Yes. It is always recommended that you talk with your primary doctor or specialist before starting a new movement routine. All of the info provided on this site is simply a resource & not intended to diagnose or cure chronic conditions.

Of course!!! I’ve heard this concern a million times, so know that you are not alone in asking this question.

If you feel stiff in your body, all the more reason to practice yoga. By moving in new ways & integrating deep breathing & increased body awareness, often muscle tissue, fascia & joints begin to move more freely. The beauty of yoga is that it will meet you where you are at. Every single posture & sequence can be adapted to your mobility, and your physicality will evolve over time.

Mobility that’s been lost can often be regained & increased flexibility becomes a byproduct of the practice.

Yoga is called a “practice” because it is a continuously evolving, non-linear process aimed at uniting body, mind, energy, emotion, breath & spirit rather than a task to be performed or perfected. The discipline of integrating all aspects of your Self is work that is never finished.

As often as you like! Yoga is one of those magical forms of movement that can safely be practiced every day, because of its adaptability.

It is essential that you listen to your body & mind. If you feel discomfort or disinterest in your practice, it is an indication to modify. There is no need to overdo it. Enlightenment does not lie on the other side of being able to touch your toes.

Remember that one day your yoga can look like full sun salutations & the next day it can be seated meditation. Ask yourself what you need in your “body of today.”

There are many styles of yoga, some of which would have a strong opinion over what time of day you should practice. Here at Chronic Asana, we say practice when it feels right. Practice when you feel yourself called to your mat or at whatever time of day you can remember to.

Setting up a routine can be beneficial for some, but I would not say it’s essential. And you could always play by a general rule that energizing practices benefit the earlier half of the day & calming practices on the later half, but again, there is no hard-and-fast rule for this. Do what feels right to you!

Wear whatever you are comfortable in. Clothes that stretch & allow for maximum mobility are preferred. Just remember that you will likely be moving through many shapes: twisting, turning, upside-down, etc, so it can take some experimenting with your garb to find what stays in place & also lets you find freedom in movement.

Yoga is traditionally practiced with bare feet for maximum traction & connection to the earth.

Also, that yoga’s lineage originated in India, where it is far more common to spend daily life without shoes. Western cultures have normalized feet being stuffed into shoes for the majority of the day, resulting in feet that tend to be more weak & less dexterous. Practicing with bare feet allows your feet to move through their full range & restore muscle & fascia strength.

All that said, know that it’s not a requirement to practice yoga barefoot. Not all bodies are going to be able to practice without some support, such as shoes or sticky socks. And in styles with minimal movement, such as restorative & meditation, the traction of the feet won’t matter, so wear your fuzzy socks!

Sometimes listening to a yoga teacher can sound like they are speaking a different language & thats because they are! Those funny-sounding words you often hear in a yoga class are Sanskrit, the ancient language of yoga.

Sanskrit is a written & spoken language still widely utilized in yoga for several reasons. Using Sanskrit honors yoga’s Indian heritage, integrating tradition & authenticity. It also provides a common, precise vocabulary for poses, chants & philosophy.

Additionally, Sanskrit has vibrational power when sung, spoken, whispered or mentally rehearsed. The language is believed to create specific sound frequencies that have therapeutic, calming & energetic effects on the body & mind. So cool!

You might hear the word “namaste” at the beginning or end of a yoga class & wonder what & why. Namaste is a traditional salutation in yoga’s homeland of India. It is a Sanskrit word to encapsulate a recognition of others. Often said when palms come together at the heart or head, “namaste” could simply mean ‘hello,’ or a greater unifying recognition, such as ‘the teacher in me honors the teacher in you.’

Oh, so many ways! The magic of yoga is that the benefits expand far beyond the body. Mind, energy, emotion & spirit all benefit from the practice. I’ve dedicated an entire page to the benefits of yoga, especially in its relation to chronic pain. Check out the page “why yoga” here.

Yes. It is always recommended that you talk with your primary doctor or specialist before starting a new movement routine. All of the info provided on this site is simply a resource & not intended to diagnose or cure chronic conditions.

Stephanie, the founder of Chronic Asana, has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 25 years, diagnosed as a teenager & hell-bent on continuing to live a life of movement & joy alongside a debilitating disease. The journey has been long, read more of the story here.

When you live in constant physical pain & limitation, movement is likely the last thing you want to do – but it is imperative!

Move it or lose it, baby.

I am a firm believer in pushing the boundaries of physical limitation; however, the catch is that it often does not benefit to move by force. Enter- yoga. Yoga is not only incredibly adaptive in its physical poses (asanas), but because it encourages integration of body, mind, breath, energy- moving the body & increasing range of motion can be done with no pain. If you still need more convincing, check out the page “why yoga” for 10 ways that yoga can help ease chronic pain.

No, most definitely not.

The reason that Chronic Asana puts so much emphasis on the musculoskeletal benefits of yoga is that its founder lives with a degenerative joint disease, making the structural body what she knows best from life experience.

But yoga is not limited to the body, it considers all aspects of you – mind, energy, emotion, spirit, making it a beneficial practice for pain in general.

Anxiety, depression, chronic migraines & insomnia are just a few of the other chronic conditions that yoga has been scientifically proven to benefit.

Yes, please do!

I am always happy to talk through how yoga can be a beneficial integration into your life & guide what practices might suit you best. Feel free to email me steph@chronicasana.com

Remember that I am not a physician & nothing that Chronic Asana says is medical advice. Its always best to talk with your doctor about incorporating a new movement routine. I am simply here to be a guide.

You’ve got options with online membership levels:

• The “one week” membership lets you give Chronic Asana a try. For $15 you have unlimited access for 7 days, all at the cost of less than one in-person class. *Be sure to double-check that you do not have the “auto-renew” box checked with this option. If you love it & want to join a larger membership before your current week expires, you will be pro-rated!
• The “monthly” has the option to either be a one-time purchase for 30days of unlimited access or to be set up as auto-renewing. There is no min contract, you can cancel any time you want or need – making it our most flexible option.
• The “annual” is a year’s worth of access to membership for the lowest average price ($26.66/mo average) & the option to auto-renew to lock in your rate for the coming years. This is the best option for individuals looking to establish a lifelong practice.

Chronic Asana’s membership is intended to help you access yoga, no matter how you are feeling or where you are. Removing the burden of having to get to an in-person class when you are living in chronic pain, our main goal is to bring accessible yoga to you.

The ever-expanding yoga class library is available with unlimited access with your membership. Simply log in to your account, go to the class library page & take advantage of the search & filter options to find just the right class length & movement intensity that you need in your body-of-the-day.

Consistency is the real magic of yoga. Chronic Asana’s membership is here to help you stay intentional & consistent in your practice for a fraction of the price of a regular in-studio membership.

New classes are recorded & added to the video library regularly- often a weekly or every other week schedule. The newest uploads are always labeled with a “new class!” tag, so that you never miss the newest release! And if you ever have a special request, send it my way & I’ll record it!