Congratulations. You’ve signed up for a yoga class and made a commitment to improving your physical and emotional health. But what’s appropriate attire? Many people will tell you many different things. Some may suggest hemp clothing because it’s all natural. However, this material is prone to wrinkles during stretching, and may cause itching on some skin types. Nylon should be avoided as well, since it keeps in heat. The best materials are cotton or wick absorbent, and should be preshrunk since it will be washed often.For hot yoga, in which people work out in a room heated to over 100 degrees, less clothing will obviously be better. Women should wear sleeveless tops or bra tops while men should wear sleeveless tees or none at all. In most other yoga situations, fitted tops are preferable so that the instructor can see how the body is moving. Read the rest of this entry »

Seals discovered dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300-11700 B.C.E.) show figures in meditative postures, which researchers believe represent the earliest forms of yoga. Archaeologist Gregory Possehl looked at 16 different “yogi glyptics” and deduced that they may represent both human and divine figures. Later, the practices of yoga appeared in the Brahmanas (900-500 B.C.E.), commentaries on the Vedas, Hinduism’s oldest scriptures. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re not from San Francisco, and don’t follow the yoga scene, you may not be familiar with Judith Lasater. Mrs. Lasater is a professional yoga instructor with a doctorate in East-West psychology who has been teaching yoga since 1971. In 1974, she cofounded the California Yoga Teachers Association and currently serves as President, and cofounded Yoga Journal in 1975. You don’t need to travel to San Francisco to get a lesson from Lasater, though. You just need to pick up one of her books. The following list represents just a selection of her titles: Read the rest of this entry »