Irina's Blog

Let me break down a few untruths.. We believe that yoga is about being flexible, petite, and wear Lululemon clothing to look cute. This is the market that has emerged in the name of yoga. Please don’t buy into it. If you look online, many men have joined yoga class because they swear it helps them with breath, mental focus, and flexibility in sports and similar activities. And this is true.. However, there’s so much more to doing a proper yoga practice. It makes you grow up. If you want to be effective, if you want to lead, if you want to feel stable and powerful inside, yoga is the practice for you. Classical Hatha Yoga. The type that not been played or tampered with. Yoga gives you a platform off of which you can jump into your greatest possibility. This is not a stretching competition. This is a science of reaching your ultimate potential.

There is one important thing that we need to understand about yoga. It is not about stretching or strengthening the body. You use the body because that is what we have to work with. We use the body to go beyond the body. To go beyond compulsive eating, sleeping, unconscious choices, harmful patterns. The body has a way of being which may not be working for us and the way we want to be. And yet, that is the one thing that we have. So, yogic practices use the body to lead us to a place where we want to be. Yes, the body will become more fit, more flexible, lighter, happier, more energetic, more capable and mostly, more willing. As the barriers and limitations we live in loosen up, a new sense of enjoyment takes place. And new desires and dreams and longings pop up. The expansion is infinite and makes a life worth living. The scientific use of the body is what is known as Hatha Yoga. Simply apply the formula, consistently, un-judgingly, and see yourself transfor...

Some students frequently tell me they have a difficult time doing their practices daily. Even if it only takes an hour, somehow.... :)  I understand the resistance. Isha Hatha Yoga is an incredible experience. You only need to do it consistently for a while for it to sink it. You may not even know what it's doing for you until you choose to skip it.  And you may skip it again and again. A week can go by, maybe a few weeks.  And once you resume the practice, you can't believe you didn't do it before. It simply makes you alive. Being flexible is the least of its benefits. You begin to sing and dance because of the joy that it generates. So, the next time, your mind builds a big block, simply remind yourself that your well-being can't wait 'til tomorrow. It needs to happen today! May you have an enjoyable day! :)

A friend of mine asked that question a few years ago.. What is the most important thing in your life? After multiple answers and omitting the obvious, he pointed out. "It's your breath!" Breath is utilized in yogic practices constantly. It can generate heat, it can calm your mind, it can be slowed down or sped up.  It's a real tool. If you know how to use breath properly, you can begin to experience something new.  Something you didn't know existed.  Find a way to locate a trained teacher and learn. It will yield results!

You know... There is no linear path to anything. There seems to be an up and a down and sometimes a twist.  The great thing about yoga is that the downs aren't so low. Or, at the very least, not as powerful. And sometimes, the fall isn't as painful.  So while doing a yogic practice may still require an occasional hug from a friend, the ability to get up and try again isn't that far away.

Are you one of those people who can’t touch the floor? Or can barely touch the floor? Or maybe the floor seems like a galaxy away? You’re not alone. For sure. I was one of those people my entire life. I do not say this lightly. Literally, I never thought that touching the floor was even a possibility for me. And, personally and as a physical therapist, I (like most other people) thought it was the tightness in my hamstrings. Why? Because that’s where I felt the tension! And yet... after undergoing the intensive teacher training and practicing Isha Hatha Yoga regularly, I had lightbulb moments! Why do you think there’s tension in the hamstrings when bending forward? Because... “the ankle bone is connected to the knee bone and connected to the hip bone..” You get the point. The issue is..... drum rolls, please... Your spine... Yes, tension in your spine. Spine can’t bend and there’s a tug on the hamstrings. Spine is the most important part of the body in yoga for various rea...

Did I catch your attention? They say, the word yoga means “union.” It’s the experience of oneness. This experience is our true freedom. What I teach is not freedom. What I teach are ways to freedom. What I teach is not the answer but it has the potential to lead you to it. ... And the road to the answer can be pure sweetness. But you have to walk it. Daily. And stay on the path.