Energetic

Yoga is a physical, energetic (breath), and meditative practice that guides practitioners in an exploration and observation of thought life, emotional life, intentions, and purpose. 

It explores and exposes how these contribute to one’s experiences, and relationships with self, other humans and all beings globally. 

It is a continuous, life-long, self-directed, teacher-guided, scriptural-guided process enabling a gentle metamorphosis of mind and body, perspective and purpose, which drastically increases the positive connection to self, and interconnectedness with others. 

Yoga 

The physical practice and breath practice of yoga quietly reminds us of our similarities with others. 

All beings breathe. All beings move. All beings have feelings. All experience suffering. All have inherent value and worth. Practicing yoga with others reveals not only our personal dharma and karma, but how connected those are to other beings. 

No matter where you live –  Vancouver, Bali, Thailand, Toronto, Hawaii, New Zealand, Sydney, Calgary, Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne –  and that we each have private bodies that appear unique, that we are not independent, but rather interconnected.

Yoga practice both private, and in groups, shows us that we impact the dharma and karma of all those with whom we interact, pray, serve, think about, and talk to and about. 

Our thoughts have power, our words have power, our choices and movements have impact on each moment and each being. 

Thoughts

Through each breath in and out, yoga meets us where we are at, and as such is a tool of kindness, acceptance, and observation without bias. 

This inherent principle of acceptance in yoga (and yoga teacher training) teaches how we must practice yoga off the mat. It teaches our need and obligation to love ourselves and others, regardless of appearance, difference, experience, opinion, and perspective. 

Yoga meditation exposes that desire, objectifying bodies, ideas, goals, can result in an exhausting striving that has a powerful self-focus. And a dismissal of emotional and material factors that might otherwise be obvious. 

Desire and striving are centered around expectations. By allowing thoughts and feelings to pass through us in meditation, surrendering judgment and criticism.  As they pass, yoga is a tool to learn wisdom and understanding. 

Poses

The necessity to be 100% present in Yoga asanas, meditation, and pranayama teaches us that desire, striving, and expectation keep us from experiencing the moment.

These then consciously or unconsciously drive choices, words, and relationships. Clouding our ability to experience the life in front of us, and the people in our world free from presumptions and judgments. 

Yoga is a practice that demands surrendering in the moment. It demands that we not be unconscious, but present and intentional. 

Yoga guides us into the knowledge that our greatest purpose is to serve, to observe. And to find thoughtful, loving ways to acknowledge and meet needs. It teaches us the subtle differences between desires and needs. 

In The End

All need acknowledgement, affection, understanding, and acceptance. The practice of yoga reveals that without deep connection to one’s body and spirit, and an acknowledgment of the similarities and connectedness to others’ bodies and spirits, we cannot experience true intimacy with self, others, and the world. 

Without an intentional awareness of one’s direct and potential impact physically, mentally, energetically, and spiritually even the principle and great purpose of service becomes self-serving rather than love-serving, others-serving and spirit-serving.