DEAR THYROID^TM

So far in our month long celebration of all things yoga, I have shared with you my love for yoga and how it has transformed my health and life, taming our yoga fear dragon,  and how to best prepare for practice.  Now we come to the juicy part – yoga practice!

There are three main ways you can begin a yoga practice:

1. Go to a class
2. Follow a DVD
3. Get a good book and follow the poses in the book

I recommend students go to a class first. Even if you do not intend to continue with classes, I think it is best to practice under a trained yoga teacher. Yoga is not something to take lightly – you want to ensure you are practicing as safely as possible. Injuries due to improper alignment in a yoga posture are not uncommon.

Yoga styles

Before you can look for a yoga teacher who is a good fit, it is important to have an understanding of the different styles of yoga. Full disclosure – I only practice Kripalu style yoga. I do not have experience with other styles of yoga.

“Kripalu is a yoga practice with a compassionate approach and emphasis on meditation, physical healing and spiritual transformation that overflows into daily life. Kripalu also focuses on looking inward and moving at your own pace.”  {source – www.yoga.about.com}

I encourage you to review each of the different styles of yoga on the about.com site, however I believe that the Kripalu approach is well suited to those of us who have ongoing health conditions and may be more curvy than the average bear.

Finding the right yoga teacher

When looking for a yoga teacher, you want to look for the following things:

• 200 hour yoga teacher training (minimum)
• experience working with people with large bodies (curvy, round, big, etc) < I really think this is key to finding the right teacher
• open minded about what health looks like
• gentle, compassionate approach

These may not be the standard tips to look for when trying to find a teacher, but this is what guided my decision and I found an amazing teacher who was very accepting of my size 6x self. Yoga is truly for everyone – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!

DVD – at home practice

I have only used one yoga DVD, and it is the only one I am going to recommend to you. It is by Peggy Cappy and it is called “Yoga for the Rest of Us.”  I use this DVD myself. What I like about this DVD is that it offers lots of modifications. If you are new to yoga or physical activity I recommend only doing the warm up section for a few weeks. Be sure to tell your physician before you start any new activity!

Books

I have used two books in my own home practice.  I love both of them – they are both geared to us curvy gals and I believe both authors practice Kripalu yoga.

The first book is Mega Yoga by plus-size model Megan Garcia. Nice, full colour pictures and easy to understand directions. I would buy this book first. I use this book myself in my home practice.

The second book is BIG YOGA by Meera Patricia Kerr. While I like this book, I think some of the poses in it are geared to more experienced yoga students. I would get this book after you have practiced for awhile.

What I recommend if you are new to yoga, want to give it a try but money is tight

If money is tight and paying $15 for a yoga class is out of your price range right now, I would do the following:

• search in your area for a Kripalu style teacher
• have a conversation with them – see if they have experience teaching large bodies
• take a beginner session so you can be taught how to do the poses under the supervision of a teacher – remember, safety first!
• many city recreation departments offer yoga at a reasonable fee – look into it where you live
• start a home practice AFTER the beginner session is over, using books or DVDs

However you get to your mat is the right way. Just remember to be safe and listen to your body. I believe that teachers have ALOT to offer and you will get much more out of a class than a DVD. But do not let money, or lack thereof, stop you from trying yoga.

Any other tips from those who practice yoga?

Next week I will introduce you to my most favourite pose of all…

Tags: chronically ill yoga, finding the right yoga teacher, follow a yoga dvd, go to yoga class, how to practice yoga at home, nourishing life yoga practice already, thyroid and yoga, yoga books, yoga for your thyroid, yoga styles

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