4 ways to pimp your yoga { yo, dawg! }
Rusty joints? Yogic grille not so sparkly? Motor put-putting? Or perhaps just practicing the same damn thang over and over again?
Shawty, it be time ta pimp your yoga! As Xzibit says, “Yo Dawg, I heard you like yoga…so let’s put some extra YO in your yoga, so you can really YOGA.”
Now let’s get started.
- Spice it up. If you are a Bikram Babe, try something cooling like Yin Yoga. If you normally practice Iyengar, take a Vinyasa Flow class instead. Step out of the usual into the unusual and something magically delicious or scandalously awesome usually happens. Voila!
- Go to a new studio. I know, I know. I can hear the internal struggle…”But there will be people I don’t know there. (gasp! stranger danger!) And I don’t know where to park. (oh no! undoubtedly you will drive in circles until the end of time!) And…and…and…” SILENCE! Do it. It will be good for you. Don’t make me bind and gag your internally dialoguing mouth.
- Take a walk on the wild side and practice in the front of the room. You ok? You didn’t pass out after reading that, did you? If you usually practice in the back, get ballsy and try the front row for once. Contrarily-wise, if you’re a front row regular, take a backseat and get a new perspective.
- Get in touch with your bandhas and your breath. Read up, watch videos, take a workshop, do 40 days of pranayama. And you’ll blow the lid off your practice.
So, dawg…what are you waiting for?! If you need me, I have my yoga toolbox at the ready.
artwork credit: MTV, with creative modifications by YIFY
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soothsayer. illusion slayer. intj/mastermind. writer + artist + strategist + innovator. california born, city of angels bred. gypset world traveler. la face with an oakland booty. queen of the jungle who doesn't lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.
What is in your yoga toolbox, sista? I have to say that stepping to the front of class can be A-mazing!
OK, I know that this will sound horribly old and stuffy, but I’m going to say it anyway. I absolutely detest using any variation of “pimping” as a positive word. I regularly tell my 13-year-old NOT to use it (I gather it’s become cool and popular). Think for a moment what pimps really do and read an article about what happening with sex trafficking today. It’s horrifying. It may sound silly but I think that words and what they symbolize are important and that making “pimping” cool is really not.
Other than that, good suggestions.
Great post! Breath and bandhas!
w0rd. preach, sista gurrl.
Gasp! Stranger danger!
You mean you want us to, like, meet new people?? Really?? ;) But switching from ashtanga to vinyasa was awesome, and then doing a restore class after lots of powerful flow can be a-ma-zing (as long as I’m warm first). And I used to claim the back corner as my very own, but now I really like the front corners…so I don’t have to look at anyone but the teacher. I’m a snot! But growing and pimping (yoga) are good, good things! :)
You da bom sistah!
done, done, done and done!! this has been the theme of summer 2011. you should be my yoga coach (with a whistle, clipboard and all). as always, thanks for the clever writing.
“Silence!” He he…
My favorite way to mix it up is to take my mat outside. We live near the university, so I sometimes get strange looks from kids heading to class, but it’s so nice to do Tree Pose under a tree.
Awesome post! Always fun to challenge ourselves and go out of our comfort zone. Like another poster commenter, I also like to take the yoga outside… that can get some fun looks for sure where I live!