This is a total plug for Austin, Texas’ Yoga Yoga, a huge network of yoga studios and workshops. This letter from founder Mehtab in the most recent class and workshop catalog is inspiring:
*****
MORE YOGA! MORE YOGA!
More yoga? Can we ever get enough? And how much more do we need? Just remember…
Yoga is more than exercise. The majority of people do yoga as a form of exercise, like a gym visit or running practice. And yoga is great exercise – in fact, it is the most perfect holistic exercise system ever devised that develops health on all levels. But make no mistake, it’s just too good to only do once or twice a week like an exercise routine. You need more.
Yoga is more than an indulgence. Some people treat a yoga class like a massage or a movie. They do it once a week as a treat, something “extra” that makes them feel good. If it makes you feel good, why limit it to once a week? Yoga is not a luxury item. It is a necessity for happy living. You need more.
Yoga is more than a self-improvement program. Many people start yoga as a short-term self-improvement effort. They take a four-week Beginners Series. They buy an eight-class pass and come for a couple of months. Then they say, “Oh, I’ve done yoga. It did help.” But then they stop and now it’s time to try the next new thing. Yoga is long-term, not short-term. You need more.
How much more? Consider that yoga was designed and practiced for thousands of years as part of a daily practice because it gave amazing results when done every day.
However, few people actually do yoga every day on their own, especially for the first few months or years. So yoga was taught in schools, ashrams, and training programs so people could develop a regular yoga practice with the support of teachers and community.
That is why we have five yoga studios, over 100 teachers, more than 350 weekly classes, teacher training programs throughout the year, and dozens of events with the best yoga teachers in the world. So you can do More Yoga.
Over the 35 years that I have observed people doing yoga, I learned a few absolute truths. The more yoga you do, the healthier and happier you are. When you do yoga every day, your life changes in ways you cannot even comprehend. And to achieve a daily yoga practice, you need to start by taking two or three yoga classes a week.
In other words, More Yoga. More Yoga.
Yours in the spirit of Yoga,
Mehtab
*****