Once thought of only as the obscure practice of hippies and gurus, yoga is now being recognized by all as a healing modality for that which ails you. Whether you have physical, mental or spiritual deficiencies, yoga can – and will – enhance your wellbeing.

Since the 2016 report in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings gave the evidence-based thumbs up, organizations such as the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health now recommend yoga for a myriad of conditions including pain, anxiety, depression and addiction.

Some of you may be thinking, “Yoga is not for me; I can’t even get up and down off the floor.” The good news is that with its growth in popularity, the variety of yoga styles now available truly offers something for everyone. Can’t reach a mat? Start with chair yoga. Can’t touch your toes? Try a gentle or beginner class. Recovering from an injury? Try therapeutic yoga. Don’t feel like working that hard? Try a restorative or Yin class. Think it’s too easy? Try power yoga or Bikram. Already have a sport? Yoga will improve your performance. Think it’s boring? Try trapeze, aerial, or sunrise yoga overlooking the valley after a morning hike.

One of the most important things to remember is that the culture of yoga holds no judgment; no judgment for others in the room and no self-judgment for what you are able to accomplish on that particular day. Your focus is on you and your breath in that moment, listening to your body, and not pushing the limits if you feel pain. Often, the most honored act is simply that you showed up. In my class this morning, our instructor Amy said it well, “You will know if your yoga is working if your life and relationships start to improve, not your poses.”

And as you continue to practice, your reasons for showing up every day are likely to change. A recent report in the Journal of Health Psychology noted that over 62 percent of students and 85 percent of teachers changed their primary reason for practicing yoga. Most start for exercise and stress relief, but for many, spirituality or self-actualization becomes their purpose.

September is Yoga Awareness Month, so there is no better time to give yoga a try!

Find Your Yoga

PALM SPRINGS

Bikram Yoga Plus
Bikram, trapeze, Vinyasa, Yin, chair
611 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Suite 206
(760) 346.2988 • www.CoachellaYoga.com

Mizell Senior Center
Beginner and chair yoga
480 South Sunrise Way
(760) 323.5689 • www.Mizell.org

Peace Love Yoga
Restorative, energetic, gentle, beginning
1572 S. Palm Canyon Drive
(760) 600.0328 • www.PeaceLoveYogaPalmSprings.com

Power Yoga Palm Springs
Gentle, hot, power, sculpt, beginning
333 N. Palm Canyon, #214
(760) 898.9525 • www.PowerYogaPalmSprings.com

Universal Yoga
Hatha, yoga of breath & laughter
420 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite C
(562) 716.9367 • www.LaughingYogi.org

Urban Yoga Center
Gentle, urban Vinyasa, restorative, meditation, teens
1695 N. Sunrise Way
(760) 320.7702 • www.UrbanYoga.org

Yoga Bliss
Alignment, aerial, flow, gentle, restorative
4741 E. Palm Canyon Drive
(818) 679.4384 • www.YogaBlissPS.com

RANCHO MIRAGE

Desert Yoga Therapy
Therapeutic, restorative, Vinyasa, meditation, chair
71843 Highway 111, Suite 3
(760) 456.5160 • www.DesertYogaTherapy.com

PALM DESERT

Bikram Yoga Palm Desert
Bikram
73890 El Paseo Drive (back side of El Paseo)
(760) 776.1440 • www.BikramYogaPalmDesert.com

Bikram Yoga Plus
Bikram, trapeze, Vinyasa, Yin, chair
36869 Cook Street, Suite 101-102
(760) 346.2988 • www.CoachellaYoga.com

Go With the Flow Yoga
Vinyasa, gentle, Yin
72205 Painters Path
(760) 862.9889 • www.GoWithTheFlowYoga.com

Jocelyn Senior Center
Yoga for seniors
Thursdays @ 8:15 am (starting October)
73750 Catalina Way
(760) 340.3220 • [email protected]

Namaste with Shay
Kids, teens, power, Vinyasa, gentle
Mobile yoga studio
(442) 274.1154 • Facebook @ Namaste With Shay

Yoga Center
Ashtanga, Iyengar
73875 Highway 111
(760) 834.1664 • www.YogaCenterPalmDesert.com

LA QUINTA

Evolve Yoga
Vinyasa, gentle, restorative, Yin, hot
50-991 Washington @ Calle Tampico
(760) 564.YOGA • www.E-volveYoga.com

Gather: A Movement & Wellness Studio
Yoga fusion, recovery, Yin, restorative, golf
78065 Main Street, Suite 203
(760) 219.7953 • www.GatherLaQuinta.com

Yoga Central
Vinyasa, Yin, restorative, seniors, private
78370 Highway 111, Suite 185
(760) 861.8574 • www.YogaCentralLaQuinta.com