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Let's start:
Q: What is the right amount of time to wait after eating, before practicing yoga asana? And how long should I wait after practicing yoga before I can eat?
A: Two hours after you eat is generally when you have an empty stomach and it’s okay to practice yoga. If you are starving and haven't eaten all day and need some nourishment it’s fine to eat a banana or have a little juice to sustain you through the practice. Try avoid heavy meals as this will disturb your energy and stomach.
Q: Why do we "OM" at the end of class, is it religious?
A: You are welcome to say "Amen" or any other form of gratitude and thanks but this is what om means. OM is said to be the sound of the universe. It is a symbol of our connection to all living things and beings. It is a way to seal in the lessons of the yoga class. It is however, pretty intimidating to new students, and you are by no means required to participate. You are also allowed to giggle, yogis love laughter. It's more about making a sound to ground you and bring you back after savasana.
Q: I have an injury must I stop yoga for this time?
A: Yoga is not a sport that you abstain from during injury. If you have the means to do a private, the teacher can show you an adaptive practice to do at home and in class to actually help heal and stretch out the injury (depending on the damage and diagnosis). Otherwise, keep coming to class and leave out the poses that use that body part. The yoga world sees injuries a little differently from the western world. An injury can often be an experience of the body seeking attention to and asking for you to be more present with yourself. Spending time on the mat while injured can be a very insightful practice and often help find the route cause of the injury. For example: whether it's on the mat or off the mat, if you've let's say, hurt your shoulder. It could be the universe giving you a gentle reminder that you are taking on too much and need to ground yourself more. You can do this by staying off the arm and doing more poses on your feet (warriors etc) and then taking a child's pose or even balance pose instead of planks and weight bearing things. See how it works? Our bodies are magic and have intricate wordless wisdom, when we are willing to listen. There are so many yoga asana (poses) that can be done while our bodies heal, it is a practice of patience but definitely worthwhile. Always remember, yoga practice is to heal and bring balance.