On April 17, 2023, the New York Times science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer wrote an article entitled “Why Not Try - Yoga for Skeptics.” Here at Santosha Yoga, we were excited to see this major media outlet reporting on the proven benefits of a yoga practice! Even better, they recommended starting out with a gentle approach.

The top 3 things that we think that the New York Times got right in this article:

1) For people who need modifications to a standard yoga practice, they recommend our friends over at Accessible Yoga Studio. Here at Santosha Yoga, our most accessible class is Chair Yoga, and we have many Gentle classes for anyone who can get up and down from their mat.

2) If you’re working with a specific physical issue, they recommend working with a certified yoga therapist. Private yoga instruction can help to bring together the information you might get from your doctor or physical therapist with approaches from yoga like breath and mindfulness.

3) Yoga may be more beneficial than other forms of exercise because of the mind-body connection. The article notes that many people exercise while distracting their minds with movies or podcasts (which is great, whatever works for you!). But they also note that yoga is different, because you’re focused on the present moment – your body, your breath, the instructions.

2 points we disagree with:

1) Live classes are "pricey." Studies are showing that most Americans still spend more on yoga mats and yoga pants than they do on yoga classes, so a lot of people are not taking advantage of the expertise of a certified yoga instructor giving feedback. If you’ve been to a Santosha Yoga class, you know that a live teacher who pays attention to how you’re moving your body is a great investment in your practice. Yoga and Meditation via Zoom is accessible (you can practice from anywhere with wifi!) and more affordable than driving to a studio. We’re hoping to hear that in the future, more Americans invest in long-term body and brain health by regularly attending live, guided classes with certified yoga professionals!

2) The "other gentle yoga" styles they mention may or may not be “gentle,” depending on the instructor and the class plan for that day. Kundalini yoga has a lot of meditations and some classes do not involve a lot of body movement, but sometimes it can be extremely vigorous. In Vinyasa yoga, the instructions are geared toward continuous movement with breath, and typically tends to move between shapes, including up and down from the floor several times, which can make it feel a stronger practice. In Iyengar yoga, the pacing is slow and deliberate, but the focus on external body placement may have a strong impact on joints or connective tissues.

Takeaways:

• Mindful movement has long-term benefits!

Chair Yoga is an awesome way to start a practice!