If you are strong and brave--or want to be--come learn this exhilarating, physical form of yoga, based on Ashtanga. You'll need to use your brain for this often humorous fusion of ancient tradition, sports medicine, and UNcommon sense, taught by sports medicine specialist and 4th degree black belt Dr. Jolie Bookspan. Break down old misconceptions and change injurious movement habits. Rather than a "sit there and "do" poses " yoga, it combines strong physical movement with focus of mind and body at the same time, plus actually *using* healthier posture while you move - doing what yoga says it does. You'll begin at the beginning, and build skill, confidence, strength, and ability of your body, mind, and spirit each week. No previous yoga experience needed. Advanced practitioners welcome. Come ready to move, think, smile, fix bad habits, use great energy, then generate more.

 

Anyone Can Steer The Ship When The Sea Is Calm
It's easy to be calm and focused in a quiet room staring at a candle. What about real life when babies (of all kinds) are screaming and you need to stay safe and in charge? The original yogas used martial arts techniques of the warriors, using muscles to balance, muscles to hold the body in good position, and to strengthen, and practiced staying diligent and courageous while training the body to live in a strong and capable manner in an uncertain world. Later yogas specialized in certain parts of yoga - to meditate, or stretch, or breathe as separate activities - but they kept the original claims of making the body strong, straight, and focused in difficult circumstances. Warrior Tradition Yoga keeps the original traditions of being able to withstand, and uses both the mind and the body.

 

About the Teacher
Dr. Jolie Bookspan is a sports medicine research scientist and injury specialist that Harvard School of Medicine has named "The St. Jude of the Joints" for methods she developed to fix pain thought hopeless. Her training and pain rehab methods are used by SEAL teams and the top doctors and spine centers in the country, to change traditional moves that are common but not healthful as thought. Personal trainers and yoga instructors come to her as patients, along with athletes and physicians. Her mother is in the photo at the top of this page. Jolie is a 4th degree black belt in karate, an undefeated full contact Muay Thai boxer, a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. She began yoga with her gypsy Grandmother, certified in several yoga systems around the world, and is certified as registered yoga teacher above the 500 hour level with over 5000 documented class hours. She studied and taught in India, China, Nepal, Thailand, Japan, the Netherlands, and North Africa, and brings you their art, medicine, music, and magic.

 

What Students Say

The class is more encouraging than others, wonderful, and fun.
Dr. Jolie Bookspan inspires me in many ways. I learned to keep trying and smile.
- Ukari Iesaka

Jolie teaches us ways to exercise and live daily without doing harmful things to our bodies, not just do poses.
Take this class. It will positively affect your thinking and change your life.
- Lily Stepnowski

The class is very physical and the best exercise I have done. You accomplish something that you thought you couldn't.
- Jon Aguila, architect

The class made me think and learn to control my actions. To be able to concentrate in a crazy world.
This class is the best thing you can do for yourself. I will take more classes.
- David Stockett

Warrior Yoga is an "attitude" without one.
- Alane M. Salvatore

Jolie's class is the best thing I have ever done for myself.
She knows how to encourage people to challenge themselves,
and has an infectiously positive/optimistic attitude - unlike any yoga teacher I have ever encountered.
The class challenged me and showed me that I can push my body (gently) in ways I never thought possible.
I was amazed at the moves/poses I was able to do. My life is better
Take this class!! If you want to push yourself a little and learn some really great yoga and draw on Jolie's rich experiences and knowledge.
- Geoff Belforti

Dr. Jolie truly cares for all her students, shows it in her daily life,
and knows more about the true purpose and practice of yoga
than any yoga teachers I have encountered in my long life.
- Mr. Sharma, India

This class has been so amazing in that it has taught me a different kind of yoga.
My job is extremely physically demanding and I have previously been injured on the job and attended physical therapy
where I learned how to heal. This class makes me feel like I learned how to not get hurt!!
I found it impressive that I worked so hard and felt so relaxed afterward – and it's not the typical "slow" yoga.
I can't wait for kickboxing. Dr. Bookspan's perspective is fantastic and inspiring.
- Laura Singewald

I was a yoga teacher more than 20 years
and told my students yoga fixes injuries. However, the yoga was causing my own pains -
wrists, knees, neck, elbows, back...
After only a class with Jolie showed me why and I was already feeling improved.
I learned better technique of yoga and also, what she was saying:
how to use the better way of moving even outside of the class session.
- Kali Rajyana

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Quick Reading for Healthier Yoga Movement
from my health column "The Fitness Fixer" and book "Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier"

 

For First Class:

Short On-line Readings:
- Not all moves are needed all the time. Avoid dogmatic application of yoga with Getting the Right Yoga Medicine.
- Focus doesn't mean staring at a candle. Some info on focus, the seventh limb of Ashtanga Yoga, for real daily life: Which Ancient Exercise Gives Focus and Concentration?

Class 1 Short Fun Movies to Watch:
Fast Fitness - Fixing Yoga Warrior and Lunge Exercise to Neutral Spine and Friday Fast Fitness - Neutral Spine in 5 Seconds

Class 1 Textbook Reading:
Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier: Introduction page 8. Overstretching Bad Habits In Daily LIfe 87-98. Hamstring 28-34. Lower Back 58.

 

For Class 2:

Short On-line Readings:
Unhealthy Yoga Ankles and Knee Pain When Running - Check Your Yoga

Class 2 Movies to Watch:
Remember that using strength and moving the body is wonderful, and if you feel effort, that's the idea. Watch this short video to see some of the moves we do - by children - Children Have Huge Potential
and Fast Fitness - Sprain Prevention and Rehab Training.

Class 2 Textbook Reading:
Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier: Achilles Tendon 12-17. Sitting 18, 23-24. Daily Life as Stretching 103-104.

 

For All Classes - Transfer healthful movement mechanics learned in class for daily life:

Neutral Spine - Here is a short mpeg video of how to change overarched (hyperlordotic) lower spine to neutral - Neutral Spine in 5 Seconds.

Don't overarch and overdo jutting the hips out in back when doing Utkatasana or mighty pose, bending knees while standing until in a sitting position: Get Better Exercise From Your Chair

Sit and rise without your hands
Description - Quick and Easy Strength and Balance Exercise
Movie - Fast Fitness - Functional Agility, Flexibility, Strength

Daily Movement Habits - Household Fitness in the New Year. First photo is of Vrksasana tree pose - standing on one foot with hands overhead

One legged balance stance with crossed leg. I called it "putting on shoe"
Here is a post - Ancient Shoe Exercise for Hip Stretch and Balance
and here is a video - Fast Fitness - Balance, Strength, Stretch, and Socks

 

For All Classes - Asanas - Notes for Healthier Poses:

Warrior 3 or Virabhadrasana III - Stand on one foot, stretch arms forward and one leg lifted back
Fast Fitness - Stronger, Straighter Upper Back

Plank, Chaturanga Pose, 4 Legged Staff Pose - holding a pushup position
Fast Fitness - Strengthen by Changing Your Plank

Plank, Chaturanga lifting one arm and leg, 2 Legged Staff Pose
Abdominal Muscle Exercise - Better, Different, Not What You Think

Mighty Chair Pose
Instead of artificial, over-stylized chair pose, we use simple half-squat for good bending as a functional daily lifestyle action to strengthen legs, stretch achilles tendon, and avoid bad forward bending that degenerates lumbar discs - Free Exercise and Free Back and Knee Pain Prevention - Healthy Bending and and Knee Pain When Running - Check Your Yoga.
How often do we use it? - How Often Should You Be Healthy?

Nice toe stretches when sitting in Zeza
Healthy Toe Stretches

Start with an easy Handstand or Adho Mukha Vrksasana (means Downward Facing Tree Pose)
Description - Quick and Fun Arm and Body Strengthener
Movie - Fast Fitness - Easy Handstand for Balance, Upper Body Strength -The Movie
Then add ekapada, or one leg stretch Leg Stretch that Strengthens Arms

Advancing Your Handstands
Strengthen with Fast Fitness - Add Balance, Stability, and Portability to Military Press - Handstand Pushups
Learn how to Step Up To Handstand

Textbook - Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier: Handstand stretch 40. Warrior balance 36-37. Yoga on the ball 28-39. Downward Dog 14. Boat 76. Face 84.

 

For All Classes - Prevent Yoga Injuries:

Prevent wrist pain and compression during Chaturanga - Fast Fitness - Prevent Wrist Pain During Pushups and Cooking

Spot and fix the commonest mistake that stresses the lower spine in handstand - Fast Fitness - Fixing Your Handstand to Neutral Spine

We never do The Stretch You Need The Least

Watch for this mistake in ankle positioning in Sukhasana or easy sitting pose, Padmasana or Lotus pose, and Baddha Konasana bound angle cobbler's pose - Unhealthy Yoga Ankles

Why we use other stretches and not Pascimottananasana which translates as "back extension" stretch, although anatomically it is back flexion, or forward bending while sitting with legs straight in front - Sitting Badly Isn't Magically Healthy by Calling it a Hamstring Stretch

Explanation of why Pascimottananasana pose injures the vertebral discs whether it is done with straight or rounded back - Disc Pain, Not A Mystery, Easy To Fix

Watch for this lower spine injury in yoga - Photos and understanding of a common slouch and why it hurts - Prevent Back Surgery

Textbook - Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier: Shoulder 61-63. Neck 71-74. Cobra 75. Leg 18-20. Ankle and Hip 25-27. Stretches That Make You Tighter 85-86

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Talk doesn't cook rice. -- Chinese proverb. Get to class!

Jolie's classes and students - vibrant, happy, physical. We learn to focus and breath *while* you move, instead of one at a time.

Leap and the net will appear - Zen Saying

 

 

 

Textbooks Class books available at discount for participants, or order through the links below: Stretching Smarter Stretching Healthier Fix Your Own Pain - Without Drugs or Surgery The Ab Revolution™ No More Crunches No More Back Pain Revised third edition. Revolutionary core training method to restore neutral spine- No forward bending which unevenly pressures discs. Used by military, law enforcement, and the nation's top spine docs. Health & Fitness in Plain English, Third edition - how to be healthy, happy, and fit for the rest of your life. How to fix pain, plus nutrition, daibetes, choleserol, heart, blood bone health, more. Healthy Martial Arts Not just for martial artists, but everyone who wants to move and live in healthy ways.

 

Free Readings on This Web Site To Learn Healthy Movement and Avoid Yoga Injuries

Fix Your Own Neck Pain
Change the cause and quickly stop the pain.
http://www.DrBookspan.com/NeckPainArticle.html

Inspiring Patient Stories
How real students and patients fixed their own life-long injuries using Dr. Jolie Bookspan's sports medicine techniques.
http://www.DrBookspan.com/PatientStories.html

Stretching and Flexibility for Real Life
Stretch the way you really need for real life and to feel better, starting right now
http://www.DrBookspan.com/StretchingArticle.html

Bad Exercises and Ones To Do Instead
How to spot harmful and helpful exercises for your back
http://www.DrBookspan.com/BadExercisesArticle.html

Bad Discs and Sciatica
Learn about disc degeneration, herniation, and sciatica, and what to do to fix them yourself
http://www.DrBookspan.com/DiscArticle.html

Fix Your Own Knee Pain
Simple, often overlooked ways to stop knee pain and injury
http://www.DrBookspan.com/KneePainArticle.html

Fix Chronic Lower Back Pain (Standing/ Walking/ Running)
One major overlooked problem and exactly how to stop the pain right away.
http://www.DrBookspan.com/AbsArticle.html

Click for all posts about yoga.
Click for all posts about martial arts.
Click for posts of how readers fixed their injuries.
Click for all posts on building your spirit.
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