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Yay, Deborah! It does sound like a good instructor. Yes, yoga can be VERY strengthening. And opening up the chest & fronts of the shoulders is SO good for our dance posture! You'll also develop terrific balance & centering skills that will help you with poses, turns, traveling, etc.
I *have* to hijack your thread just for a moment to say that the yoga industry has WAY bigger problems than bellydance, in terms of unqualified instructors.
There are programs that travel to major cities and teach a single weekend workshop and hand out certificates. So being a 'certified' teacher is utterly meaningless. Imagine attending one workshop and teaching bellydance!
I have a yoga specialist cert through ACE, very pro looking, and ACE is a respected fitness organization. I got it by watching a video and answering some questions online. I'm not kidding.
Yoga Alliance certification is the only one that's meaningful, though imperfect. You have to attend 200 hours of teacher-specific study to get that one. But there are great instructors who won't get the YA certification for political reason (debate over who should certify and whether it's valuable, just like in our industry).
So trust your instincts and don't be afraid to ask questions. And if you have a yoga experience that's not great, try to keep an open mind and try a different teacher or a different style of yoga if the opportunity comes up, you're liable to have a COMPLETELY different experience!
(we now return you to your regularly scheduled thread).
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