About

I was initiated into Paramahansa Yogananda’s Kriya Yoga in April 1983 at the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in Phoenix, Arizona by Brother Achalananda.

I have been teaching asanas (hatha yoga postures) at the Self-Realization Fellowship Boys Youth Program Camp since 2001.

Since 1980 I have had ongoing classes, as well as yoga therapy sessions, here in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. During this time, I have had the opportunity to see all kinds of conditions improve and heal using the Science of Yoga. See Fibromyalgia Healed to read the story of Carol, who healed herself of a 20 year affliction with Fibromyalgia after the doctors told her that there was no cure for her condition.

My name is Norman Popovsky, aka: Yoga Norman,  and I have been practicing and teaching yoga for more than 40 years.

Why Yoga Norman?

Every now and then someone will ask me why I chose the name Yoga Norman, instead of maybe one that would make more sense, like Yogi Norman. The answer is that I didn’t choose that name for myself.

About 30 years ago, when San Miguel de Allende, Mexico  was a much smaller town than it is now, the people living here created the names to more easily understand which Norman they were referring to. There where three Normans living here then. English Norman was an English professor from England. Ice Cream Norman, a Canadian, had an ice cream store. And, I, Yoga Norman, an American, taught Yoga.

How I Became a Student of Yoga

Actually, I began practicing Hatha Yoga in 1968 on the advice of my two Black Belt Judo instructor brothers, Mike and George, in St. Louis, Missouri. I was 30 years old and had always wanted to study Judo, so when I moved to south St. Louis, I was very happy to find Judo classes a block and a half away at the South Side YMCA. Prior to this I had already participated in football, baseball, softball, basketball, wrestling, and swimming, but I was curious about and had never had an opportunity to practice martial arts. I enjoyed the flow and movements of Judo, and was very impressed by the number of flexibility exercises that we did. More than I could have imagined existed.

One day Mike called me over and said, “You are so stiff that it is difficult for you to keep the proper posture for some of the throws. You should practice yoga.”

” But, Mike,” I said, “I am getting a lot more flexible with this judo.”

Mike said, “Yoga is far superior than judo for flexibility.”

And that’s how I began my study and practice of  the Science of  Yoga.

In the years that followed I healed myself of two football injuries. I had hurt my  lower back when I was 17 in high school, and my neck at 19 in college.

With yoga I learned to relax more easily, I lost weight, and I slept better.

What’s Here for You?

In this blog I will talk about all the ways that yoga can be used by you to help you improve your health physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I am making this available to everyone for free.

I do have DVDs for sale, which you might use to help your practice of yoga, but I do not require that you purchase anything as a condition of using and benefiting from all the tools on this site.

My DVDs are sold via my website at

http://YogaNorman.com/products.html

Obviously, if you purchase my DVDs, you will help to support this blog.

However, there is another way to support this work that will cost you nothing.

After each article or post there is a “Comment” box. This is a place where, in addition to making a comment, you also may ask questions. Questions which pertain to problems common to many others will be given preference, as you might expect. However, there is a greater opportunity to help others.

If you share how yoga has helped you, there is a good chance that you will inspire others to practice, or to keep practicing and not give up.

I very much want to hear from you whose success with Yoga might inspire others.