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Can yoga replace my gym membership?
Yoga is a wonderful exercise for the whole body.  If you are looking for a substitute to the gym, we would recommend a vigorous practice such as Ashtanga or Bikram.  These two types of yoga work the whole body, using the body's own weight for strengthening and toning.  Also because you are working at a more vigorous rate you heart rate will be increased.  But, if you are attached to your gym membership, yoga is a wonderful compliment to any workout regiment.

Is Yoga connected or derived from a religion?
Yoga is a spiritual practice and is not dependent on a religion.   There are religions such as Hindu that were born from Yoga.  It is, however, incorporated into some religions such a Jainism and Buddhism.  Most yoga practitioners do believe in a divine being or deities.  Yoga is about self-awareness and discovering the divine within, creating a strong sense of self and of human kind.

How many times a week should I practice yoga?
Yoga is more then a routine exercise.  It is a commitment to yourself and your well-being.  Posture benefits range from aiding digestion & elimination, increasing circulation, expelling deadly carbon dioxide from lungs, massaging glands, toning muscles, and more.  These are benefits that your body can uses everyday.  The more you aid your body in its duties to keep you alive the better you preserve and care for your muscles, organs, glands, skeleton system, and arteries. The better you care for them, the longer and more healthier you live.  Yoga everyday!

What does OM stand for?
Om is the universal sound that all sounds originated from and all creation emerged.  The sound of Om has four parts to it.  1. "Ahhh," 2. "Ooo," and 3. "Mmmm," 4. Silence after to absorb the vibration and energy of the sound.

How do I know what style of yoga is right for me?
To begin, first determine if you would like something more gentle (Svaroopa Yoga) or vigorous (Ashtanga Yoga) for a practice.  Another question to ask yourself is how far into meditation do you want to experiment with.  Kripalu Yoga offers a more of a "meditation in motion" that incorporates meditation with postures and Transcendental Meditation is just meditation.  To read more about the different styles click here.  Once you have decided what style of yoga you would like to start with, find an instructor in your area and speak with them about what you are looking for in a class.  It is always good to try a few different kinds to make sure it is the right fit for you.  

Why is the breath connected to the postures?
Breathing or Pranayama is one of the major ways we can increase our flow of prana (or life force) in our bodies.  By using different breathing techniques while doing yoga, you are able to increase stamina in a posture so you can hold it longer and experience your inner wisdom.  Other breathing techniques can prepare us for deeper meditation by calming the mind.

Could you please guide me on how to meditate on the ajna chakra?
There are a few approaches you can take for meditating on the 6th Chakra. Ajna Chakra is connected to the element of light and the pineal gland. After you close your eyes and enter your meditation, you can envision a glowing flame where your third eye is (in between your eye brows and up about an inch). Imagine this flame glowing brightly as it embraces your whole body like a warm blanket.  As you inhale, the light continues to grow and through the exhale you can experience the space within the light.
Ajna Chakra is also associated with inner knowing, insight, intuition, equanimity, and trust. You can bring the essence of what these words mean to you into your meditation: trusting the universe, trusting that you have is all that you need, exploring your imagination and creativity, being able to envision your future in a positive way, and seeing the perfection in all things. Use the light of the 6th to guide you on this exploration. 
Finally, the 6th chakra is about stillness and clarity so in your meditation.  You would like to merge with that stillness, the emptiness and the fullness. So sometimes sitting in silence can be your connection to this chakra.

How come some yoga studio advise you to wear looses fitting clothes and others advise to you to wear tight fitting clothes? Does it vary by type or is it just preference?
Both are correct: type and preference. Like any sport the gear and clothes have trends so you often see people wearing their preference. Also different yoga styles have a "common dress code" - Bikram Yoga is a hot yoga so men wear just shorts and woman wear a tank and spandex shorts...Svaroopa is more a restorative yoga so students wear sweat pants and long sleeved shirts. Most teachers prefer if the student wears something more form fitting so they can see their alignment and form better.