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ydt SPECIAL: We will be covering yoga-related topics throughout the week in celebration of this weekend’s  Yoga Health Festival. Learn more here.

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Do you ever feel that when you want to do something good for your mental and physical health there are so many options you don’t even know where to start?  Even if you were to narrow down your focus to the genre of yoga, for example, you would still have to choose between Hatha, Iyengar and Ashtanga, not to mention which studio to join.  As Barry Schwartz posits in his book The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less too much choice can actually cause anxiety, dissatisfaction and ultimately unhappiness.

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AHA!  This is where YogaWorks truly excels: helping creative people navigate the limitless world of yoga with ease and decisiveness.  While YogaWorks offers an incredible variety of class styles, time offerings, premiere workshops, international retreats and renowned training programs through any one of their nine different L.A. locations (in addition to the OC and the NYC)…<Breath>… they appreciate that this can all seem overwhelming for new students.

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I can speak from experience.  When I first walked into the new Westlake Village location, I was initially awed by the beauty of the space: high ceilings, four individual classrooms, wireless café, “green” shower room-the works (pun intended).  But even more important than the architectural design, I was impressed by the warmth of my welcome. David, the manager, gave me a tour recounting the history of yoga, recommending which styles would suit my body’s ailments and serving me a cup of organic tea while we discussed the class schedule.   I really felt like David had pulled out the green carpet for me!

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And while I will be starting out on a simple schedule of Gentle and Therapeutic classes tailored for my lower back pain, I am also excited about the seemingly endless possibilities that YogaWorks has to offer me as I grow in my practice.  This month, for example, features “Yoga for Scoliosis,” Tantra Yoga for Partners, Kirtan chanting over chai, an eight-day retreat in Bali, and a four-week Intensive Teacher Training in Palma de Mallorca (FYI, their training program has been going strong since 1990 and has trained the likes of Seane Corn).  View full workshop schedule here.

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Needless to say, I’m excited about my decision to join YogaWorks.  And I hope you can get excited about your opportunity to do something positive for your health this week – whatever it might be.   As Aristotle said, “Happiness is a choice”…so choose wisely!

Tags: gym, Pilates, yoga health festival, yoga month, yoga studio, yoga works, yogi