What is Yoga?

The Yoga Center

Connecting Mind and Body to Spirit ... Through the Breath

What is Yoga?

Breath awareness

Our breath is the link between body and mind. We begin to free the body by freeing and staying connected to the breath. Use the breath to pull you deeper into the posture, and out of the posture. Once you have awareness of your breath you will experience a life change. Breath (prana) is our life force.

Savasana (corpse pose) relaxation

Your yoga practice is a process of relaxation. The ultimate goal is to reach a complete absence of physical, emotional, and spiritual tension. Yoga works on the levels of tension starting with the large muscles penetrating to the smaller, deeper muscles (including vital organs). It is easy to use the postures to our disadvantage by winding ourselves up, over working muscles through aggression or by imposing unrealistic ambitions on our capabilities. Learn to find the challenge between action, rest, effort and ease. This is the root of a quality yoga practice. Savasana is vital to absorbing your practice and allowing your hard work to be integrated into your body, mind and spirit. Relax, become an explorer and travel deep into yourself, and encounter the treasure you truly are.

Postures (Asana)

Whether entering a posture from standing, sitting, or lying down all are obtained in a number of steps and breaths. Each step of every posture is taken with an inhalation or exhalation. Allow the breath to move the posture. As inhalation begins, the movement of that step of the posture begins. As the breath completes, the movement completes. In the beginning it may be difficult to match breath with movement. Focus on the breath and as your practice develops you will notice that your body and breath begin to easily flow together. You should never feel pain in a posture. Great care should be taken to make sure that there is no pain in your knees, neck or back. Pay attention to your body, listen to what you body is telling you with subtle messages. Never push, force, or bounce your way into a posture. If you are recovering from an illness or injury be sensible, sensitive, and patient. Let your instructor know if you have had injuries so she may direct you toward modified movements in a posture.

A consistent meditation and yoga practice will create mental equilibrium, emotional health, calmness, sensitivity to yourself and others, and prepare the mind for meditative introspection. When this relaxation of effort and steadiness of your body is created, the resulting pleasurable sensations of being in stillness and contentment of the final posture pervade all levels of physiology and consciousness. This is what makes yoga truly unique.

Yoga means "yoking" in the sense of the coming together of a harmonious relationship between our separate aspects, bringing the body, mind, and emotions into harmony. Yoga is not a religion, people of all faiths practice yoga. Yoga is a spiritual practice that can only enhance where you are in your faith. - "everyone is seeking the joy found in the experience of the Self … as our innate spirituality."

The purpose and function of yoga is to give us what we are as a whole. It is not just about becoming more flexible, stronger, more fit or any other external benefit. These things are added benefits. Yoga is a powerful and simple process. Meditation, using the body to free the breath and allowing the breath to move the body.

The central purpose of yoga is to increase and make aware your ability to succeed and enjoy life. To create an existence where you are connected, listening, and engaged in every moment every breath becoming more alert to life. Yoga is the way of connecting mind and body to spirit...through the breath in order to experience life to the fullest.

Photo by Laura Tyree