SWIHA Blog

Yoga has deep roots - really deep. Estimated to have originated more than 5,000 years ago, this ancient practice predates written language. What began as a spiritual practice (and still is in some forms) is more commonly used in the USA by lay people as a tool to increase flexibility of body and mind, reduce stress and improve balance.

The practice is increasing. According to a 2013 listing by Yoga Journal, the number of practitioners who engage in some type of yoga has stretched from four million in 2001 to 15 million in 2013. While tracking yoga aficionados may be difficult to calculate, the amount of money spent on yoga apparel, equipment, mats and accessories is not.

Statisticbrain.com reported that $27 billion was spent on yoga products – an 87 percent increase than in years past. From Anchorage, Alaska to Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, Americans are buying yoga products, signing up for yoga classes and enrolling in yoga teacher training programs like never before.

Politics aside, even the U.S. Commander in Chief touts the benefits of yoga.

Read More

A funny thing happened to me when I taught my first yoga class ...

I was standing front and center in the yoga room, nervously cuing my students into a warrior pose and inwardly praying that my voice wasn’t shaking too much, when I noticed something. A man a couple mats away from me was in Warrior II, with his head turned to the side, and his gaze directed right at me. At first it made me uncomfortable and insecure. “Why does he keep looking at me?” I thought to myself. Then I figured it out – he was listening to me! He was waiting for ME to guide him into the next pose. DUH! Why else would he be there?

Quickly I figured out that these students were looking to me for guidance! Whoa - what a realization! Never before had I been in a position of ‘authority’ like that – but I liked it! Immediately, my confidence level increased. My voice became stronger; I stepped away from my mat and began weaving myself between the rows of students while guiding them through the next standing sequence.

During the last two years I have been teaching two to seven yoga classes per week. I’ve noticed a lot of internal and external changes since I began teaching, with the biggest shift being an increase in my confidence.

I’ve never been a meek or mild person; I have what some might call a ‘strong personality’. However, there are areas of my life where I’ve noticed my confidence level has improved since I began teaching. It is a lot easier to make decisions, and I rarely question a decision I made once I make it (something I used to do ALL the time). Teaching yoga has helped me learn how to think on my feet and stick with a decision once I make it.

Read More