What is Yoga?
Yoga is a rich ancient science, with its ultimate aim being the awareness of union; of the body/mind/spirit, and of the individual with the whole. The practice can take us from the ordinary to the extraordinary, from the everyday mundane to an awakened state of being. Through the balance of the body, mind and spirit, yoga gives us the tools to live consciously, allowing layers of physiological as well psychological tensions to unleash. As we release these layers of stress and tension, we may be able to experience life more fully, to live with a little more compassion, with more awareness, and with more connection to ourself and others. Therefore, our practice has the potential to become a deeply personal journey to our most healthy, authentic, and balanced self.
The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root “Yuj”, meaning union. Yoga gives us the tools to maintain our awareness of union with all things, or the return to wholeness. This awareness evolves through yogic practices that develop our physical, mental, energetic, emotional, and spiritual selves. Through this awareness, we may begin to develop more compassion for ourselves, and others. We learn strength, self-healing, and inner wisdom. In experiencing our true self more deeply, yoga also teaches us to see more clearly into the nature of our interrelationship with the world around us. This ability to know all parts of our selves with compassionate self-awareness, can give us the inner strength to face great difficulties in life. We begin to learn to quiet harsh thoughts, to ease hurt in our bodies, and to assuage desperate emotions. In essence, Yoga is a science of self-awareness that seeks the realization of union, thereby creating health and harmony.
Health Benefits
Listed below are just a few of the physical, psychological, and biochemical benefits of a continued yoga practice with emphasis on asana (postures) and pranayama (breathwork).
- Blood pressure decreases
- Cardiovascular efficiency increases
- Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increases
- Posture improves
- Strength and resiliency increases
- Endurance increases
- Energy level increases
- Weight normalizes
- Sleep improves
- Immunity increases
- Pain decreases
- Anxiety, Hostility, Depression decreases
- Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
- Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
- Attention, Memory, and Concentration improves
For more details on the health benefits of yoga, please visit www.IAYT.org, as well as the sites and books listed under our Resources page.
Helpful Hints
What to wear?
It’s best to wear clothing that is non-restrictive. Generally, any workout clothing is appropriate.
Eat lightly, or not at all before class.
Generally, yoga asana is best practiced on an empty stomach. This way your yoga practice does not interfere with the digestion process.
No food or beverages in the asana studio.
If necessary, bottled water is okay, but it is recommended to avoid constant sipping. We aim to generate internal heat; constant sipping cools the body. After practice, drink plenty of pure water.
Arrive a few minutes early.
Entering class constantly late is very disruptive and disrespectful to others, and also to your nervous system. If you do arrive a few minutes late, take a breath, unravel your mat outside, and then enter as slowly and quietly as you can. Consider being prompt as a part of your practice.
Acquire and use your own yoga mat.
Using the public rental mats is not as hygienic.
Let go of Competition!
Yoga is absolutely not a sport. It is not just a “work out”, it is a spiritual practice which makes the body stronger, more flexible, and generally much healthier. But the aim of the practice lies in relaxing the mind and opening the heart, to create spiritual evolution. Let’s evolve together!
Give yourself this opportunity to just be, just as you are, right now! Perfect! Wow!
Keep your eyes on your own practice.
Yoga is a very personal practice, achieved through internal focus. Please use this time as an opportunity to explore within, and let go of comparisons. When you can finish your practice without knowing what the person next to you was wearing or even who else was in the room, you’ll know you were truly focused.
Have Fun!
This is absolutely, positively our most mandatory rule!
Yoga Terminology
The Practice
You might notice people say that they “practice” yoga instead of they “do” yoga. This stems from the idea that people are always growing & learning and that there is never an ultimate state of perfection. When students speak of their yoga routine or activity, they might say
“How long have you been practicing yoga?”
“I haven’t gotten my practice in today so I’m a little ungrounded”
Poses vs postures
We typically speak of the sequent of positions that you move into as postures instead of poses. Why? “Pose” gives a sense of moving for someone else (“Posing for the camera”). “Posture” indicates a focus on the self (“Improving your posture”). When you practice yoga, the focus and intention of the activity is strictly for you and your benefit.