Punk Rock Yoga

In my search for the new, interesting, or controversial in yoga, I recently came across Punk Rock Yoga classes offered in Canada, the US, Australia, and Germany. At first I thought these classes were anarchical yoga classes set to alternative or punk music. But, as I read more, I became more intrigued. At punkrockyoga.com, the site describes the classes:

Punk Rock Yoga is Hatha yoga with a twist. We practice yoga in unconventional spaces and often feature live musicians. We offer an open-minded and straight-forward approach to yoga philosophy while embracing the ancient yoga tradition of Do-It-Yourself. We believe yoga is for everyone.

Founder Kimberlee Jensen Stedl says she started Punk Rock Yoga in 2003 to "...scrub the elitism and rigidity out of modern yoga." She said she wanted to teach in a nightclub setting and attract teenagers to yoga class. She writes that yoga from its inception 6000-years ago was passed on to be interpreted and developed by the students. Yet, today she said it is often treated as something codified into rules. She says the personal exploration aspect of yoga has been lost, and students follow teachers too much. She writes that: "the teacher should provide different interpretations on the subject and allow the students to discover their own answers." Punk Rock Yoga tries to take away the recent modern yoga obsession with attaining the perfect body through yoga by making all students feel comfortable in their bodies. It tries to break down the socio-demographic elitism of yoga by having students take class in a circle rather in rows. While a good summary of these basic tenants of punk rock yoga can be found on the Punk Rock Yoga website, Kimberlee wrote elaborates more in her book the Punk Rock Yoga Manifesto in 2010.

Though I haven't had the opportunity to take a Punk Rock Yoga class or look at her book, her ideas have got me intrigued about ways I could or perhaps even should improve my practice. An interesting starting point for myself down the road is "freeing" myself from relying on my exercise DVDs and really self-explore and evolve my own practice. Can I set up my home practice without DVDs? Second, am I open-minded enough to break away from using new age or classical Indian music to accompany my practice? Can I find relaxation and meditation through other forms of music? Thirdly, can I practice yoga outside of the confines of my apartment in other settings?