"The highest form of sprituality
is self observation without judgement. "
- Swami Kripalu

What is Yoga ?

Yoga means to join, to unite, to reconcile. In yoga practice we gather and focus our physical and mental forces creating, like rays of the sun, light, joy, energy, power.

Through the practice of yoga we uncover our attitudes and beliefs about our lives and our connection to our vital source. Hatha yoga techniques serve to focus the mind on the breath and subtle body sensations. Correct practice (sadhana) enables us to calm the chattering voices and impressions, the doubts and projections which fog a clear perception of our true nature- energy in motion. When the mind is still, we are receptive to reality - to the ever unfolding dimensions of our »selves » and the entire universe in which we live. Our perception and awareness expand to comprehend the all inclusive energy of life. All part of the One. Yoga invites us to resource, balance, and celebrate this energy.

"AND ME ?" U SAY… BUT,

I've got a demanding job, never-ending bills to pay, kids to care for and a blessed partner (or not) to accompany my days and nights. All this challenges my personal limits and takes so much time and energy. Yes, this is exactly why we practice yoga ! Our systems are overloaded. No time for joy in just breathing and marveling in the sensations of being alive. We feel many aches and pains, physical and emotional, and we tend to get stuck in mind patterns and behaviors which do not nourish truth and abundance.

Yoga gets us back in touch with the simple pleasures of life by activating our vital forces - deeply filling our lungs with breath, mobilizing stiff joints, detoxifying the organs, and strengthening the nervous system, while gently stretching and toning the muscular system. The spine and back are relieved from chronic tension and come to alignment, the digestive tract is cleared. The hormonal system, our basic feedback and adaptation system, is relaxed and naturally shifted into balance.

We learn techniques and exercizes adapted to our personal needs. We take time to actively rest and recover, helping us to avoid accumulated fatigue and stress, which create a countless number of related health problems. We feel better and naturally want to do more of what makes us feel this way, like eating fresh foods, breathing slowly and deeply, sleeping when we are tired and talking kindly to others. We even feel how the body and mind thrive on silence and stillness.

Yoga is a practical course in anatomy and physiology as well as applied psychology ! As we observe the more subtle workings of ourselves, we uncover hidden and unconscious memories, tensions and fears stored in the body tissue which limit and control just about every aspect of our lives. The same awareness we cultivate to gently release our physical tension is integrated in daily life and becomes the doorway of investigation to our mental and emotional limits. We challenge ourselves to non-reactive, nonjudgemental witnessing. As the yoga practitioner integrates her experiences, she naturally cultivates a lifestyle based on truth, clarity and compassion for herself and others.