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Don't you get bored doing yoga 24/7?


"I wish!" would be the likely response to this question. "Some of my friends went from doing yoga almost every day as students to practicing just twice a week because their teaching schedules are so packed," says Tiffany Russo, a Los Angeles–based yoga instructor who teaches at Exhale in Venice and Santa Monica.

So, you sit around with your yoga friends talking about breathing all the time, right?


Actually, yeah, says Manuelian. A friend from her former career in fashion once asked her this. "He thought he was being funny." Manuelian says that certain types of breathing help her hold challenging poses, while other types take a while to feel natural (she's chatted with fellow yogis about how to increase the pause between an inhale and exhale).

Is working out without shoes some touchy-feely New Agey thing?


Maybe people are afraid of picking up some nasty germs, maybe they're not used to working out barefoot or maybe they're just weirded out by the sight of their own feet, but many new students are loathe to part with their socks, says McGee. "Your feet are your foundation. Being able to spread your toes will allow you take up more surface area and gain more stability."

Why can't I do downward dogs like you can?


Even though you're impressively bendy and have the balance of Gabby Douglas, your ability to do a pose is still affected by your skeletal structure, the length of your limbs, the injuries you may had in the past and other factors, says Manuelian. And concentrating too hard on one pose will compromise your ability to flow through a series of them. "It's so much more about where your head is at than where your leg is at," says Manuelian.

Why do guys seem to sweat more in yoga class?


Obviously, this one was asked by a woman who's tired of getting dripped on during vinyasa flow. It's probably because of the same reason men seem to sweat more in spin class or during a run: Their sweat glands are more active than women's. McGee also points out that women, with our wider, shallower hips and smaller skeletons, are usually more flexible than men, which means in class, we don't have to struggle as much or concentrate as intently to hold some of the poses.

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