Yoga Poses vs Doga Poses

Lately I've been asked specifically about Barking Buddha Doga, and recently about the names of the poses. Here's the answer I gave to a yogi from Texas (thanks for the email Brittney!):

I created the names of the poses, like Woofing Warrior, Camel Rides Dog, and the Muttley Mudras in order to incorporate the dogis fully into the practice, so instead of just practicing yoga with your dog, you are partnering with your dogi to do doga. The name of the style I teach is called Barking Buddha Doga. It's a heart opening practice I created as a way to use the love and connection we feel for our dogs as a catalyst to a broader connection to all things...union...which is actually what yoga means.

It's a bit nontraditional in practice but quite traditional in theory. Whether or not we use a traditional method to obtain a connection to the divinity within or we use a less traditional path doesn't matter. Discovering union to self, love and what divinity means to us as individuals, that's the goal. What makes life so much fun are the choices we get to make as we travel down the path toward our individual goals of becoming better humans in a better world.

Stay tuned...coming Friday: The Barking Buddha Doga Tip of the Week