Read more about the article “i won’t be as fit/strong/capable as others in class.”

“i won’t be as fit/strong/capable as others in class.”

Most yoga asana students compare themselves to others.It's okay, we all (most of us) do it!And I don't think we should judge ourselves at all, for comparing. This is a natural thing for humans to do. Comparison is part of how our brain works. We are social creatures!However, this tendency to compare and contrast can get dark fast. We end up with a strong or subtle experience of inferiority or superiority - and neither creates an emotionally healthy human being.There are a couple ways we can handle this.

“I’m too old / fat / out of shape for yoga”

This last week - for the first time in my life - my feet lifted off the floor in the very tricky arm balance bakasana (or crow pose).I am almost half a century old and a couple weeks ago - for the first time in my life! - I conquered that fear of falling on my face, and I had patiently gained the strength and core integrity to balance on my hands.This is more impressive than you might realize!It is a lot harder as an adult to learn new physical skills or feats of strength - than it is to return to habits of childhood!I didn't grow up with any gymnastics, calisthenics, or attendant practice. When you see me doing what I can do - I had to earn that in adulthood, after decades of life, after giving birth to two children, and while living as a working class artist (meaning: life is hard!)The hanumanasana (front splits) you see me chilling into, in class - well you are seeing me do something I've never done before.I had to get there with these weathered bones and aged muscles! LOLAnother thing:You also might have noticed I am fat. It's true!And -It has to be said I don't dress like a "yoga teacher". I am not in fashionable leggings and a cute sports top. Half the time my hair gets in the way as we flow and I'm always trying to tie and push it back.It's not that I don't take pride in how I dress, it's that I have had to carefully allocate yoga funds to building the space. I've put retained yoga earnings into shelving, rent, security deposit, insurance, licensure etc etc. And that's okay - because I made these priorities with intention.Here's what I mean, though:It's true I don't look like a yoga teacher, or even a yoga practitioner.But if I'd waited to start yoga until I "looked the part" -I'd never have started.***Why am I sharing all this? Because:I am trying to WREST the true nature of yoga away from the American fitspo culture chokehold.If you scroll the Instagram "yoga" tag (Instagram is currently the largest social media platform out there) - you'll see youthful, slim, mostly white, aspirationally-dressed and very athletic practitioners hitting difficult poses - usually showcased in elegant, pristine locations.The truth is...Yoga isn't like that.I mean SOME yoga will look like that - all tidy and slim and clean and wealthy or wealth-adjacent. And that's just fine.But...If you wait to have all those ducks in a row, you'll never start.And precisely WHO is getting cheated if you skip yoga until you "look like" a yoga practitioner?(Spoiler: YOU are getting cheated).Yoga is messy and goofy. Yoga we're practicing in a thousand-year old sports bra. Yoga we spy a hairball in the corner of the room as we're moving to chill in our ardha kapotasana. Yoga is arriving almost-late to class and feeling cranky and annoyed. Yoga is getting a bitchy attitude that someone else in class can do…

how to prepare for your yoga class

No yoga class is exactly like another, but I've been going to classes so long I often forget that a lot of people don't know what to expect. One of the things I forget is that if you're new to yoga, it can be hard to know what to expect.So here's a list! These guidelines certainly work for Little Switch classes and will do you well in most any yoga class you attend.Arrive on time, and prepared to practice.Please arrive with time to spare so that you can settle on your mat, silence your phone, and be ready to practice with the rest of the class.Wear comfortable clothes - and dress in layers.There is no yoga "uniform". Wear what feels comfortable to you. I see a lot of leggings and tank tops on Instagram/TikTok but remember those are yoga influencers. As practitioners, we wear clean clothes that are comfortable to move in! Maybe leggings, maybe tank tops, maybe not. Wear something cozy - that's it.I like to advise wearing layers as it's impossible to find the perfect temperature that pleases everyone! You may get warm during practice and want to remove a layer; then while we rest at the end of class, you may want to cozy up. My personal recommendation? Very warm socks, for savasana.In general, we practice barefoot. But if you want to keep your shoes on or wear socks, just be mindful during any balance or wide-legged standing poses.If you can, buy yourself a mat.I have mats at the studio you are welcome to use! But I highly advise getting your own. This is for three reasons:1. to invest in yourself and your practice - to show your commitment to quality props and materials for your own use.2. the studio mats are great for padding - but paying for a more upscale mat provides more access to poses. I personally like Jade, and Manduka mats. They are positively no-slip! When I practice on a lower-quality mat, I always feel a bit impeded.3. if you have a mat you bring to and from class, you may start practicing at home, too! It's nice to get used to your mat. You come to have a fond feeling about it!Now - mats can be expensive. It may take time to save up. But I have found the expense of a better-quality mat, is far outweighed by the health benefits that regular practice delivers!Let the instructor know of any special needs or requests you have.A group class cannot tailor to one individual at the expense of the group; however, your instructor is trained and qualified to help you with anything you need. Many times your requests can be accommodated - so don't be shy!Some examples of special needs or requests you may have:1. Let your instructor know if you are experiencing pain or soreness. The instructor can then help you be as comfortable as possible during class, with suggestions and/or props.2. Let your instructor know if you are new or newish…

“yoga is for the willing, not the flexible”

Two of the biggest misconceptions I hear about yoga asana are:1. Yoga is light stretching; and2. Yoga is for peaceful, serene peopleI'd like to address misconception #1 today - and get around to misconception #2 soon.Yoga is not about "stretching" -and you don't need to be flexible to practice.I heard it said a while back (and I'm not sure who to credit):"Yoga is for the willing, not the flexible."I love that!***Listen - people associate yoga so much with "stretching" that they think the whole purpose is to be nice and bendy.In fact we yoga teachers hear it all the time:"I'd love to take yoga but I'm not flexible!"So listen:You get (more) flexible (and strong) by PRACTICING YOGA.And even bendy people are often working hard in class, too!I mean -Do you really think that yoga practitioners are mostly just posing and showing off stuff that comes easily to us?(Hint: not really!)Yoga asana helps us GET strong, BECOME more flexible, and GAIN mobility.To wit: I am forty-six years old and I can do things my body has never done before!But I wouldn't be here, if I hadn't practiced.Yoga GAINS you those things.Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly.And I encourage you not to compare yourself to others - ever.Because there will always be someone stronger, more flexible, wearing more stylish yoga gear, someone younger - all that stuff.I want to know if YOU want to feel better in your body, mind and spirit?If so - Yoga may be just for you!Remember:You can practice yoga anywhere, anytime. Yoga doesn't only "count" if you have a certain ability level, or if you practice a certain way, or for a certain duration.ALL YOGA COUNTS.My job as an instructor is to help YOU start to have fun in your practice!Once you start enjoying yoga asana, you'll come back.And you'll be on your way to reducing stress, feeling better, strengthening your body and your mind - and just chilling out a bit more!It takes time, and it takes patience.But time is passing anyway.If you're on my page, it's probably because you want to make the most of our precious time on this green planet!And I for one, am ready to practice WITH you!See you soon!- Agni**** A reminder!"Yoga" means all eight limbs of yoga - a lot more than poses or a workout.But for this particular post, I'm talking about yoga asana - the THIRD LIMB of yoga.

what if a yoga class is too hard?

One of the goals with yoga, is to make yoga a regular thing that fits in with your life. Maybe that means once a year you take a de-stressing workshop, using yoga pranayama. Maybe that means three times a week you go to a sweaty hatha and vinyasa flow: building strength and mobility. Or anything in between.

Read more about the article i am not a “good vibes only” yoga teacher
Agni Hogaboom of Little Switch Yoga, Grays Harbor Aberdeen, WA

i am not a “good vibes only” yoga teacher

If we only practice yoga to lose weight or get those toned abs we are not only being a fair-weather friend to yoga, we are being a fair-weather friend to ourselves.

let’s get real about meditation

Mediation is beneficial; this is known and obvious through thousands of years of scientific study as well as even more compelling anecdotal and empirical evidence.We know it's good for us.It's also FREE - it costs nothing.Then why don't we do it?***The vast majority of people who find this post, will not be meditating daily, or even regularly.I am not here to shame anyone about that.I'm not even here to convince anyone that they *should* meditate.That's kind of beside the point, for me.But I want to offer a few thoughts, and share some of my experience.First: meditation is not (usually) an instant gratification activity.In other words meditation rarely gives us a high. In contrast, we get an immediate boost from a cup of coffee or an impulsive shoe purchase (two delights I experienced this week) - that kind of thing.Now - some people DO experience bliss in meditation -However, that is rather rare.And I've not met a regular practitioner who experiences bliss *EVERY time they meditate*.(and yet they keep at it!)So for me, this means we might decide to meditate - and commit to practice - knowing we likely won't receive immediate benefits.And despite the fact we engage in all kinds of "good habits" just because we know they're good for us  -(for instance very few people absolutely LOVE brushing their teeth but most of us do it regularly as the alternative is much worse) -for some reason people don't want to invest five minutes a day in something that could improve their BRAIN.(I don't know about you, but my brain needs all the help it can get!)***I want to point out that for many years, I was no exception. I crumpled up "meditation" on a list of things I "should" do, good habits I "should" employ - like saving 10% of my paycheck, or staying hydrated -and I just let those "shoulds" beat me up.Rather than doing anything about it!So here is my second point:Almost all forms of meditation are training the mind.We KNOW that brains can be trained. We train our brains every day - either on purpose or,  for the most part, fairly unconsciously through the things we choose to put into our brains.In fact we put in a LOT of brain-training time.It follows that:Any wholesome training of the mind, will result in improvements in our life.In fact, that should be obvious.In other words: we don't have to know HOW our minds and our lives will improve -we just get to TRUST that they will, and look forward to observing the change.Actually, it's a pretty cool process.***Personally, I don't think we're being lazy about any of this.If you think about how hard life can be, our behavior makes sense.For most of us our minds work well enough that we don't give them much focused attention.Our minds work pretty well or IF THEY DON'T, we've found a way to get through our day, to survive.Well I don't know about you, but I want more than survival.I've been in survival…

A new series: Yoga for Absolute Beginners

I'm so pleased to offer a Yoga for Absolute Beginners series in March - the 19th through the 23rd of April, from 6:45 PM to 8 PM on Sundays!In addition to our class time, each student receives a personal one hour session!I'll share a bit about what to expect from this series, then answer a few questions I've been asked.What to expect:Introduction to the history of yogaYoga is over 5,000 years old. I can't possibly cover the history in six sessions even if I was a big expert (and I'm not)! But what I can do is give you the foundational information I wish I'd had, when I first started practicing twenty years ago!Yoga language, yoga concepts, and SanskritI'd like you to feel comfortable in a class - to know what to expect, whatever class you may end up in. Even though there are many, many types of yoga classes there are a few things I feel I can safely - and smartly - teach you, to prepare you for any setting you walk into.The Eight Limbs of YogaWhat are the Eight Limbs of Yoga and why do they matter? Our physical health may be important to us, and that's a good thing. But there is more to yoga than just corporeal exercise. We are more than just the strength and flexibility of our bodies.While most the time you meet with me at Little Switch - in a group class, or private practice - we will be employing the physical arm of yoga - asana (or poses) - I want to touch on all eight arms of yoga for context. I promise: you'll be glad I did.Physical alignmentWhen it comes to asana, alignment and form are more important than trying to "look" like the instructor, or form an impressive-looking shape or feat of strength. In our six weeks I will get you grounded in alignment so you can enjoy practice, so you can stay safer in practice, and so you can benefit from practice.Families of posesI will lead us through varying degrees of depth of all basic families of yoga postures: standing poses, twists, hip openers, inversions, forward bends, backbends, arm balances, yin, and restorative yoga.Yoga in Western culture"Yoga" means an awful lot of different things. I want you equipped to find the classes - and instructors - that work best for you. My goal is for these six weeks to empower your own path. You deserve to enjoy every minute of your practice - it shouldn't be a chore, or a competition.Connection with the communitySix weeks together - we'll get to know one another a little bit! I promise, you'll feel a special fondness for the students you share this time with. Over time, I think you'll find that's the highest value experience of the series.A personal hour with yours truly!That's right! Each one of you who enrolls receives a one-on-one hour with me to talk about your practice, about any modifications or variations that may suit you, about any…

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