Common Questions

Q: Hey I just wanted to let you know that I am using your yoga and am feeling so improved. I have recently found out that a long standing problem with my underactive thyroid has produced some unpleasant side effects. Prior to this I just thought I was being too whiney.
I have found that yoga is very beneficial for this and other things like misaligned knees that are painful. I have already in 1 month noticed a huge difference. I signed up under my other email account as I did not know how to re-enlist in the yoga challenge. I missed some due to travel for work but practiced every day. Thank you so much Dashama.
Do you have other tips for thyroid disease. I love your soul Lady Dashama!
Sincerely a fan of yours Janette FitzGerald in Canada

A: Yes, the thyroid is directly influenced by the 4th and 5th chakras (5th especially, as it is located in the throat!). I had Graves Disease, which is hyperactive thyroid disease. I had this for 4 years before the agony forced me to have my thyroid removed. This all took place before I was aware of chakra healing and healing with food, etc. I highly recommend you begin by cleaning up your diet. Eliminate metals, canned foods, anything processed. Add in sea weeds, anything with minerals and especially iodine, which feeds the thyroid. Do yoga poses like shoulder stand and locust that will stimulate the thyroid and practice chanting to open the throat chakra. Best wishes! Namaste

Q: Dashama, every time I do this my neck starts to crack. I'm very tiny and I dont want to break my neck. Can you crack your neck?

A: Cracking neck and other joints is the sign the skeleton is adjusing itself to realign to its natural state. This occurs when there is a misalignment. Yes, my neck cracks. So do many other joints in my body! This is because I lead an incredibly active lifestyle. I was always an athlete and years of snowboarding and falling on my head, in addition to 4 car accidents have led to this condition. I have used yoga and other healing techniques to align myself back to the state where I am not in chronic pain. This has taken 5 years so far. I recommend visiting a chiropractor to get an x-ray to see if your spine is out of alignment. Many times it is a subluxation or something that can be fixed especially if you catch it early enough. Namaste

Q: Hi Dashama, I have seen yoga through your video. I want to ask one question. Would you like to share what is the age required to start yoga? Can a person 40 years old start to take yoga exercises? Thanks. Nice to see your videos.

A: Yoga is great for all ages. That is the beauty of it. Kids younger than 1 year old and elderly over 90 can practice yoga and get great results. They will, of course, require a different style, but as long as you can breathe, you can practice yoga. It will help you immensely in all aspects of your health and life. You can actually turn back the hands of time with the practice of yoga.

Q: Hi, I am a teenager. I just started yoga classes and I'm loving it but I was wondering how long it will take me to become this flexible?

A: If you are young, flexibility will come quicker and more easily. As we get older our muscles, tissues, tendons and fascia all begin to harden and its tougher to stretch. That being said, regardless of age, it is more dependent upon how often and the style you practice, as well as your diet and your ability to relax and let go that will determine your ability to gain flexibility. Best wishes and keep it up! Namaste

Q: Please answer whether doing surya namaskar for 108 times makes one lose weight very fast?

A: If you do surya namaskar or sun salutations each day, that will be a great way to lose weight and you will become strong and flexible as well. Great job! Go for it!

Q: Any tips on how to settle the mind during meditation would be really helpful!

A: The ancient tradition of yoga practicing trains the body and the mind and helps you achieve harmony and balance. Yoga is very popular and it is practiced by thousands of people all around the world because of its numerous benefits. It takes time, effort and steadfastness to accomplish the different yoga postures but it is all worthwhile. Each yoga pose will help you balance and control your body as well as your mind. Focus on your breath. Try using a mala and perhaps try repeating a mantra slowly to yourself. These can all produce a relaxed tranquil mind.

Q: Do you have any tips on how to loosen the lower back ?

A: There are many yoga poses to help loosen your lower back muscles. I recommend forward bending to start. Seated is easiest. Standing forward bend is very nice. You can find many of my videos to help you with these. Check them out at: http://www.youtube.com/dashama

Q: Do you think hot yoga is ok for you? Some people say it is too hot.

A: Some hot yoga is ok and even good. It depends upon many factors. How hot is the room? Many times its over 100 degrees, which can be good for detox and to sweat, as long as you hydrate enough (must replenish a half a gallon per day if you do that minimum... and don't do it every day). The organs can become very dehydrated and this can result in constipation amongst other aliments. Practice in moderation and listen to your body. If your body is responding well to the hot yoga, then do it in moderation and enjoy. Don't push yourself to do it if it doesn't feel right. You will know. Listen to your intuition and what your body tells you.

Q: Do you do other exercises besides yoga? i.e. running...

A: Yes, I believe in a balanced approach to living. That is why its called Perfect 10 Lifestyle and not just yoga. I love to run, dance, hike, swim, rock climb, snow board, and many other activities. I belive in cross training your muscles to stay in optimal shape. That being said, yoga is the most important and essential thing I do each day. When I don't do it, my body tells me and forces me to get on the mat. It is a miraculous healing and loving practice that I will do the rest of my life.

Q: Is the diet safe for a woman that is breastfeeding or pregnant?

A: Yes, it is the best diet to follow during breast feeding, as it eliminates all junk food and toxic food and focuses on health and cleansing.

Q: I was told that detox diets were bad when pregnant or breastfeeding. Please confirm. I just want to make sure before I start because I don't want to cause any harm.

A: This detox diet is just a clean diet, and eliminates junk and toxic food.
That will make the beast milk more nourishing and help the baby grow strong with a healthy immune system from the beginning.
There are no negative side effects.

Q: I have enjoyed your program - I have not been able to do all the sequences - but just looking at them inspires me. I am flexible - with a gymnastic background - but I need more spiritual work. I am wondering if you could suggest a sequence that would help me "let go". I hang on to too much - clothes, things, emotions... I collect too much and just need to let go. My mom passed away this year and I have been unable to come to terms with the pain I feel with her loss. I have not been able to let go and grieve. I know you have many sequences on youtube. Any suggestion would be helpful.
Thanks for the difference you have made in my life.
Carol

A: Letting go is a practice that begins in the mind. Meditation and breathwork are integral to this process. The other component is time. My favorite practice is to inhale "let" exhale "go" and allow this mantra to permeate your being until you feel the release in your cells, in your heart and mind. Over time, you will notice this becomes easier and you will not grip and cling to anything any more, as we begin to see all life as impermanent and fleeting. We cannot hold on to anything, as everything evetually transitions into another realm. Take this time to be with yourself and allow for the grieving. Cry, scream, but most importantly: FEEL. When you allow yourself to feel, you can truly let go. Holding it in or denying it will prolong the release. Namaste

Q: Gurus: I've been wondering something. I know that for some aspects of yoga it's suggested that having a guru to guide you, whether in person or just through spiritual vibes is a good option. Are you someone that I can consider my guru or do you not feel that you're at that point? And if you are able to be a guru for someone, do I need to ask your permission? I consider you to be a wonderful teacher and someone that I trust implicitly but don't know how the guru side of things works.

A: Great question.
This is one I asked myself for a long time. And I do address it to some extent in the Journey to Joyful.
But just to rest your mind at ease, you are on the right track. I have discovered various gurus or teachers who modeled what I aspire to work toward for my life, and as it has become appropriate over time, these have changed for me. I always keep my teachers and the enlightened masters whom I love and deeply respect, in my heart and mind. This keeps me motivated to stay on the right path and to do my best every day in every moment.

Please don't feel you must have ONE guru to achieve what you came here to do in this life- experiencing liberation, at some point also means to let go of 'gurus' and to embrace the Self as the guru, knowing that your higher Self is ONE with the Supreme Source/spirit/God and once you feel clear enough on all levels, you begin to know that we are all one. So a guru has just been in the game longer, and cleared the karmic debt that was clouding intuition and awareness.

Tapas- the fire of change, will transform you if you remain true to your higher Self.

Feel free to hold me as a guru for your path, or not. And only as long as you feel it resonates with your deepest awareness of love and liberation.

The teachers I honor and hold very high include: Amma, Jesus, Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Oprah, etc. They all represent an aspect of the divine that I wish to embody, therefore they feed me, at the source - as inspiration and motivation :)

Stay tuned for more Q&A to be posted soon... and join the 30 Day Yoga Challenge to receive videos from Dashama each day for 30 full days!

Love, Light and Namaste.