I recently saw a link to a training video for asana judges. Really?  USAYoga.org  has a series of videos showing the criteria judges use to judge asana competitions.  Don't believe me, check it out, it is quite entertaining. What is next, are we going to see yoga in the Olympics?     I received an email today from a woman wanting to begin a yoga practice but was concerned about her weight and inability to do yoga.  No wonder she is concerned that yoga is not for her. What type of yoga do you teach? I always respond with Yoga.  If you are looking for a name brand  kind of yoga then you more then likely do not want to practice with me.  My yoga practice and teaching is forever evolving and hopefully so too are my students and teachers. do not offer different levels of classes but rather teach mixed level classes.  We offer a beginner class simply to get people in the door and offer them guidance on which class would be the best place for them to start. We offer Heated on non-heated, but beyond that we direct you more to the personality the classes have taken on. I like to classify my yogi's a bit differently.  A beginner is one who see the practice as physical, pushing and striving for the "ideal" form or shape, not listening to the wisdom of the body and always wanting to worker harder.  We have some people who have been practicing for several years who still fit in this category.An intermediate yogi is one who knows to listen to the wisdom of the body, modifies  and rest when they need to.  They may still be holding on to the concept of Yoga as a physical practice but are not striving for the ideal form, and beginning to see that yoga is more, but maybe not sure what that more is.An advanced yogi is one who gets it, that it is not simply a physical practice, but a lifestyle.  They begin to judge the depths of their practice by the level of ahimsa they practice, or are they more compassionate to themselves and others.  More patient.  Really living their yoga.Their are 8 limbs to yoga practice and tho I believe you can evolve by practicing only one limb of the 8, I question the validity of that being yoga.  Iyengar goes so far as to divide the 8 limbs into to 3 levels.The first level are the do's and don'ts, he is referring to the Yamas and the Niyamas.  The second level is the practice, the practice of the asanas (postures), pranayama (breath), and Pratyahara ((drawing the senses inward)The third level he calls the "wealth of yoga"  the fruits of our practice!  Dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (state of bliss).The next time you are tempted to judge your practice by the ability or lack of, remember the asana's are but a small part of yoga and look at where that attitude comes from.  Do you or your teacher expect perfection and alignment, or encourage compassion and freedom.  A real yoga guide will encourage you to find your way into the asana's, to listen to the wisdom of your body, not push what works for them onto you.Maybe it is time to reevaluate your practice and ask yourself "Why am I practicing Yoga?"Are the terms I have used unfamiliar to you?  Begin to educate yourself, read books, search the internet or take an in-depth yoga study to really get into the heart and soul of your practice. Indepthyogastudy.com is a great place to start if you are in the area.  See You on the mat!