What is yoga?

There are almost as many definitions of the word yoga as there are styles of yoga practice. One of my favorite definitions is that Yoga is a Union – of Mind, Body and Breath. It is a profound, radical and transformative practice.

People come to yoga classes for many different reasons – to increase flexibility, to sleep better, to tone up, to relax – however often they find other benefits from their practice.

The practice of yoga asana (physical positions) are the tip of an iceberg into a much wider and deeper set of practices and ways of living. Traditional yoga consists of eight pillars, including how we live our lives, pranayama (breathing exercises), inner awareness, concentration, and ultimately Samadhi – or the blissful state of oneness. Although I cannot promise Samadhi in all classes, I do bring in many of the other dimensions of yoga into my classes, such as pranayama, and inner focus.

I describe my style of teaching as ‘Mindful Vinyasa Yoga’. This is a slow flowing style which brings in intelligent sequencing, mindfulness, a focus on inner awareness, and moving with the breath.