If you are thinking of scrapping your 9-to-5 gig to pursue a lucrative career as a yoga teacher, you might want to think again. At least go read this thread on the real economics at stake over on yogadork, which was inspired by a recent article on the website GOOD. In "Making It As a Yoga Teacher: Not As Zen As You Think," writer Sue Smith details her attempt to escape the drudgery of a service industry job by becoming a yoga teacher. Ultimately, she decides to go back to waiting tables. While the dollars and cents in Smith's story accurately reflect the difficulty of earning a decent living teaching yoga, her story is a bit skewed by the fact that she approached her teaching as a way to support herself while she struggled to make it as a comedian. Which is not to say that you shouldn't be able to support yourself on a yoga teacher's income, but it will certainly improve your outlook if you also love what you are doing as a teacher. Still wondering whether to quit your day job? Check out these stories from people who did just that. Read more...

Going on a yoga retreat abroad sounds great, but if you don't have the time or money for that, there are some great retreat options right here in the U.S. of A. They seem to be clustered on the east coast and in California, making them particularly convenient for residents of those areas. Some of these centers allow you to really focus in on one yoga style, while others bring in the country's top teachers for workshops. Since the accommodations and amenities vary, take a look at this guide to the top U.S. yoga retreat centers to see what to expect if you plan a trip.

When you do pyramid pose, make sure to notice that the feet are not as far apart here as they are in some other standing poses. Taking a shorter stance allows you to work on really squaring the hips to the front. This becomes even more of an issue when you forward bend, since that has a tendency to cause the back hip to cock up.

Ashtanga yoga has a lot of it's own specialized vocabulary to describe techniques and conventions of the practice. Take a look at the list below so you'll understand what's going on at the shala.