“The yoga postures and breath are tools to rebuild and transform ourselves. The goal is not to tie ourselves in knots - we're already tied in knots. The aim is to untie the knots in our heart. The aim is to unite with the ultimate, loving, and peaceful power of the universe.” Max Strom
Yoga is an ancient system that includes physical exercise (asana), breathing practices (pranayama), meditation practices, and philosophical and practical teachings that, if practised diligently and regularly, can offer us an improved sense of well-being in all aspects of our life, physically, mentally and emotionally.
There are different opinions as to exactly how old yoga is, but most scholars agree that yoga has been around for at least 2,500 years; texts from around this time are still used today by yoga teachers and students alike to guide them on their yogic journeys, and these teachings are as relevant, practical and insightful today, as they were when they were written.
Traditionally, the physical (asana) practice was very much a pre-cursor to meditation, and was used to prepare the body for sitting - the image often associated with yoga is that of the yogi in cross-leg "Lotus" pose, sitting in blissful mediation for hours on end, seemingly without an ache or a niggle to distract him....contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be able to sit on the floor for hours to enjoy the many benefits of yoga!
Yoga offers a whole host of benefits, often the ones we think about first are the physical changes that take place with a regular practice; improved strength, fitness, flexibility, balance and co-ordination...to name just a few; but yoga goes further and deeper, our sense of self-esteem and personal well-being may increase as we notice benefits to our general health; we may see improvements in our ability to concentrate and focus, particularly in times of stress - and we may also feel more able to deal with difficult or challenging situations; yogis often report being able to "switch off" at the end of a busy day more effectively, they may enjoy better sleep patterns, and therefore can feel more energised for the day ahead.
People come to class for all sorts of reasons; to get fit, to relax, to learn to meditate, to become more bendy, to be stronger, to help heal an injury, maybe just to try a new form of exercise...the list is endless - it doesn't really matter WHY you try yoga, but why not give it a go?
There are different opinions as to exactly how old yoga is, but most scholars agree that yoga has been around for at least 2,500 years; texts from around this time are still used today by yoga teachers and students alike to guide them on their yogic journeys, and these teachings are as relevant, practical and insightful today, as they were when they were written.
Traditionally, the physical (asana) practice was very much a pre-cursor to meditation, and was used to prepare the body for sitting - the image often associated with yoga is that of the yogi in cross-leg "Lotus" pose, sitting in blissful mediation for hours on end, seemingly without an ache or a niggle to distract him....contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be able to sit on the floor for hours to enjoy the many benefits of yoga!
Yoga offers a whole host of benefits, often the ones we think about first are the physical changes that take place with a regular practice; improved strength, fitness, flexibility, balance and co-ordination...to name just a few; but yoga goes further and deeper, our sense of self-esteem and personal well-being may increase as we notice benefits to our general health; we may see improvements in our ability to concentrate and focus, particularly in times of stress - and we may also feel more able to deal with difficult or challenging situations; yogis often report being able to "switch off" at the end of a busy day more effectively, they may enjoy better sleep patterns, and therefore can feel more energised for the day ahead.
People come to class for all sorts of reasons; to get fit, to relax, to learn to meditate, to become more bendy, to be stronger, to help heal an injury, maybe just to try a new form of exercise...the list is endless - it doesn't really matter WHY you try yoga, but why not give it a go?