Many people look at pictures of (mostly) women in yoga poses and their first thought is “I can’t do that”. This makes me sad and a bit frustrated. The true purpose of yoga has nothing to do with the body’s capacity to stretch or bend or balance. It has nothing to do with being a certain size or shape, or being on display in skin tight yoga pants and halter tops.
When I opened my first studio in the late 90s, I named it Inside Out. A bit esoteric, yes, but it conveyed what yoga did for me. It helped me go deep inside myself to more easily access the inner fountain of wellbeing that was previously challenging to reach. My experience of yoga is that it helps us expand our capacity to connect to the divine aspect of ourselves which is often blocked by our daily habits and patterns. In these fast-paced times, it is easy to compulsively overthink and overuse our minds and bodies in ways that leave us exhausted, uncomfortable and unsatisfied. Yoga gives us tools and ancient practices that allow us to move through the world as our best, most expansive, light–filled selves.
If this perspective resonates with you, I invite you to join me for a yoga class. It will be decidedly different from classes you’ve previously attended. I would be honored to support you in identifying the places where you are stuck, in body and mind. And show you how to resolve them over time. This is my promise to you.