Frequently Asked Questions

I've never taken yoga before. I'm not flexible at all. What should I bring? wear? know? do?

Just bring yourself, a willingness to try and a smile. Golden Heart Yoga supplies all the props (mats, blankets, belts, balls, blocks, etc.) you'll ever need.
Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early so you can change into comfortable, preferably stretchy clothing, such as shorts or leggings, and maybe a T-shirt. Something not too low cut so you're comfortable bending over. Wear something that shows your legs so the teacher can check the alignment of your knees and the use of your muscles.
Please don't wear perfume or chew gum.
Yoga asana (poses) are total body experiences. We work individual muscles in ways that might be new to your body. We all practice and work at it and everyone is at a different place in their practice. Don't let yourself be discouraged because you cannot put your leg behind your head during the first class. And guess what? You're not going to be asked to do that, anyway! Just laugh and give things a try. All things, including flexibility and strength, come with time and practice.
If you arrive late for class, please don't interrupt the class' centering. These few minutes at the beginning of class are to let go of the day, quiet the mind and begin to focus inward. If you are late, simply sit quietly just outside the doors and give yourself this time to center and be still. When the centering is done, please come in and set up your mat. Don't let running behind make you miss class - we all get caught in traffic or just distracted by life. Come on in!

RYT® stands for Registered Yoga Teacher and is a designation earned through the national non-profit organization, the Yoga Alliance (YA). A Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT®) must meet minimum voluntary standards set by YA. Formal training is required in the areas of techniques, teaching methodology, anatomy & physiology, philosophy and ethics, student teaching and apprenticing, and teaching. These standards strive to ensure that RYT®s are knowledgeable and experienced.
An RYT® 200 has completed a minimum of 360 hours study and teaching in the above areas; an RYT® 500 has completed a minimum of 950 hours in the above areas. Registered Yoga Teachers are listed on a national registry with the Yoga Alliance.

Yoga places much less emphasis on goal achievement. Instead, students are asked to carefully observe and finely tune the manner in which they move from moment to moment in conjunction with the breath. This focused concentration draws attention inward, integrating mind and body.
Conventional exercise tends to reinforce misalignment because we naturally stretch from our more flexible areas and rely on our more developed muscles for strength. Yoga counter-balances this tendency by requiring weak muscles to strengthen and stiff areas of the body to stretch. Each posture aligns the whole body. As practice continues, less muscular work is needed to execute the postures and the ability to relax is increased.

Everyone! Anyone can practice yoga, regardless of age, health, or circumstance of life.
All postures can be modified to accommodate those recovering from injury or illness, or with other limitations. Students often find their physical difficulties improving as a result of continuing practice.
Anyone seeking inner peace will find yoga a natural step along the path toward the true self.
It is your path and your experience will be as unique as you are. We will inspire, nourish and support your journey in a safe, peaceful atmosphere.

Anusara Yoga combines Universal Principles of Alignment with the Tantric philosophy that celebrates and believes in the goodness of all of life.
Applying the Universal Principles of Alignment allows us to align with nature, cultivating strength, flexibility, balance and grace in the body, mind and heart.
The postures are performed from "the inside out" with an attitude that balances effort, playfulness and mindfulness.
The actions and alignments of the poses are deeply therapeutic and are in accord with precise principles of both biomechanics and subtle energy flows in the body. The unique abilities of each student are honored and poses are modified to meet the needs of individual students. Props are used to both support and improve postures.
If one is practicing yoga poses, one is practicing "Hatha" yoga. Hatha means sun and moon, or is Sanskrit the equivalent of yin and yang. All forms of yoga practicing poses falls under the umbrella of the "Hatha" limb of yoga. Generally the poses are similar, with perhaps a slightly different focus. Sometimes they're named differently from one "tradition" to another. Anusara, Ashtanga, Bahir, Iyengar, Kripalu, Bikram, Swroopa, Sivananda, and Yin Yoga are some of the Hatha yoga traditions. Hot, Power, Vinyasa, Gentle, Jiva Mukti, etc., are variations of these different traditions' poses.