The reality is that yoga postures as we know them came late in the history of yoga. Originally yoga referred to sitting in meditation, and the body was disregarded as an obstacle on the path to enlightenment.

It wasn't until the height of Tantra Yoga (200CE - 1800CE approx) that yoga asana developed as the Tantra Yogis began to look at the body as something that could be utilized on the pathway towards higher consciousness. Care and study was given to the subtle effects of movement, diet, and other practices on the human body. Hatha Yoga (which is the umbrella term for all forms of yoga posture based practice) was developed out of this exploration.

Hatha Yoga is the generic term for all kinds of physical yoga. Under its umbrella are literally 1000's of various styles such as: Rasamaya, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Anusara, Power Yoga, etc.

WHAT DO I WEAR TO YOGA CLASS?
Comfortable workout clothing in which you can move through a variety of postures. Classes are taught barefoot and you will need a yoga mat. We rent mats at the studio, but we highly recommend getting your own mat.

MY MAT IS NEW AND SLIPPERY WHAT DO I DO
Put it in a doorway at home that you walk through on a regular basis barefoot. As the mat begins to absorb the oils of your body it will soften the plastics and wear. Time will help break down some of the coating. You can also wash most mats in the washing machine on delicate with a very small amount of detergent and hang to air dry. This helps them get less slippery. It’s good to know most of the eco-mats sold today are made of recycled rubber, hemp and other green materials that tend to be less slippery than the PVC-based mats. An investment in a quality eco-friendly mat will pay off—they last longer and are better for the environment.

WILL YOGA HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?
Maybe. It depends on the kind of yoga you are doing. If you look at yoga from an exercise science standpoint, losing weight becomes an easy three-fold equation: challenge your heart rate, increase muscle mass and cut calories.

Will yoga increase muscle mass? Yes. For an experienced practitioner this involves continually challenging yourself with yoga poses such as plank, inversions, concentrated flows and sustained asanas. If you are new to yoga any kind of yoga movement will be a new challenge to your muscles regardless of whatever other training you have had.

Will yoga increase your heart rate? Maybe. Initially all new forms of movement will challenge your heart rate. Yoga is however meant to eventually become meditation in motion. One of the goals of yoga is to create a body that maintains a steady heart rate regardless of stress or challenge. Hopefully by the time you reach that point you will have gained a decent amount of muscle mass (which equates to a higher metabolism since muscle burns more than fat) and weight will no longer be a consideration.

As for cutting calories—you are on your own there. A balanced yogic diet supplies enough nutrition to meet your daily needs for both life and movement, with the occasional buffer of enjoying life's more rich delicacies as the middle path. Rasamaya offers holistic health counseling to help folks evaluate and control their eating habits.

I want to add one more thought. There is some non-scientifcally proven theories that weight loss is directly related to stress. If your stress hormones are high then your body can't metabolize or process anything correctly. I have worked with many clients over the years who did everything right on paper but the scale or the pant size never shifted. All of these individuals were people that were on the go constantly with very stressful lives. Taking time for yourself is important, and giving yourself the gift of movement classes may be an excellent way to find what I call "forced relaxation."

MY DOCTOR TOLD ME TO DO YOGA FOR MY "x" (insert chronic pain) WILL IT HELP?
Yoga is not one-stop shopping, but it has the potential to help if you do a very focused practice and pay particular attention to your alignment and needs. The human body is an amazingly delicate structure that responds well to appropriate levels of challenge versus rest. Yoga can be an excellent road to health, especially when adopted as a lifestyle. It's why people always call yoga a connection between "body, mind and spirit."

Rasamaya teachers spend a good amount of time studying anatomy and proper alignment in their teacher trainings. If you have any chronic pain you should absolutely email the studio for recommendations and definitely consider private sessions to make sure you are moving safely and appropriately in yoga classes.

We developed our Rasamaya Structural Therapy (movement) and Structural Balancing (massage) programs specifically to address the needs of chronic pain and discomfort in the body. Any of our guests who have been through the 10-session model will tell you they move much more freely, and the lessons they learned in their time with a therapist has changed how they think about body mechanics, anatomy and alignment.

-- Carrie Tyler

Carrie Tyler is the Founder and Creator of the Rasamaya Method.  She is the proud owner of several Rasamaya studios and runs teacher trainings, retreats and workshops within the US and abroad.   In her private practice she specializes in women's health, chronic structural issues and sexuality in and sees private clients when she is not traveling. She offers lectures and consultations on the Business of Yoga. Learn more about her at www.rasamaya.com