A union of mind and body... linking breath with movement... a meditation in motion... the flow of energy.
Our yoga classes are ritual journeys that respond to the changing needs of urban life by infusing the highest quality of teaching with a revolutionary approach to yoga. For this amazing transformational practice we have created an equally amazing space.
Exhale as you discover your sacred space for this ancient healing practice.
Namaste.
WELCOME TO YOGA
WHAT IS YOGA?
Yoga is perhaps the most time-tested, powerful method of
self-improvement known to man. Over 5,000 years old, it utilizes mental
focus and deep breathing while performing a series of special postures.
From the outside looking in, yoga appears to be primarily physical, but
what makes this system radically different from western “workouts” is
the remarkable internal impact of the practice. Yoga is a combination
of:
• Mind (calm mental/emotional focus)
• Energy (life-force cultivation through breathing practices)
• Body (movement and postures)
Harmonizing of these three
components makes the yoga experience unique and profound. Whereas
traditional fitness regimes aim at health and beauty only, yoga aims
for a fulfilling and meaningful life, with health and beauty as a
wonderful side effect.
INNER FITNESS?
When we experience stress or depression we pull our family and
community down with us. But what is also true, is that when we dedicate
a relatively small amount of time each week becoming more conscious and
kinder human beings, while simultaneously improving our health and
vitality, we elevate not only our own lives, but also elevate our
family and community. What we attempt in the yoga room is to leave the
craziness of our lives behind to feel more vital, relaxed, and sane. As
we do this, what we cannot help but take from the yoga room is a
kinder, more focused, more patient, and of course, a more physically
healthy sense of being.
GETTING STARTED
For your first classes it is recommended that you take it easy
and allow yourself the immense freedom of being a beginner. We highly
recommend that you begin your yoga practice with exhale’s Absolute
Beginner Yoga Series. In this special workshop atmosphere, you will
learn the most basic and fundamentally important aspects of yoga. This
4-week course will cover:
• sun salutations and yogic breathing
• standing poses and balancing postures
• twists and back bending
• inversion preps and forward bending
Our Absolute Beginner Yoga classes and workshops will provide you with
invaluable information, which will build a solid foundation for your
practice and guide you throughout the years of your yogic journey.
In the beginning of your practice, attend two or three classes a week
for about the first eight weeks. After this, you can build up to
practicing four days a week, or even more if your schedule permits.
From a consistent practice like this, a momentum is gained and you will
see notable, exponential changes within a relatively short time. Since
one of our aims is regenerating health and peace in the body and mind,
competitive goal setting towards astounding flexibility or impressive
feats of gymnastics is actually counterproductive.
Don’t worry at all about how your body looks! You are in a room full of
friends who are here for the same reason as you. So, instead, aim on
practicing with breath awareness, and compassion toward yourself and
those around you. Do this and you will find that your body will become
stronger, more supple, healthier, and radiant without the vanity or
sometimes self-loathing that is often attached to our idea of
“fitness.”
We recommend that you wear loose-fitted, comfortable clothing when practicing yoga.
OUR IDEAS ARE WHAT WE BECOME
At the heart of yoga is a transformational component which some call
“self-improvement,” and others call “spirituality”. One of the great
powers of yoga is that we practice non-dogmatic, unifying precepts that
are embraced by virtually all religious, spiritual, and
self-improvement paths.
• Kindness
• Honesty
• Mindfulness
• Respect
• Cleanliness
These precepts promote harmony
and reverberate throughout all of our relationships, intimate,
business, and casual. How we behave with one another both in and out of
the yoga room determines how we affect the world.
“Harmonizing mind, energy, and body makes the yoga experience unique.”