Yoga without the BS!

Yoga without the BS

Enter NOGA Movement, a refreshing and empowering new way to approach yoga and fitness. NOGA stands for "New-Opportunities-Greater-Awareness," which means that any movement that feels good and is safe for the body is encouraged. This means that you can move in any way that feels good to you, without worrying about perfect alignment or complex poses. NOGA's approach is simple, effective, and most importantly, fun!

At NOGA, we believe that yoga should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their fitness level or background. We understand that the traditional approach to yoga can be intimidating, especially for beginners, which is why we have created a safe and welcoming environment where anyone can come and move without judgment or pressure.

Our classes are designed to help you improve your strength, flexibility, and overall fitness, while also providing a space for relaxation and stress relief. We don't use props, music, or fancy equipment - just your body and the floor. We believe that movement is medicine, and that everyone can benefit from a simple and effective workout that focuses on what matters most - your body and your health.

Our instructors are not only experienced and knowledgeable, but they are also passionate about helping you achieve your fitness goals. We don't believe in the traditional approach to yoga certification, which can be confusing and overwhelming. Instead, we focus on providing our instructors with the tools and support they need to teach a safe and effective class.

At NOGA, we believe that fitness is about movement, and that yoga is just one of the many ways to move your body. We are here to help you find the joy in movement, and to empower you to become the best version of yourself. Join us today and discover the power of NOGA Movement - where gravity is just a suggestion!

Thank you for checking out NOGA MOVEMENT- Original article circa March 2018 below...

Let me be clear from the start, I LOVE yoga! I love everything about it, the movement, the stretching, the relaxation and my daily practice.

Let’s get real for a second though, there has been a major shift in the way yoga is taught. The classes and descriptions have become more confusing than a fancy coffee order and this is making it harder to find a class I love; one is hot but not too hot, one uses props, one plays good traditional music (what’s that), one has a great atmosphere, one has an oxygen machine in the lobby! Actually that sounds pretty cool!

Bottom line, yoga is a business and the classes need people to make money so they have to differentiate themselves, but where are the movement classes I fell in love with? I know that if I feel this way there must be more people with the same thoughts. Maybe this is one of the reasons why some people do not like yoga- every class is bunched into a genre, yet they are all so different. I practice yoga as a flow workout, so a class with a teacher deciding to sit and give a spiritual sermon or 30 minutes of breathing techniques is not going to resonate with me, when I am looking for a workout. And no offense, but spirituality comes from within and no 60 minute yoga class is going to wash away any darkness inside- I'm talking to the person who flipped me off in the parking lot but is front and center ohming on the mat in class.

This leads me to the title of this post. I don’t think that spirituality is bullshit, (personally I am very spiritual and a professional astrologer); I don’t discount any passion that a teacher brings to a class whether in Sanskrit or English. I only have a problem when combining it with a more western mentality. Sculpt, booty blast, ab focus; I've been to these "yoga" classes, but they're not yoga. Differentiate by calling the class what it is, but don't preach yoga mantras while crunching for 100 reps in boat pose. And the fumbling of the names of asanas or just saying the wrong one all together is off putting to one who is seasoned in practice. The point is, if you're going to teach me a great yoga class- don’t blast rock music, add weights, pulse in positions or even say “It’s like yoga, but it’s a workout”. What does that mean, when the name of the class is YOGA? False advertising! (See my post What’s in a name).

Now, I know life could be stressful at times, but as a more positive person, sometimes the sermons can sound like cult indoctrination, especially when they're divisive; no thank you. Give me guidance, awaken my perception, challenge my mind, but please don’t force YOUR way. The universe has no ego and either should an instructor who is trying to teach union. And that's the whole point- Teach me a yoga class, tell me how to achieve the bird of paradise, help me with my arm balances, flow me through beneficials movements for my body and keep me engaged- most of us can leave the rest behind. I've seen lots of teachers trying to become the Dali Lama when really they should just focus on improving their teaching skills. Most students go to a yoga class to move, not pray.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm disappointed with the marketing money machine that has forced great teachers to throw their training out the window to make money, or feed their ego. I am also shocked at how many certified instructors are not confident enough to come out of training and actually teach a class. In the fitness world, you take a certification to learn to teach other people, not yourself. You are expected to already be familiar with the workout, but ultimately as a trainer you will teach others. This is a massive differentiator with trainings, will you learn for you or will you learn to benefit others. I researched certifications for years and could never find one that taught what I was looking for; the ability to share a safe, effective workout with my students.

You can only imagine how I felt as a professional in the fitness industry. Of course, I always wanted to get certified myself in yoga, I personally love it and I knew all my clients would, but this is where I called bullshit. If you read my post, What’s in a name, you understand why all fitness should not be bunched into one category, especially if there are so many extreme variations of the workout. Call it something else if it does not follow a traditional method. 200 hour registered yoga teacher really is nothing more than a label, especially when we the consumer has no idea what they were actually taught (some schools teach no movement in the first 200 hours!!!).

Although I personally enjoy some of the other aspects that come with a yoga training (chanting, philosophy, strict diet), I could not understand how they would make me a better teacher or how they would benefit my clients. I want to move, my students want to move, we want to feel good and look good and the “extras” would not get us there or maybe it would, I guess it depends. Again, I do not think these other aspects are bullshit, I only know they would not add benefit to people who just wanted to move. They do not make you do exercises better or help you achieve goals faster, they are engrained into a philosophy that has been decoded to fit each individual certification.

I also learned a staggering statistic that 50% of certified yoga teachers were coming out of schools and were not ready to teach. What are they learning during all those 200-600 hours?? For me, I realized I did not need any of the additional training for me to teach a safe and effective class that is intelligently sequenced, results driven, and as a certifier of other instructors, you don’t have to either- we now have NOGA!

Creating fitness programs and classes for instructors and studios has been my career for almost 2 decades. I've certified instructors from all over the world in Barre, Pilates, Strength Training, TRX, HIIT, Stretch and NOGA. What makes a good instructor? A willingness to help others and a passion for movement. What makes a great instructor? Clarity, command, compassion and empathy. In order to instruct others you need to fully understand the movements, body mechanics and how to adjust to assist or challenge every individual in the class. I don't know how to say that in Sanskrit, but I guess that's the point, it doesn't matter! Movement is movement now matter what marketable name you slap on it, and once you are taught how to move correctly and efficiently you've got a winner.

It is time to evolve, it is time for a change, it is time to move without the BS and start to look and feel great. NOGA will get you there. Clear simplified instructions and a perfectly balanced workout for every BODY. Without ideals or restrictions, we are free to move, fix, learn and connect inclusively. NOGA students evolve quickly in their practice as they are taught to their individual body- FEEL the difference with our no BS Flow and Relax Class. Where do your arms go, where do your feet go, what should you do? Is a lot easier to follow than Adho Mukha Svanasana.

NOGA Movement Education teaches teachers how to teach- clear, simplified, safe and effective programs to help you and others achieve their goals. Noga is the perfect training for anyone who wants to learn to teach others. The skills learned in this basic training are exactly what is necessary to becoming a successful fitness instructor in any methodology taught. All instructors are taught to teach each individual body in the class and there is no ego, only transformation. Join the movement (over 1000 instructors worldwide) and see what all the hype is about. Learn about our Noga Relax Online Certification.

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