No time for yoga?  Think again!  Here’s a 10 minute sequence you can do anytime, anywhere to feel a little more energy and balance.

Anyone can do this sequence, and with a focus on the hamstrings and hip flexors, it’s a great warm up for runners especially.

Click here to download the PDF.

Try it out and let us know what you think!

I was at a party recently where someone said they saw “vegan sugar” at a store. “What in the world does that mean? I thought all sugar was vegan.” I explained that is has to do with the process of how the sugar is made white from its raw state, that it can sometimes involve using animal bones. The conversation expanded into everyone’s confusion over why some vegans don’t eat eggs or honey. I said: “where do you draw the line? we kill millions of microbes every day when we take one step”. A friend replied “but microbes aren’t an animal”? They’re technically not a MAMMAL, but they are living creatures. In response to this, someone mentioned a diet or food belief system that doesn’t allow potatoes! Apparently, this is because any kind of sprouting food would be killing a living “thing”? I loved a prank KCRW played once one us all for April Fool’s Day, saying that there was a new movement of eating called “Mineralism“, where people only eat minerals like salt and zinc. :-)

Out here in Los Angeles, most discussions revolve around the best traffic routes or dietary restrictions. I’ve spent hours listening to friends talk about the merits of the Paleo diet, Blood Type Diet, the evils of gluten, the evils of soy…there is a vast amount of confusing and conflicting information out there. But with vegetarianism, there seem to be many different degrees to the approach. There are some people who think just not eating red meat makes you vegetarian. LOL. I have militant vegan friends who would chastise you for just eating a piece of bread that has been brushed with egg white on the outside to help it brown nicely. What we should be doing is eating a diet that promotes HEALTH: our own health, the health of the planet.

Everyone always seems to be curious about how I eat (especially during holiday mealtime) and why I choose that approach. But the reason they always ask is because they notice or comment on how slim I am. I think the questions are less motivated by health or philosophy as they are by a desire to lose weight. My basic approach for the last few years has been: very little dairy or animal products, major focus on fresh vegetables, legumes and whole grains. That’s it. Or to put it more simply, as much green stuff as possible every day. I think the common thread among all the trendy diets is that vegetables take center stage. As long as there is a huge focus on vegetables, not only would everyone be much healthier, but the drain of resources on the planet would be much lower. What’s funny is even though I eat fish 1-2 times/week, everyone still sees me as vegetarian. This is because everywhere I go, people see me pile huge amounts of green stuff on my plate. I’m one of those people who LOVES VEGETABLES. I’m not out eating soy chicken and waffles.  Anyway, my body type is also a result of level of activity, moderation of food intake and genetics.  It’s not as simple as cutting out hamburgers.

If we could allow for different degrees of healthier eating, we would encourage many more people to eat healthy. Someone who has been eating Burger King every day cannot fathom a vegan diet. They see plain carrot sticks and lima beans on their plates for eternity. What if everyone in the U.S. ate vegetarian 3 days/week? The demand for meat would dramatically decline. I can’t call myself a vegan because I haven’t eliminated 100% of all animal products from my diet, but I eat like a vegan 90% of the time. That counts for SOMETHING, I think?

What is your approach to your diet? What has not worked and what has worked? How do people react to your approach?

As the busy holiday season of work deadlines, parties, shopping and hosting/visiting relatives is encroaching on our personal time, stress levels go way up, leading many of us to demonstrate shorter tempers, pig out on food or throw back a few extra cocktails. OK, maybe I’m only speaking for myself, here! Actually, when I look at all of my amazing friends who are running their own companies and parenting multiple children, perhaps even caring for their aging parents at the same time…I’m blown away at what humans are capable of achieving each day.  My life is considerably simplified in contrast to theirs.

However, in the spirit of Relativity, let’s assume each one of us has our unique and individual pile of #$&^ to deal with in our lives.  And the holidays have a way of amplifying everything. The pressure to be jolly in a time in when our country seems to be very troubled, to say yes to everyone and everything when many of us really could use a few more hours of sleep.

Assuming that everyone is doing a regular meditation and yoga practice whenever possible (of COURSE we are!), what are some unique ways in which you like to de-stress?  Share your comments below and perhaps you’ll not only give someone else a good idea, but a good laugh.  I personally enjoy hiking or running while listening to podcasts of KCRW’s Good Food or American Public Media’s The Splendid Table. There’s nothing like the motivation of knowing you’re burning some calories off in advance of trying that new Cashew, Coconut and Pumpkin Curry recipe. I like to let the soothing (and somewhat cheesy) cadence of Lynne Rosetto Kasper and Evan Kleinman’s voices carry me away, like I’m ten years old, sitting at the island in their kitchen while they cook and chatter away.

For the last 10 days, I’ve been dealing with some pain in my low back, on either my right or left (keeps switching around) hip and glute, with a zap of pain often traveling down my leg. That “traveling” pain is called sciatica as it is due to an irritation of the sciatic nerve in the spine. This irritation can be caused by compression in one of the spinal discs or a strain/spasm of any of the surrounding muscles, such as the psoas or piriformis. That strained muscle can also pull on your sciatic nerve; this is a more indirect or “secondary” form of sciatica as opposed to sciatica that’s a direct result of compression in the spine. Finally, sacroiliac joint strain also closely resembles sciatica as the symptoms include:
Pain located either to the left or right of the lower back. The pain can range from an ache to a sharp pain which can restrict movement, and may radiate out into the buttocks, low back and the groin in the front. Since the pain can travel into the lower limb, it can be mistaken for sciatica as well.

Countless people suffer from back pain every day. If you have DNA like mine, you might also have spinal stenosis, which makes any aggravation to the sciatic nerve that much more, well, aggravating. I’ve met people of all ages, professions and athletic abilities. I’ll never forget the sweet girl who used to come to my yoga studio saying “I’m too young to be hurting like this.” As I recall, she waited tables all day in cheap shoes and I’m sure that would wear anyone down quickly.

Anyway, for a while I was annoyed I couldn’t take more advanced classes, or that in Keirin’s class last week I couldn’t do a spectacular (meaning: “show off”) execution of Bird of Paradise. I actually felt like a jack in the box scrunched down, ready but unable to spring up long, open and free.

But I’ve started realizing the opportunity in this challenge. It gives me a chance to let go of the competition and feel true compassion for my students battling injuries, or those of more advanced age. Sometimes when I see a student barely able to do a forward bend, I can sometimes wonder if they “couldn’t try a little harder?”…but dealing with the pain and immobility I have right now, I have more empathy. I appreciate even more that the student came to class, perhaps sitting in the back row and hoping nobody will notice them.

I also am re-appreciating the many mysteries of the body on a much more subtle level. Pain gives you time to slow down and become conscious of all the “little parts n pieces” in your body that are critically involved in helping you properly move, sit or stand. The glutes and quads get so much attention, but what about the noble psoas? even a “boring” asana such as cat/cow takes on new rehabilitational and mechanical meaning as I experiment with new variations to relieve pain (such as: sitting back on the heels in child’s pose as the counter to arching the back on all fours. A gentle and very therapeutic flow; thank you Gary Kraftstow!)

Finally, thinking more about how I can create some more yoga classes specifically designed for back pain. Around town, I see plenty of gentle or restorative yoga, but can’t recall much of any “yoga for back pain” classes that get right down to business.

As Seane Corn once said “Find your pain” and that’s the wavelength on which you can connect with people as a teacher.

Chakra 5 Presents: our first mobile yoga unit, offering yoga classes at Against the Stream Meditation Society (4300 Melrose Ave). Now you can take yoga from some of the most loved instructors from Chakra 5: Brittany Wilkerson, Courtney Sauls, Kali Johnson, Keirin Brown, Lewis Victor, TJ Mokkosian and Jessica Lesley. All classes are only $10 (cash, please: this helps support your teacher as well as Against the Stream).  We’ll add additional classes as we see how things grow. We’ll also soon announce special events at Against the Stream, like Sound Baths, workshops and more.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PARKING Against the Stream is in a dense, urban environment, so allow extra time for parking. Meters on Melrose must be fed until 8pm, Monday – Saturday (they’re free on Sundays). The residential streets around the studios have 2 hr parking from 8am-6pm, but keep an eye on the street signs for street cleaning 11am-2pm Wednesdays and Fridays. Good streets for parking are Kenmore (2 blocks west), which has 2 hr parking all day until 10pm, as well as Heliotrope (1 block west), which has parking spots and lots of 4 hour metered parking around LACC.

evil evil evil!

Since I was 14, I’ve been eating an 85% vegetarian diet. About 12 years ago, I was a very strict vegan, and this year I have been going back to a mostly vegan, and often raw, lifestyle. As a result, I eat a good deal of soy in the form of soy milk, tempeh, tofu, etc.

Over the last couple of years, I keep hearing people express fear and concern over the consumption of any soy products. They say that soy contains “plant estrogens” that can mess with your body, giving men boobs (hey! maybe some of them would LIKE that) and women breast cancer. Typically, when I ask for some substantive evidence or science behind this, the response is “I heard about it from so-and-so, and HE’S a real authority on these things…” In other words, it’s something that most people have heard some surface information about, but haven’t dug much deeper to find out more.

To explain a little more, here is the main concern with soy: people keep saying it “has estrogen”. Soy does NOT actually contain estrogen. It contains ISOFLAVONES. Isoflavones have been called PHYTOESTROGENS or PLANT ESTROGENS because they have a very similar chemical makeup to estrogen. However, they behave much differently. Turns out that the cells in our bodies have a couple different types of estrogen receptors on them…kinda like magnets for estrogen. Actual estrogen will quickly bind to either type, however, isoflavones are more selective and typically only bind to the second type of receptor. Estrogen always acts like estrogen—but isoflavones may have estrogen-like effects or anti-estrogenic effects, or no effects at all. For this reason, isoflavones are considered to be SERMs, or selective estrogen receptor modulators. Most medical studies show that a SERM is a very powerful and helpful tool that can have the desired estrogen-like effects to help osteoporosis or menopause, but anti-estrogenic effects on breast tissue. Translation: it helps protect bone without raising breast cancer risk.

I don’t want to turn this post into a long, rambling piece of investigative journalism. However, I will say I’m 90% FOR eating just a LITTLE bit of soy. Here are some points to consider:

• Asian population has lower incidence of breast cancer. The global Asian population eats a considerably higher amount of soy than Americans. Their incidence of breast cancer is considerably lower than ours. This might actually be due to the soy (some controlled studies indicate this), but more than anything, it’s probably due to the fact that the Asian diet is much healthier, diverse and lower in fat.
• More benefits documented than risks. More studies show that soy does a body good — can lower risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• Suspect the source. Who paid for the article or study condemning soy? The Westin A. Price Foundation, primarily interested in promoting/selling dairy milk (totally unbiased, of course!) is behind most of the “articles” about the dangers of soy. There’s a good series of articles about WAPF at vegsource.com and energygrid.com.
• Many foods contain phytoestrogens, such as flax seed and multigrain bread. I don’t really see people running away screaming from multigrain bread as of late.
• Moderation is the key. I read a story in Men’s Health about a poor dude who grew painful little man-boobs, and found himself crying at movies all the time. Because, you know, that’s what being a woman is all about, crying all the time and fondling our sore boobs. Turns out when he stopped drinking soy milk, the problems went away. Should we all throw out our soy milk? Maybe…if we were all drinking THREE QUARTS of it every day like he was! I’m talking about 3-4 servings a week.
• It’s better for the environment and your overall health to eat plant foods. Period. What is there to explain here?

So why am I not 100% confident? Because studies are still continuing on this subject. And it is a little scary to contemplate those little green “estrogen fakers” doing something to my body. And some people may have a special sensitivity to isoflavones (which I would equate to someone with a peanut allergy, etc. Avoid ‘em!)

At the end of the day, you need to do what you feel is right for you, for your body, your lifestyle. If you have ANY doubt or worry about soy, or a history of breast cancer in your family, by all means, limit your soy or eliminate completely if it makes you feel better. But like so many things in the wellness world, we can project too negatively or too positively on something by virtue of our thoughts. I talk about this with Kombucha. There’s not any satisfying scientific evidence to its benefits that I can find, but many people I know swear by it. Its benefits are largely perceived. Harm can be largely perceived as well, especially after a couple of articles appear before our eyes in print….so seductive, the written word! I have a male yogi friend who swears that after spending time on a veg diet that included soy, he began feeling very “weepy” and sensitive. He therefore saw it as a full green light to go back to eating steaks. (At the time of the conversation we had, he had gained a lot of weight, so now he was going on that maple syrup/cayenne pepper fast to “cleanse”. Oy! I’ll rant about the Master Cleanse in another post soon.)

What has been your experience with soy and where do you stand on the issue?

Update: read Dr Matt Von Benschoten’s extensive research on soy, concluding that studies show soy greatly reduces the risk or recurrence of breast cancer in women…

http://www.mmvbs.com/soy-facts.html

UPDATE (10/18/11):

You can continue to practice yoga with us! We will be announcing soon a NEW SCHEDULE of classes to be held downstairs at Against the Stream, the meditation center in our same building on the corner of Melrose and Berendo. We are working out the agreement/logistics with them right now and hope to resume a reduced class schedule in just a few weeks!

It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the closing of our yoga studio on Melrose Avenue on Monday, October 24th.

We’ve had a TREMENDOUS year, thanks to YOU…building up a base of over 600 active customers at the studio and several thousand in our online community. However, we have been unable to obtain an additional round of investment funding needed to continue operation.

No simple words can express how inspired we are by all of the wonderful people who come into our studio. The fact that it feels like a family here at Chakra 5 makes the hard reality of having to close so bittersweet. However, we fully intend to reinvent as a mobile yoga studio, dispatching our wonderful teachers out for privates, yoga at work, schools, nursing homes, etc. Chakra 5 actually began as a “mobile yoga lab”. The entire Chakra 5 Crew will be out in the world in full force, teaching, holding events, healing workshops, etc. We truly hope you will stay connected to us via this eNewsletter as well as Facebook and Twitter. Stay tuned for the re-launch of our website and our mobile yoga program.

How Will The Studio Closing Work? We absolutely want to make the closing process as gentle and graceful as possible. We’re making a slight change to our schedule, eliminating the weekday 9am class starting this coming Monday, Oct 3rd. Otherwise, the class schedule will continue as usual through Sunday, Oct 23rd. Oct 24th-28th we will be hosting the Yoga Ed.™ K-8 Teacher Training Program, so the studio will be closed to the public. We have ceased to accept any more purchases of monthly or multi-class passes at this point, as we would like for our customers to have a reasonable amount of time to finish out using their passes. We’ll be contacting everyone individually via phone and email who has a monthly membership or a multi-class pass to address any questions or concerns. We’ll also be passing out a printed handout to all our customers at the studio to explain the closing. Anyone who has not activated a Living Social Pass can call Living Social for a refund at 877.521.4191.

We hope that for our remaining time together on Melrose, you will take as much yoga as you can and will join us for a number of exciting events that will all be going on in October at the studio, such as our YogaEd.™ K-8 teacher certification Oct 24-28th, our Astrology 101 Workshop Oct 15th, and our Full Moon Sound Bath Oct 12th. Read all about these special events and how to sign up online on our website. Please also take advantage of our BIG OCTOBER SALE: 25% off all our retail items, such as yoga clothes, mats, towels, skin care, water bottles, etc.

We are also talking to Against the Stream about holding yoga classes and Sound Bath events in their space downstairs. Stay tuned on that progress!

We are eager to spend as much time practicing with you as possible in our remaining weeks here on Melrose Avenue. Thank you again, so very much, from the bottom of our hearts. You have inspired and uplifted us throughout this entire year. You are the reason why we do what we do.

Back in 1998 or so, I distinctly remember Madonna’s album “Ray of Light” came out.  It’s the only Madonna CD I ever purchased.  I liked it because William Orbit, one of my musical heroes produced it, and I liked the yogic themes presented in the lyrics.

I think it was also at about this time that Madonna’s ripped body–the result of many hours of vigorous Ashtanga practice–also started making headlines, and thus an entire new craze was born of “Power Yoga”.  Many fitness/lifestyle fanatics got pretty obsessed with the physical “Asana” aspect of yoga only, taking their body fat down to single digits in classes that barreled through poses in rapid fire, often in rooms heated to 120 degrees with an instructor barking orders over a headset.

There can be many interpretations of yoga and creative approaches to classes, but the “yoga workout” seems a little outdated now.  What about those of us who can’t wear the skimpy shorts, and don’t want to feel like we’re in an Olympic race?  What if we prefer to get our heavy cardio from running or biking and are seeking some kind of soothing solace in the yoga classroom, a respite from the beat-down we’re already getting in every day life?

A new trend that’s been happening in yoga over the last few years is a more gentle approach focused on self-healing called Yoga Nidra.  It’s a more engaging practice than just meditating or lying passively in Savasana.  In Yoga Nidra, you actively take part in a guided relaxation of the body from head to toe.

Sounds easy, huh?  Maybe even boring?  I challenge you to try it once to experience it in your own unique way.  I was skeptical at my first class, thinking it wouldn’t hold my interest for over an hour, and most certainly wouldn’t relax me.  The first thing I discovered was how grateful and willing my body seemed to be to embrace the technique.  Not only was it fun and very enjoyable, it was so relaxing I could barely keep from falling asleep a dozen times.  The trick, essentially, is to bring the body into the deepest state of relaxation while keeping the mind active.  This deeply relaxed, very clear state of being is called, “Transcending”, or “The Fourth State”:

“Scientists call what happens during TM practice a fourth state of consciousness, a state of restful alertness, unlike waking, sleeping or dreaming. This fourth state, called Transcendental Consciousness, has it’s own physiological style of functioning—slower breath rate, reduced stress hormones, more orderly brainwaves. We know from hundreds of research studies that experiencing this fourth state of consciousness for twenty minutes twice a day through the TM technique leads to a wide range of health benefits. Scientists around the world have lauded the discovery of this fourth state as a major breakthrough in health and human potential, because experiencing it twice daily appears to be the key to maximizing health and overcoming the ravaging effects of stress.”
-The Fourth State of Consciousness,  by Steven Rector, MD

Our instructor guided us through what is called a “body scan”, where we acknowledge and “become aware” of every part of the body, from forehead to little toe.  Something about the “roll call” of calling out each part helps the body to settle down.  Then we began focusing on breath in different parts of the body while counting backwards silently in our heads.  Finally, our instructor guided us through various creative visualizations, like “being the wind on the waves of the sea.”

When class ended, students slowly stood up and walked out, serene smiles on their faces.  The sense of being healed and cared for was authentic and palpable, at least in my own psyche.

We have the power to utterly wreck ourselves with anxiety, but we also have the power to turn on an incredible sense of well-being and healing.  We don’t need anyone or anything else to tap into this power.  Some might say this is mystical or metaphysical–possibly true–but since I come from the scientific angle I’d say it has more to do with balancing the central nervous system and the endocrine system releasing “feel good” hormones.  Maybe there really is no distinction.  It gets more obvious as more medical research complies:  the lines are quite blurred between yoga, breath, meditation and physiology.

Anyway, while anyone could benefit greatly from Yoga Nidra, it’s intriguing to ponder the effects on children or veterans suffering from PTSD. Or … women trying to get pregnant…or people suffering from chronic pain/disease.  New medical studies on “relaxation training” are being published every day, with very promising results.

I’ll continue to write about my experience with it as I evolve in the practice; it’s something that surely increases in benefit as you practice it more often over time.

Dear Eric Garcetti:

Putting something (back on) your radar…

Need a couch?

I’ve lived in East Hollywood for 5 years now.  I’ve witnessed the funky neighborhood of Melrose and Heliotrope evolve and devolve a number of times, following the trajectory of the economy for most part.  This vibrant community of artists, galleries and small businesses is again on the rise in 2011.  We opened our yoga studio in March and our following is building exponentially.  It’s interesting that so many wellness-focused businesses gravitate here: Chakra 5 Yoga, Against the Stream Meditation Society, CrossFit and the recently closed but soon-to-be-reborn Pure Luck vegan restaurant.  These businesses open here, and do surprisingly well.

Other new business have opened up in the last few months, such as: Capsule Barbershop, Modern Vintage Today, The Faculty Wine Bar and soon Farm Boy organic market.  While this is all exciting and uplifting, the challenge for us all is parking.

While I fully support the use of public transportation or bikes, the severe reality we businesses face is that most people in Los Angeles still drive.  We are just not at a point yet in LA where it feels safe to ride our bikes more often.  I tried biking to my job in downtown Los Angeles, and even with the utmost attention to traffic patterns, sticking to back/residential streets as much as possible, it was a harrowing journey.  Heck, even crossing the street here at Melrose/Heliotrope is a danger, as the “WALK” sign only lasts about 4 seconds, and motorists hardly ever seem to respect the pedestrians and cyclists.

Not supporting these "local artists"

I propose this:  could it be possible to demolish the two, utterly depressing, decrepit, long-abandoned houses on Melrose between Edgemont and Kenmore?  You know, the ones that are all boarded up and full of garbage?  They have been a major eyesore to the small business and residential community here in East Hollywood for years.  Their existence encourages gangs to splatter graffiti all over the opposite wall, and discourages visitors to come enjoy our hip little enclave.  I’ve lost count of how many calls I’ve put in to the 311 Graffiti hotline to clean up that wall.  What if we just tore those houses down and put a parking lot in?  We could even charge a nominal amount of money for people to park and put that money back into beautifying the area.

Yummy

I realize that encouraging more cars and more driving is not something you’re fond of, Councilman Garcetti.  But there has to be some kind of solution put in place to accommodate the cars.  Drivers would be much less aggressive with speeding around looking for a space and running people down in the process.  And we small businesses would not have to shut down because nobody can park to come visit us.  There is more competition than ever for parking among the new customers drawn to new businesses, the residents and the 17,000 college students.  I think it could be defined as a parking “cluster-$&#%”.

East Hollywood is such a creative, diverse community…reminds a lot of people of the East Village in NYC.   A little bit of love and re-engineering is long overdue.

There has to be some solution.  Tearing down those two eyesores looks like a great place to start.  Unless anyone else has any bright ideas?

I regularly meet people who say (with a sad face):  “I really wish I could take yoga classes, but I just can’t afford it…”

It’s hard not to roll my eyes as I see them easily dropping $15 on a gourmet coffee, designer cupcakes, or a ridiculously overpriced cocktail.  Not there’s anything WRONG with that.  I love’s me a cupcake or cocktail now and then.

But I think it’s more accurate for people to say: “I choose not to make yoga a priority”.  Let’s be honest here:  it’s a lot easier to grab a few cupcakes and head home to watch True Blood than it is to take 75 minutes to face that yoga mat in class.  yes!  That little yoga mat is an unforgiving mirror, reflecting back at you all the you’ve been neglecting to do for your mental, physical and spiritual health.   It’s probably harder to face up to our psychic junk on the mat than it is to pay the $15 for the class.

Our software at the yoga studio has a report you can run called “Big Spenders”.  You’d be surprised to see who those people are.  They are not wealthy executives.  They are younger and not earning a lot of money.  For example, our top spender on class passes, a mat and drinks/snacks is actually a younger, 20-something guy with 4 roommates, waiting tables and riding a bike to the studio because he can’t afford a car.  I think that perhaps people who are truly living on less, with less, somehow see the value of the yoga classes even more. They understand the value of the mental clarity, the immune system boost, the increased strength/flexibility, and most of all, the ability to soothe anxiety about wavering income or employment.

I have a close friend was down to her last few dollars, couch-surfing at friends’ houses, but continued to stick with her yoga classes because of the peace and community they offered her.  Yoga kept her mind sharp and clear, kept her spirit up, and probably helped her excel in an interview for a great job she got later.

It’s true–yoga is a big, multi-billion dollar industry.  But the designer clothing, gear, yoga teacher trainings (especially those with “celebrity teachers”) and exotic retreats are expensive, not the average class.  Distill things down to just you, your t-shirt/sweatpants and your local studio.  You could structure things a lot of different ways to keep your costs down:

• Limit your attendance to just 4 classes per month.  Studies show that even taking one yoga class per week has shown to make incredible improvements in health and well-being.
• Almost all yoga studios have class passes you can buy in bulk that discount the price of classes considerably.  They also have great introductory offers for new customers that make those passes even cheaper.  A multiple class pass gives you the chance to try out a lot of different teachers until you find the one(s) you like the best.  Chakra 5 has 5 and 10 class passes as well as a $50 introductory month of yoga.
• If you have your own business or work freelance, you can easily write off yoga classes as a health expenditure.  We have lots of people who ask for an email receipt to be mailed to them for tax purposes.
• Check your local studio’s schedule for discount/community classes at certain times of the day or week.  For example, Chakra 5 offers a $5 lunchtime yoga class.
• Many studios offer a free or discounted first class.  If you sign up on the Chakra 5 mailing list, we rotate out either a free class pass or $5 off as our thanks to you for signing up.
• If you’re really and truly broke, ask your local studio if they have a volunteer program.  You could earn free classes in exchange for a few hours of your time cleaning the floor or the mats, or answering phones.

Reflect on a time in your life in which you were doing yoga regularly and how great you felt. Many people tell me about “better times” when they were earning more money and “splurged” on regular yoga classes. Ask yourself if your reluctance to take yoga again might have less to do with finances and more to do with your self esteem. Perhaps you got laid off and are now working a less-than-desirable job, or you foreclosed on your home.   Now is the time to “cut way back” and scrutinize carefully “where I’m putting my pennies”, you say.  If you find that you could include some yoga classes in your life again, what’s stopping you?  Don’t you deserve to treat your body and mind as well as you did before?  Perhaps you need yoga now more than ever.
So the real question is, how can you not afford yoga?