Daisy Leung Yoga: Sivananda and Iyengar styles

Reflections

What does "yoga" mean to you? Is it just another form of exercise? Or is it more than that? What do you want when you go to a yoga class? "Instant enlightenment?" Well, this last question is easy to answer: you cannot obtain enlightenment in "a few easy lessons." Yoga practice is more than just putting your body into strange positions; it is a lifetime practice. The more you learn about yoga, the more you realize that there is more to learn!

Recommendations

A most interesting book I came across a while ago, named Godtalk: Travels in Spiritual America by Brad Gooch, takes a look at spiritual practice in today's America. The book is divided into four sections: section one compares Deepak Chopra and "Gurumayi" (spiritual leader of Siddha Yoga); section two visits the trappist monastery Gesthemene (where the late Thomas Merton resided); section three describes a very interesting meeting between the Reverend Jerry Falwell's congregation and a homosexual Christian group; and section four gives a fascinating tour of various Islamic centers/mosques in New York City (quite informative and relevant in today's times). Also, for those of you who enjoy fables, I came across two: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Chasing Rumi by Roger Housden…PRENATAL YOGA CLASSES: Indigo
Wellness Center on Commercial Street (Salem, OR) is now offering a prenatal yoga class.

Yoga Books/DVD

For folks new to yoga, I recommend: How to Use Yoga: A step-by-step guide to the Iyengar method of yoga, for relaxation, health and well-being by Mira Mehta (Rodmell Press).

DVD for beginners: Yoga for Beginners II DVD (with Patricia Walden) by Gaiam.

Another good book (more in depth) is: 30 Essential Yoga Poses For Beginning Students and Their Teachers by Judith Lasater, Ph.D., P.T. (Rodmell Press).

To gain a deeper understanding of yoga: Awakening the Spine: The stress-free new yoga that works with the body to restore health, vitality and energy by Vanda Scaravelli (HarperCollins).

Looking at the body with "x-ray vision" is my master teacher's book: Yoga: Awakening the inner body by Donald Moyer (Rodmell Press).

For those with back problems: Back Care Basics: A doctor's gentle yoga program for back and neck pain relief by Mary Pullig Schatz, MD (Rodmell Press).

For those with knee problems: Yoga for Healthy Knees by Sandy Blaine (Rodmell Press).

Senior yogis may want to take a look at: The New Yoga for People Over 50: A Comprehensive Guide for Midlife and Older Beginners by Suza Francina (Health Communications, Inc.).

Ethics

The California Yoga Teachers Association Code of Professional Standards:

Ensure a safe and protected learning environment.
Uphold the highest professional standards for yoga teachers which includes managing one's personal life in a healthful fashion and maintaining appropriate student-teacher relationship boundaries.
Maintain practices and teaching procedures that protect the public and advance the profession.
Maintain relationships with students on a professional basis and avoid those dual relationships (e.g., business, close personal, or sexual relationships) that could impair our professional judgment, compromise the integrity of the instruction, and/or use the relationship for the instructor's personal gain. ALL FORMS OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR WITH STUDENTS ARE UNETHICAL (even with student consent). ALL FORMS OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT ARE UNETHICAL.
Safeguard student information obtained in the course of the instruction process.
Do not solicit another teacher's students nor speak disrespectfully of other teachers.
Do not use inaccurate information nor misrepresentations of any kind in one's advertising.

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