Meagan McCrary - Beryl Bender Birch

Welcome to Everything Yoga: Smart, Simple & Straightforward with your host Meagan McCrary, giving yoga a real voice from a practical perspective.

L.A.-based yoga teacher and freelance writer, Meagan McCrary has immersed herself in the American yoga scene, taking classes, researching and interviewing prominent teachers for her upcoming book, “Pick Your Yoga Practice: Exploring and Understanding Different Styles of Yoga” (New World Library, 2014). Today's podcast features an personal interview with Beryl Bender Birch, the author of "Power Yoga." 

People, especially gym folks, love their Power Yoga. What most people don't realize is that Power Yoga is essentially Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga made American. Beryl Bender Birch (on the east coast) and Bryan Kest (on the west coast) were both studying, practicing, and teaching Ashtanga Yoga when they both decided to coin the term Power Yoga to make the practice more accessible to all Americans. 

Beryl explains that the practice is still spiritual, although minus the overtly esoteric, becuase it's yoga. The two go hand-in-hand. She also talks shop on beginners, alignment and the importance of learning from a skilled teacher. She warns against jumping right into a full-on Power Yoga class and why yoga is different from any sport, workout, or physical activity: Just becuase you're a strong athlete doesn't mean yoga's going to be a breeze. That, and so much more, in today's interview with Power Yoga Guru, Beryl Bender Birch.  

To connect with her visit: facebook.com/meaganmccraryyoga and please feel free to message Meagan with any questions or topics you'd like to see covered concerning yoga, and she'll do her best to address them on the show.