Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

I often refer to the Three Fundamentals as Clandestine Yoga. We often think of yoga as something we do in a specific time and place, away from all distractions. While a disciplined practice is a powerful ally, we aren’t likely to bust out a triangle pose in the frozen-food aisle when we feel our hips stiffening up, nor are we likely to set aside our daily work to practice shoulderstand each time our neck aches. The Three Fundamentals are powerful medicine and can be practiced at any time and at any place. Alignment Yoga classes generally start with a meditation on the Three Fundamentals. This helps us drop the stresses and tensions we unconsciously burden ourselves with, and sets the stage for a focused, joyful yoga practice. Keeping the Three Fundamentals in mind while practicing the yogasana strengthens the muscles of inner awareness, and paves the way for moving through the day with more ease and equanimity. The Three Fundamentals are uniquely applicable to Westerners – the yo...

While visiting my Mom in Tucson this past December, it became clear I’ve never really given Pilates a chance. I first encountered Pilates in the early 90’s, and even attended a few sessions of a teacher training program. While the work intrigued me immediately, I wasn’t secure enough in my knowledge of Yoga to confidently embrace learning material that may have challenged my existing view of things. In that uniquely human way, I derived a great deal of comfort by insulating myself from that which is unfamiliar. I was hiking in the Catalina foothills when it suddenly dawned on me that the past few years of occasional Pilates lessons and training had opened new vistas, though I was still framing my view of the physical body through my understanding of yoga. It seemed high time to put the Asana practice on the back burner while I more fully committed to learning another system in order to more fully comprehend its benefits. Knowing my propensity to default back into Yoga mode, the road ma...

For the beginning yoga student, a slip-resistant mat is important. Stick with a reliable brand (such as Hugger Mugger or Prana) and your mat will keep your feet and hands from slipping while you learn the basics. When you buy a good quality mat, you’ll find it’s joyfully free of oils and the other contaminants that make them slippery. If you’ve purchased a good quality mat and it’s still too slippery, you get to join ranks with the people who bought the cheaper mats that are covered with an oily film. To remove this film (called mold release, in reference to the oils that facilitate peeling the mat from the production equipment), wipe the mat down thoroughly with a vinegar/water dilution. Once you’ve thoroughly scrubbed the mat, hang it up to dry. After a thorough cleaning, you’ll find the discount mat may now be usable, and the stickiness of the best quality mats will be help you get the hang of the basic yoga postures. For the continuing student, however, this answer is incomplete. ...

There’s something refreshing about immersion in the unfamiliar. Whether it’s a different environment, a different language or a different culture, the absence of the familiar creates a vantage point to see yourself. Nowhere have I found this truer than in my travels in India. There are so many things we assume to be truths. We generally chew with our mouths closed, conceal particular parts of our bodies, and drive on the same side of the road. Because we have operated within this set of assumptions for so long, we presume these traits to be truths, when in fact, they’re rules that were made up by people at some distant place in history. We may have come to like these ways of being, though the people with another set of rules are quite attached to their view, too. How many comedies have been based on this human trait? We will laugh at the alien who’s landed on Earth and struggles to learn the customs, or the mother and teenage daughter who find themself in the other’s role. Because we’v...

Yes, I must admit my bias. I'm quite fond of Mound Street Yoga Center. For twenty-five years, Mound Street Yoga Center has been dedicated to spreading the life-enhancing benefits of yoga. If you're fond of Mound Street Yoga Center, too, here's your chance to spread the word. Madison Magazine is holding their annual Best of Madison survey. If you're inclined, please consider casting your vote!

The human mind tends to default into duality. We tend to divide things into categories of good or bad, right or wrong, and ultimately, us or them. It’s easiest to see the faults of others, though our continued growth asks us to identify the faults within ourselves. There is plenty of judgment within the Yoga community. One teacher claims to be teaching the oldest and truest technique, while another lineage makes the same claim. Without waging all-out war, there’s a lingering judgment that festers just beneath the surface in the western yoga world. Interestingly, there is little historical evidence to support these judgments. The primary yogic texts, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali , scarcely mention the physical practices of Asana and Pranayama. It wasn’t until much later that texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika described the physical practices. Even within these relatively modern texts, there’s insufficient information to assert whether a technique is right or ...