FAQ

For an indepth look at Punk Rock Yoga, read the mission statement

For information on specifics of classes, please see the individual FAQ for each city:

• Boston
• Fredericton
• Missoula
• New York
• Seattle
• Toronto

What is yoga?

Yoga is an ancient practice from Vedic culture in India. It is the union between body and spirit. There are eight branches to yoga as a whole. We will practice the branch of the asanas (or the poses) The purpose of the poses is to quiet the mind (which spends all day chattering) by activating the body (which spends all day resting). Yoga is a moving mediation. Also, yoga is a process, not a destination. Even when people have "mastered" a pose, they can find new ways to challenge themselves by adding a variation or changing their focus. The goal of yoga is not to put your foot over your head or behind your ear or anywhere else. The goal is to challenge yourself, take a risk and deepen your connection to yourself. For more on applied yoga philosophy, please read our mission statement.

What style of yoga is Punk Rock Yoga?

Punk Rock Yoga encompasses many styles. Mainly teachers use the vinyasa style, which is a flow-style hatha yoga. Hatha simply means sun and moon and hatha yoga seeks to bring into balance aggressive (sun) and receptive (moon) energy. We also have offered mindfulness based stress reduction, guided meditation, chakra (energy center) balancing, and lots more styles.

Is it just yoga to punk music?

Absolutely not. Punk Rock Yoga is not yoga fusion or yoga to punk music. We take a punk rock approach to yoga. We strip away some of the pomp and circumstance creeping its way into yoga today and distorting it.

Yoga is the ultimate DIY, every principle in yoga says - discover it yourself, interpret it yourself, try it yourself, rely on yourself, and learn from yourself. All you need for yoga is you (not a designer yoga mat bag). We present yoga in the raw, without the quick-fix cure-all hype and without all the gloss of shiny yoga toys. We believe "anyone can do yoga" and we welcome people of all degrees of joint flexibility and waist measurement.

In our yoga classes, we create an atmosphere lets you focus on your own physical and mental development, and not look in the mirror comparing yourself to others. In class, we present yogic philosophy as ideas to kick around, experiment with, and interpret. We allow space for individual interpretation of the teachings, no matter how radical.

We include music in all our classes because it draws us into the moment, right here, right now. Music also subdues the sounds of sirens, car horns, and other urban chaos. We view the yoga postures as an art form and when we feature live musicians, we create a powerful dance together in real-time. We use a variety of music because we challenge our students to open their minds to all kinds of music and the emotions and ideas they evoke.

For a more indepth look at Punk Rock Yoga, read the mission statement.

Who started this crazy thing?

Kimberlee Jensen Stedl created this crazy class in July 2003.

When is Punk Rock Yoga coming to my city?

As soon as you can help us find a teacher in your city to start up Punk Rock Yoga through our licensing program.

What time is the class in my city?

For information on specifics of classes, please see the individual schedule, FAQ and other information for each city:

• Boston
• Fredericton
• Missoula
• New York
• Seattle
• Toronto