Winter blahs bringing you down? New Year’s resolutions feeling old already? If you resolved to do more yoga this year, it’s time to breathe life into your practice and perk things up just in time for Valentine’s Day. Make a  promise to practice a little self-care in honor of this holiday. Supercharge any poses in your yoga practice that have become stale with fresh energy. Come  at them from a different angle. Herein lies the true beauty of yoga; it can  be your thousandth down dog, but if you are present to what it awakens in you,  it won’t feel stale. You may inhabit the same body you inhabited last year, but if you change your mindset, it’s astonishing how different you can  feel. The new year isn’t the only opportunity for positive change – we can  find it every day of the year if we try. It doesn’t have to be major or  ultra-dramatic, but if we start off small and keep going, eventually it will  be. So, get back on your mat if you’ve strayed, and imagine it’s the first  time you’ve ever done yoga. Tap into your “beginner’s mind” and use this  mindset to allow your yoga practice to go beyond the routine. Approach your  yoga with an Alchemical precept in mind: Through repetition the magic will be forced to rise.

GET THE FAQS
Here’s an inspirational blend of five frequently asked yoga questions heard over my years of teaching. I’ve found that exploring these topics usually sparks something in my students — a deeper level of interest in their yoga practice that encourages them to take it further, into a space that really resonates on an individual level. I hope these can help shift your yogic outlook and steer you down your own personal path for growth. Your yoga mat, a simple 24” x 68” sanctuary that you roll out on the floor each time you practice, can indeed take your well-being to new heights.

What is yoga anyway? With roots of yoga go back almost 5,000 years, yoga is one of the oldest holistic health care systems in existence. The Sanskrit word ‘yoga’ literally means ‘union’. In the practice of yoga, a connection is established between the mind, body and spirit. As with all ancient traditions, at first yoga was communicated orally. Then about 2,000 years ago the Indian sage Patanjali compiled the Yoga Sutra, a written collection of 195 practical life lessons that form the foundation of yoga philosophy. The Yoga Sutra also outlines the eight-limbed path of yoga:

In exploring these eight limbs, we start by examining and refining our behavior in the outer world, and then turn our focus inwards until we reach samadhi. Today, most people practicing yoga are engaged in the third limb, asana, the physical postures. The original intent of asana was to prepare the body to sit comfortably for long periods of meditation, ultimately transcending the physical body towards enlightenment.

Is yoga a religion? Yoga is a health care system and religion is a belief system. Yoga’s rich and ancient history has become interwoven with religions — particularly Hinduism and Buddhism — so many elements from these do appear in yoga. Since the ultimate goal of yoga is samadhi or enlightenment, the terminology and concepts that describe this can feel religious in nature: self-realization, awakening to a higher being, union with the divine, etc. This is something our secular and scientific culture is not entirely comfortable with. We might then ask why so many people in our society are attracted to yoga right now; it is a side of our humanity that we have sadly lost touch with (the price of progress?). So, while yoga contains ideas, prescriptions and practices that can certainly be found in religious traditions, it is important to keep in mind that yoga entails a practical, experiential approach that is not based on a system of faith or belief, and (in my opinion) definitely includes feeling divine.

Do I have to be a vegetarian to practice yoga? One of the yamas of Patanjali’s 8 limbs is ahimsa, or non-violence. Some people interpret this to include not eating animal products. There is (and I think always will be) an ongoing debate about this topic in the yoga community, but ultimately it is a personal decision that everyone must make for themselves. If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, be sure to take into account your own personal health issues, and how this decision will affect your family and/or the people with whom you live. Being a vegetarian should not be something you impose on others — that action is not an expression of ahimsa. There are many ways to have a non-vegetarian diet and still practice ahimsa by making educated choices about what kind of food you purchase (for example, from a source that raises animals in a humane fashion).

How often should I practice yoga? This goes hand in hand with “Should I only do yoga?” I’m a big believer in cross-training, and I believe yoga helps you do anything better; if you run, it’s going to make you a stronger runner. Weaving a yoga practice into your life enriches it in many ways, but one of my favorite benefits is how it improves performance in all other physical activities. So enjoy your yoga practice on its own, and also honor that there will be times where your practice might not receive as much of your time as another activity, and that is fine. I like to tell my students that yoga will always be there for you when you decide to come back to it, so don’t set unrealistic expectations for your practice, and make sure you allow it to evolve with a normal and natural ebb and flow. It’s a lot more fun that way, and then you’ll find how much of what you do on the mat follows you off it as well.

Gear Up For Cowgirl Yoga in Montana This Summer! Yoga, horseback riding and hiking retreats for all levels of yoginis and equestrians. Imagine a week of yoga and horses — a girl’s dream come true. Explore how both can put you in touch with your potential and teach you about yourself. You’ll practice yoga, spend time with horses, and kick up our heels in cowgirl-friendly Big Sky Country. Yeehaw and Namaste!

Cowgirl Yoga 5-day Retreats in Bozeman
May 31-June 5
July 12-17
August 30-September 4

Cowgirl Yoga Ranch Camp Long Weekends in Wilsall
June 18-21 (Thursday – Sunday)
July 1-5 (Wednesday – Sunday)
August 6-9 (Thursday – Sunday)

I love the physical yoga (asana). What about yoga philosophy — is that applicable to a modern yogini? Asana is only one part of the eight-limbed path to yoga. After teaching yoga for many years as my full-time ‘job’, I’ve developed my own theory why asana is the emphasis of yoga today, as I’ve seen it in my own experience and in my students. Our modern lifestyle has come so far away from the quieter, more contemplative eras before technology. There is virtually no attention span for philosophical and “lofty” concepts if they don’t produce quick results. I’m convinced that today’s yoga is essentially a process for learning to slow down; we have to re-learn how to do this in the unforgiving pace of the world we inhabit.

Even after recognizing this through my own yoga practice, it remains an ongoing challenge to incorporate into my life. There are very few people who begin their yoga practice with another of the eight limbs; asana is the most appealing and relevant to modern lives. Asana is the gateway to the philosophy behind yoga. Through asana we’re able to be present in our bodies and minds in new (old? ancient but forgotten?) ways, and this invites us to explore the other limbs when we’re more ready. These explorations may very well occur during our asana practice. Of course, the potential drawback to beginning a yoga practice with asana is  that one will never move beyond it — perhaps the people who are only doing yoga as a workout or because it’s trendy — but I believe there is something much more compelling to asana that will bring people along a path to the other limbs if they are open and allow the experience. Asana practice won’t change everyone, but I also believe the immense popularity of yoga today cannot be attributed to asana alone. It’s the holistic experience of the eight limbs, whether recognized by the practitioner or not, that have contributed to yoga’s appeal.

Namaste, Margaret
Photos by Larry Stanley

MARGARET BURNS VAP is the founder of Big Sky Yoga Retreats, combining yoga and outdoor fitness in Montana Big Sky country. Her relationship with yoga began almost a decade ago as a way to balance her hectic New York City lifestyle and a corporate career with cosmetics giant L'Oreal... {more»}

Related Chi: Diversify Your Yoga Practice The Visual Language of Yoga Escape to Yoga Yoga For Change: Part 2 My Yoga Journey: A Spiny Tale