Frequently Asked Questions

How long have you been practicing yoga?
As a gradeschooler in the late 70s, I had the kind of strength, flexibility, and balance that enabled me to secure my legs behind my head and walk on my hands. Our gym teacher taught yoga poses, such as Shoulderstand, which I do today before every class. In 2011, I went on a pilgrimage to visit fourteen temples and mosques in India that resulted in a deep connection with my Hindu god Ganesha. I chose Bikram Yoga in 2014 because of its brutally honest, regimented way of developing the mind, body, and soul. After completing 300 classes in a little over a year, I attended teacher training in the 26+2 series. I've trained with many of the greats in the yoga world, including Zefea Samson, Tony Sanchez, Ida Ripley, Scott and Ida Jo Lamps, and Esak Garcia. I'm also a brown belt in aikido and a USA Archery Level 2 Instructor. In my younger days, I was a runner, a bodybuilder, and a martial artist who studied at the renowned Chinese Kung-Fu Wu-Su Temple headed by Grandmaster Alan Lee.

Why do you practice yoga almost every day?
Yoga makes me look and feel good. My shoulders look and feel like armor plates. I have muscles up and down my arms and legs that I attribute to yoga. My off-season weight is 136 lbs (61 kg) and my championship weight is 126 lbs (57 kg). I am almost 5'8" (171 cm) and my health vitals are excellent. For someone who is over 50, I look pretty damn good and you can, too, with yoga.

Do you train people?
Yes! I am a certified USA Yoga coach and athlete. I can provide expert instruction and private classes for yoga students of all levels in 26+2, Core 40, I.R.I.S., yin yoga, therapeutic yoga, archery, and martial arts. I own a dedicated space in downtown Philadelphia for one-on-one or small group classes and have the latest equipment for flexibility testing.

What is the best way to learn yoga?
Most of us don't have the means to afford private instruction, so the next best thing is to take studio yoga classes. The problems with classes are some can be pretty large and some teachers are more skilled or experienced than others, so your ability to learn and understand the yoga's details will vary from class to class. I recommend attending as many small classes (under ten students) as possible so your teachers really get to know you and follow your progress. You will never learn yoga effectively if you are a fly on the wall in a large class.

Which yoga teachers are your greatest influences?
The following chart shows the teachers who've been my greatest influences. Some of these people have spent extra time with me in or outside of class. Some are great motivators while others have taught me to be more calm. These great teachers taught me what I know so that I can better serve my students. The bubbles closest to me are the teachers who've had the greatest influence on me.

Who were your most influential teachers and how can you present them in such a way that shows how much of an influence they had on you? I encourage everyone to create their own guru bubbles chart. Together we can show the world who helped shape us into the person we are today.

Can you lose weight with yoga?
Yes! I perform all 26 postures to my best ability each day and sweat so much that I lose about three pounds after every class. Of course, I gain some of it back during the day when I eat and drink, but the goal is to control my eating habits and maintain my weight so it goes down a little each day. If you lose one- to two-tenths of a pound every day, you'll look great before you know it. Over the long term, I've discovered that if you want to lose weight, let's say ten pounds, you need to condition yourself to eat like someone who weighs ten pounds less than you. If you stray from that habit and eat as much as you currently do or more, you will not lose any weight and will likely gain more. If you don't want to change your eating habits, you have to add an intensive daily workout regimen like Bikram Yoga.

What if I don't see any physical changes after practicing for more than six months?
You will need to evaluate why this form of exercise is not working for you. Have you changed your eating, sleeping, or drinking habits? Yoga is only one piece of the puzzle. How hard do you push yourself in your practice? Can you go deeper in your postures every day? Can you push yourself further each week, holding every posture for five more seconds? I push myself incredibly hard, to the point of total exhaustion and physical depletion. The people I see with the greatest physical changes are the ones who have done the same. While I would never expect anyone to do what I do, especially at my age, you must realize that half-assed attempts yield substandard results.

Do you practice Ayurveda and are you a vegan?
I love Ayurvedic philosophy and vegan food, however, I was raised to survive and adapt to change, so if I had to eat the same exact meal for an extended period of time, I could do so. Bikram tells us that we could eat whatever we want when we practice his yoga and I'm all for that. One of my favorite dishes in the world is not animal or vegan, but vegetarian: navratan korma (nine jewels vegetable curry). I ate lots of it when I was in India. I also love veggie burgers, pav bhaji, and vada pav, all vegetable-based. My philosophy is eat whatever you want, but be mindful of what you eat. Veganism is not inherent in ahimsa. Ahimsa is about non-violence and non-injury, not about the non-use of animal products. Taking the life of an animal or isolating it to poor conditions violates ahimsa, but it depends on the conditions and sourcing of these ingredients. Thoughtful, conscientious, and ethical animal ingredients do exist, and they are perfectly suitable for those who follow yoga and Patañjali’s five Yamas. I come from a Kshatriya - warrior class family - with my parents and grandparents serving in the military and enforcement fields. I hunt for food, not for sport. I consume all that I hunt or give the meat to my dearest friends who want to eat an animal that lived a good life rather than buy prepackaged supermarket meat from an animal that was abused all its life. Just like my Dad who served in the 1st Cavalry Division of the United States Army, I believe in ethical hunting with a "one shot, one kill" philosophy and, like Arjuna, the greatest warrior of all, I hunt with a bow. While I do not practice Ayurveda, I come from a long line of Chinese mothers who've studied and passed on the benefits of Chinese medicine, a practice with very deep roots like Ayurveda.

What is Core 40?
Core 40 is a comprehensive 55-posture sequence that works every part of your body. It contains all 26+2 postures and is practiced at more moderate temperatures, from room temperature to 95 degrees. The sequence is designed to be more energizing and invigorating than the standard 26+2 sequence. Many Core 40 teachers alter the sequence to suit their tastes and experiences and may incorporate postures from Tony Sanchez's advanced Core 45 sequence as well as exercises from other disciplines, such as qigong, tai chi, and aikido.

What do you say to people who think that Bikram Yoga isn't real yoga?
I wouldn't rely on the knowledge and experience of anyone who hasn't taken over 1,000 classes of anything.

How do you feel about someone who has completed a 30-Day or even a 365-Day Challenge?
I feel it is a blessing to hear of someone who is enthusiastic and serious enough about something to take it that far.

Are you super-flexible?
No, and I feel that that should not be the end goal of your yoga practice. I'm strong first, flexible second. Pound for pound, I'm probably one of the strongest yoginis out there and that enables me to do the interesting flourishes I do in Eagle, Tree, and Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee. Knowing proper hand and arm placement and technique in Eagle allows me to twist my arms slowly and precisely without the need for the ZHOOM!!! windup.

Who is the Wii Fit Trainer, the yoga girl, based on?
Several people have mentioned that Nintendo must've based the Wii Fit Trainer on someone who looks like me. It's who you know (wink).

What is your book, Yoga Building Blocks, about?
My book allows readers to experience a progressive yoga routine based on their skill level. Students will learn elements of Bikram Method Yoga, Tony Sanchez's Core 40, and aikido and how these movement arts can be joined together to create a synthesized whole. You can order the book online from Barnes & Noble.

What are your goals with yoga?
To forge a multi-disciplinary approach that combines yoga with other movement and meditative arts, including archery and martial arts.

What have you accomplished in yoga?
• 250-hour teacher training, Evolation Yoga and RYT 200 Yoga Alliance designation. Completed May 2015.
• Yin Yoga teacher training, Corina Benner of Wakeup Yoga. Completed May 2015.
• Core 40 and 45 teacher training, Tony Sanchez of Yogic Physical Culture Academy. Completed April 2017.
• I.R.I.S. Intermediate Series teacher training, Ida Ripley. Completed November 2017.
• Ghosh Yoga training, Ida Jo and Scott Lamps. Completed May 2018.
• Authored "123 4Yoga: Yoga Building Blocks". Completed October 2019.
• 300-hour teacher training, Pranakriya Yoga and RYT 500 Yoga Alliance designation. Completed June 2020.
• Jedi Fight Club with Esak Garcia. Completed September 2020.
• USA Yoga certified coach. Completed January 2021.

• 6th place, IYSF World Yoga Championship 2020.
• Silver Medal, USA Yoga Regional Championship 2022.
• Bronze Medal, AYSF World Yoga Championship 2022.
• Gold Medal, IYF World Yoga Championship 2022.
• Silver Medal, USA Yoga Regional Championship 2023.
• Bronze Medal, USA Yoga National Championship 2023.
• Gold Medal, IYF World Yoga Championship 2023.
• Silver Medal, USA Yoga Regional Championship 2024.

Dana Trixie Flynn teaches a Lotus Flow class at Namas Day 2015

Yoganand Michael Carroll with students from Meditation: Theory & Teaching, January 2016

Half-Tortoise with Tony Sanchez on my back! March 2017

Eight Angle, January 2019

Jedi Fight Club training, September 2020

Eight Angle at the USA Yoga National Championship, August 2022

Coaching Silver Medalist Tico Betancourt for the USA Yoga Northeast Regional Championship, March 2023