Yoga for plus-sized students a growing market

Have you ever walked into a traditional yoga class and found a plus-size woman trying to fit in? Her mat is usually set up in the back of the room where she won’t draw attention to herself, embarrassed by her voluptuousness and extra pounds. Yet she deserves to be there just like everyone else. Unfortunately, the problems faced by plus-sized women in traditional yoga settings aren’t addressed in a class full of 20-something skinnies able to swing their legs into downward facing dog or bend forward without breaking out in a sweat. And there are many yoga teachers out there who just won’t give the plus-size woman the time of day, unfortunately, and continue to teach class as if she doesn’t exist. Yes, this happens.

Enter the new yoga class for the plus-sized woman, a growing market that needs more and more teachers. And the time is right, because over 60% of women in the United States are overweight, and it would be a sad thing if they weren’t allowed to embrace the practice of yoga, where they could tap into their inner consciousness and learn new ways to love their bodies and embrace their uniqueness.

This past weekend I attended a 10-hour teacher training workshop in Scottsdale, Arizona geared toward adapting yoga and modifications for the plus- and super-sized woman taught by Lanita Varshell, owner and founder of A Gentle Way Yoga Center in San Diego, California, the oldest and most respected yoga therapist and hatha yoga instructor for the plus-sized population. While Lanita is also an expert in stress management and an inspiring speaker and yoga teacher, she is also known for her Gentle Yoga Meditation in Movement Style, working primarily with people who are overstressed, in chronic pain, or who are seniors, plus- and super-sized looking for a way to change their lives for the better in a safe and nurturing environment.

Thirteen yoga teachers at various stages of their careers gathered together in a room for two full days at the Hilton Garden Inn and shared their stories, soaked in knowledge and filled notebooks with helpful tidbits about how to teach and modify poses for plus-sized women. We learned how to use chairs, blankets, bolsters and straps to make yoga more accessible to someone who has just a bit more rolls than the average yogi to someone who’s extremely obese. Lesson plans included sun salutation modifications to deep relaxation sequencing on the floor covered with cozy blankets and bolsters to rest weary oversized legs. The second day rewarded us with actual students who graced us with their large presence while Lanita guided them through some relaxation poses that gently moved their bodies in ways they never thought possible, opening up channels in their minds that will hopefully send signals that tell them to keep coming back for more.

Although I’m not a plus-sized woman myself, I went to this training because I want to help plus-size women practice yoga in a safe and comfortable environment. More studios need to open classes specially targeted to the plus-sized women, because they need their own space and their own modifications to enjoy the practice without fear of being made fun of or not being able to reach their goals effectively. Yoga for plus-sized women is a very focused niche, and someone who aspires to teach plus-sized women must have a specialness about her that demonstrates caring and understanding uncommonly found in traditional yoga classes where the focus is mainly on the perfect pose and the perfect body. Understanding how to modify to certain poses and what props are essential for a safe and effective practice is paramount to its success, and Lanita’s style of teaching is something that should be broadcast all over so that more and more studios offer classes geared toward the plus-size woman.

Lanita Varshell offers a 200-hour teacher training at her studio in December and July of every year, as well as various workshops and retreats throughout the year. If you’re interested in breaking out of the traditional style of yoga and advancing toward a more rewarding and specialized niche, consider teaching yoga for the plus-sized woman and let your heart sing with joy as you share your wisdom and love with women who are just a little plumper and who need a little extra dose of tender loving care while they explore their own unique yoga journey.

Judith Lasater coming to Salt Lake City

Do you want to become a restorative yoga teacher and need training? Do you live in or near the Salt Lake City area, or are willing to travel from a neighboring state? Here’s your chance to train with renowned restorative yoga guru Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, P.T.

On February 6-10, 2010, Judith will be in Salt Lake City offering her Relax and Renew Learning to Teach Restorative Yoga Teacher’s Training at the Black Box Theatre, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. Cost is $600 if paid by December 1, 2010. A deposit of $300 is required to reserve your space, so don’t hesitate! Make an investment in your teaching career and add restorative yoga to your valuable experience.

Judith Hanson Lasater

Judith Lasater, the author of Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times, is an internationally-known yoga teacher and has taught since 1971. She is a founder of the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco as well as Yoga Journal magazine. Judith is the author of several books including A Year of Living Your Yoga: Daily Practices to Shape Your Life (2006), and writes frequently on yoga and health for several nationally recognized magazines.

In Salt Lake City, Judith will team up with Charlotte Bell, a Salt Lake City yoga teacher and author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice, to conduct the training.  Charlotte has been practicing yoga since 1982 and began teaching in 1986. In 1989 Charlotte became certified in the Iyengar style of yoga, and received her 500-hour certification from the Yoga Alliance in 2000. She currently teaches a restorative yoga class at Avenues Yoga in Salt Lake City.

If you would like to register for the Relax and Renew Restorative Yoga Teacher Training in Salt Lake City, email Charlotte Bell at charlottebell@earthlink.net.

On becoming a yoga teacher

Students in child's pose

If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you already know that I’m still an aspiring yoga teacher, but most importantly, I’m still a student and always will be. There’s so much to learn that every journey I take is one step closer to my dream.  I’m always learning, always growing, and my Wednesday evening students teach me more than I teach them.  I like to tell my students, “yoga is a journey, not a destination.” I’ll be saying that when I’m 80 years old, I’m sure.

Becoming a yoga teacher takes strength and courage and also an inner wisdom.  I still have so much to learn, and I’ve planned some pretty amazing trainings in the next several months. On October 16th I’m flying to Scottsdale Arizona to attend a Gentle Yoga & Modification Training being taught by Lanita Varshell, a leading expert in yoga for the plus size and health challenged populations. She is the founder of A Gentle Way Yoga & Joyful Movement Center in San Diego, California, and I’m overjoyed to have the opportunity to train with her, even if it is only for a weekend. I want so much to be able to help my students who have health or weight issues to become more comfortable in their yoga practice and I believe Lanita will show me how.

In February 2010 I’m going to train right in my home town of Salt Lake City with Judith Lasater and Charlotte Bell to become a Relax and Renew Restorative Yoga Teacher. I’m overjoyed and excited for this opportunity, as becoming a restorative yoga teacher is one of my dreams. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t rest and relax in one restorative pose or another. I believe wholeheartedly in the power of restorative yoga and learning with Judith Lasater and Charlotte Bell is going to be the icing on the cake. I can’t wait to lug armfuls of blankets and a big bolster to the training to have the time of my life becoming the yoga teacher I’ve always wanted to be.

If you’d like to become a yoga teacher but don’t have the financial means to travel to an extensive teacher training, train at home in your spare time with a home study yoga teacher training course.  Learn more about Yoga Teacher Training at home.

Yoga teacher is also a student

I’ve been teaching a basic hatha yoga class at my local church for over three years and I’m grateful that I have a very loyal following.  My students think I walk on water when it comes to teaching them yoga, although I walk into class every week with a slight bit of stage fright because I feel like I don’t have enough experience to effectively teach.  I should be patting myself on the back because I teach at all, and that is something.  I actually love to teach, and I can’t wait to get more experience. Sometimes I get tongue-tied or I can’t remember the name of a part of the anatomy when I want to describe how to get in or out of a pose.  Or, when I don’t know what to do for a larger student who trying to get into a pose the rest of the class is doing.  That needs special training, and I’m not there yet.  But I will be.  I’ve had no formal training except for classes and workshops I’ve attended at the Yoga Journal Conference last year, or other classes and workshops I’ve attended locally.  I’m planning a couple of yoga teacher trainings in the coming year and they can’t come fast enough.

But, the questions my students and even other people who have never done yoga before ask me make me pause.  “You’re a teacher and you still go to classes? Why?” or “Well, if you teach, don’t you know everything?”  I don’t understand those questions, but I guess I’m also glad that my inexperience doesn’t show.  My students feel honored that I take the time to teach them. I know that I’m qualified to teach, because in the United States, one doesn’t need a certification to teach yoga, but I’d still feel better if I had one or two of them.  I’ve been told that teaching yoga is my “calling,” and I’m seriously working on that.

What do I say when someone implies that I know everything?  I say that yoga is a journey, not a destination, and as far as I’m concerned I’ll be studying, practicing, and teaching yoga for the rest of my life and I probably won’t know everything in the end. And that’s okay.

Soldiers in Iraq take yoga classes

This is a far cry from my previous posts and not really in keeping with my central theme, but I thought I’d write about this because I found the story interesting and wanted to share it with you.

In an article entitled “National Guardsman from Palmyra finds himself teaching yoga in Iraq,” LDNews, Lebanon, PA (June 10, 2009), 6-foot tall and 250-pound David Kocian doesn’t really look like your typical yoga teacher, but he quickly became one when interest grew among his soldiers to take yoga classes as a means to find peace and relieve stress amid the front lines.

“Once you cross that threshold into my room, it’s yoga world,” Kocian said. “Forget about your pain; forget about your problems; forget about your supervisor; forget what you just did and what you will be doing in the future.”  Kocian had 15 people in his class the first night, and 25 on the second night.  Kocian’s yoga class in a combat zone quickly became popular. People keep coming back for more and he gets lots of compliments.  He’s glad to be providing a worthwhile service to his service buddies. Yoga is one way to stay sane in an insane situation.

First Lt. Dave Sabulsky from Jamestown, NY went to one of Kocian’s classes and thought it would be initmidating at first. But, he didn’t find it to be very hard to learn and he “credits Kocian’s teaching for this.  He was relaxed. He knows what he’s doing and enjoys what he’s doing,” says Sabulsky.

Yoga Class Etiquette

Going to a yoga class for the first time?  Take heed and follow this valuable advice so you can have a worthwhile and uplifting experience:

• Don’t arrive late. There’s nothing worse than a latecomer breezing into class and slapping down her mat after class has already started. First, everyone is quiet and the teacher is most likely setting the intention for the class.  Your being late will cause a disturbance to those around you as you unpack your belongings and gather the props you need.  Always arrive early in deference to the teacher and to those around you.
• Don’t eat for two or three hours before class.  Having a full stomach may cause cramping, nausea, or vomiting. Engaging in  twists, deep forward bends, and inversions such as shoulderstand will cause these types of symptoms, and you don’t want to get sick during class, do you? Also, if you’ve eaten a meal before class, you may feel lethargic as your body attempts to digest the food.
• Let your teacher know if you have injuries or special conditions that may affect your practice.  If you have a debilitating knee problem or have had a hip replacement, for example, there are certain poses you know you won’t be able to do. It helps if your teacher is also aware of this so she doesn’t assume you can do certain poses and you wind up injuring yourself further.
• Turn off your cell phone.  There’s nothing worse than a cell phone ringing during class. Answering your cell phone during class and then carrying on a conversation with your teenager is inconsiderate to the other students as it disturbs the peace and tranquility of the class and disrupts the flow. Turn off your cell phone and leave it tucked far away in your purse so you’re not tempted to keep in touch with the outside world during class.
• Bring your own mat and a towel if you sweat a lot. There’s nothing worse than borrowing a mat from the studio and rolling it up after class stinky wet for the next person to use. Be considerate and clean up after yourself.
• Be quiet during class.  Although comments and questions to the instructor are always welcome (depending on the teacher, of course), but engaging in loud conversation is not only inconsiderate but it also disturbs the other students who are listening to the teacher’s instructions and trying to have their own unique yoga experience. Yoga class is not a social club, so treat it with the respect it deserves.
• Don’t leave early.  Packing up and leaving early is equally as disturbing to the others as arriving late. However, sometimes emergencies arise where we have to make an early exit. If you must, roll up your mat quietly, nod to the instructor, and make your way out the door as quietly as possible.

Attending yoga classes can be a wonderful way to challenge yourself, learn new poses, and engender a feeling of kinship with others who are of like mind.  Keep these simple do’s and don’ts in mind and your yoga experience will flow nicely.  Namaste.

The best laid plans

I taught my regular Wednesday evening hatha basics class last night and I strolled into the church gym with a pretty firm idea of the pose sequences I wanted to accomplish with my group, but as my students wandered in after a day’s work and set their mats down on the floor, I heard moans and groans and comments about how they’d like a gentle, restorative-type class tonight, because they were too stressed or they were just too tired for anything too vigorous.  So, my best laid plans were instantly altered and I had to come up with a different pose sequencing plan on the spot that would calm their nerves instead of invigorate their muscles. Gentle yet effective was the key. Overworking them to see how far they could go wasn’t. So I bended and reinvented myself to fit their needs, not mine, and they appreciated it afterwards.

Being a yoga teacher doesn’t always mean that your class curriculum should be set in stone.  A good yoga teacher envisions what her students need by asking questions and inquiring as to their physical limitations, their aches and pains, and the overall dynamics of the group at that moment in time.  She bends to the needs of her students and offers solutions and modifications to suit their individuality.  Sure, if you’re a yoga teacher in a health club with a set class description such as “Power Yoga,” you know that your students are there to practice none other than a rigorous type of yoga that revs up their sweat glands.  Otherwise, for a class like mine where I teach middle-aged church ladies who are all at different levels, feeling out the class before starting is important to setting the stage for a comfortable and engaging yoga practice suitable for everyone, no matter their level of ability.

Sometimes I think winging a class and adding spontaneous poses is better than spending hours thinking up effective sequences. Not everyone can do all the poses I dream up, and that is not fair to them. By keeping it simple and in proportion to their ability, they will come back again and again for more.  I still have a lot to learn about teaching, but my students inspire me to keep going.

From the teacher’s mat

I've been teaching what I call a basic hatha yoga class for over three years, but I still feel like a beginner because I get into these stagnant ruts when I don't know how to make a class sparkle. My students are mostly middle-aged church ladies (I teach at the church where I belong), and I seem to stick to the same sequencing over and over, because it's what they like and what we're all used to. But I become proud of myself when I can throw them off guard and introduce a couple of new poses for them to try, and they come up to me after class and praise me for helping them break out of their comfort zone, or helping them to discover a muscle they didn't know existed. Then, my heart shines and my confidence grows. I go home feeling like a new person -- a yoga teacher who's ready to conquer the world.