New Classes Coming Soon! Please Check Back...

 

What is yoga?

The word yoga stems from a Sanskrit word meaning union and also discipline. It is a universal art of combining the practice of conscious living and higher values to find inner peace within an externally oriented culture.

We practice hatha yoga - the practice of poses or asana - which is one of the six primary branches of yoga.

At first it appears as though the practice is about the external form or the physical nature of the asana, but over time one begins to observe that it is the internal content of the pose (our energy, awareness, sensations) that is important. Yoga is not about physical exercise and muscle evertion as much as it is about the connection of the physical to the mental and the spiritual aspects of our beings.

Who can do yoga?

Many people see photographs of people in yoga poses and think, "I couldn't possibly do that. I'm not flexible enough." While it's true that people with good physical coordination appear to do an external form of the pose easily, hatha yoga is really about using the poses as a laboratory for the journey inward. Those who move deliberately through the poses have a better opportunity to understand the journey. Along the way yoga does encourage physical strength and flexibility.

Therefore, yoga is for anyone willing to try it.

What about meditation?

At Utopia we start with the understanding and training of our bodies, using the breath with movement. Once the body is able to sit comfortably and in alignment without pain, we practice breathing. Breathing with awareness is our path to meditation. However being in a hatha yoga pose with awareness and breathing is also a meditative experience.

How long does it take to "get it?

New students of yoga usually take a few months to get used to the new terminology and ways of moving in the practice of asana. As time goes on the body tends to become stronger, more flexible, and gets a better range of motion in many of the joints. The practice may also calm emotions and mental agitations to reduce stress. The changes to consciousness are an ongoing, long-term process.

The changes in the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects come about in small, consistent steps rather than leaps.

Enjoy the journey.