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What’s in a name? Sometimes everything!
I consider myself a fitness expert and many would agree.
As a creator or fitness programs, provider of continuing education for fitness professionals and teaching for over 20 years, you get the gist as to my credentials. I am certified in everything, I love fitness, I love health, I love well-being and above all I love learning. To be a teacher, you must always be a learner is my motto. As an expert in my arena, I have a problem, and the problem is how fitness is being bunched into categories and more importantly their names.
I have been fully certified for over 20 years in Pilates with 3 certifications, yet time and time again I have been to a class called Pilates with not 1 Pilates exercise taught. Here’s a little background, Joseph Pilates was a man who created a system called Contrology (later coined Pilates). He wrote 2 books about his work and even demonstrated the movements in pictures with description etc. However, to this day, you may take a Pilates class and not do any Pilates. This always caused me to ponder the way fitness has been bunched together by a name and for what? Marketing, sales? It’s kinda bullshit, right? At least that how I felt.
Well, my problem got worse when I found Yoga. Do you know what Yoga is? Do you think you know what Yoga is? Everyone has an idea in their head of what they think things are and yoga is one of those mystical things. I started practicing yoga in my teens but became more involved after the birth of my first child. I loved the stretch, the control and the peace it brought me when I needed time for myself. I felt connected spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally. I had a newfound appreciation for yoga, so I delved in and learned all I could about it.
Almost 17 years later, I am still learning, but I also noticed the same “name” problem happening within Yoga. Now for a little background of Yoga. Yoga means yolk or union, it is the joining of the mind, body and spirit. The physical exercises are secondary to the true purpose of yoga and the practice, which is to become one with the universe. Deep right?
Then how is twerking to rap music in a downward dog going to get me there. The answer is simple, it’s not, therefore it can’t be Yoga right?
So, what in a name? To me, everything. Remember, I work in the fitness world, I work with movement and people and programs, I know this stuff! Do you know how many clients of mine would benefit from Yoga but won’t do it? Why, you may ask; well I’ve heard everything from, it’s religious, I’m not flexible, I don’t like it, I need more than stretching, those people are weird, etc.
That got me to thinking, is it that they really don’t like Yoga or is it the name. What if we removed all the ideology attached to Yoga and gave it a new name? Well, I gave it a try and taught a dynamic stretch class that was a full “physical exercise” yoga class and called it Stretch. The class was packed, everyone loved it and they demanded more. The idea was already there and NOGA was born.
NOGA is not Yoga, NOGA is only the physical aspect inspired by Yoga. It is yoga exercises sequenced in a scientifically proven way to get results and feel great. NOGA is not about being ideal, NOGA is movement. NOGA is not about being religious, NOGA is about being YOUR best. NOGA is not just for flexible people, NOGA is for every BODY. It may be just a name but there should be no confusion, if you want to get fit, feel good and be your best you every day, I challenge you to try NOGA and join the movement!
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