What is Yoga Actually?
Clue: It’s not exercise.
Here in the West, people say they are ‘doing yoga’.
But yoga is not a practice, it is a state of being.
The practices associated with yogic traditions all share a common goal: to bring the practitioner closer to uniting their experience of themselves with an all-encompassing or ‘realised’ experience (described in many ways by words such as the divine, source, God, light, the universe, etc.)
Another way to think about this goal of union is working towards discovering your truth, the best version of yourself - the version you were meant to be and to shine brightly into this world.
This is the inspiration behind all offerings at The Centre of Bright Beginnings.
Ashtanga - The Eightfold Path of Yoga
In the seminal yogic text The Yoga Sutras, the author Patanjali describes eight ‘limbs’ of the practice of yoga. These facets do not present a step-by-step path, but rather outline a multi-faceted approach to yoga practice and life, with each limb developing concurrently to the others:
Yama - restraints
Niyama - observances
Asana - postures
Pranayama - breathing exercises
Pratyahara - sense withdrawal
Dharana - concentration
Dhyana - meditation
Samadhi - complete absorption
So as you can see, the postures of yoga are only a small part of the overall practice.
At Bright Beginnings Yoga, incorporating all these facets of yoga into classes and programs is a high priority to ensure a holistic experience that honours the traditions and wisdom of this ancient practice.
You may be interested to learn more about the Yama and Niyama and how they relate to parenthood by reading this blog post.
How I Share Yoga
I am passionate about the importance of adapting yoga practices to suit the individual. You’ll find me in my element teaching small group and private classes, where I can ensure everyone’s unique needs are supported.
The cyclical nature of life and living is a prevalent theme running through my yoga offerings. Many students come to yoga seeking to prepare for a new stage of life or transform their health and wellbeing. By supporting students to first release those aspects of self that are no longer of benefit, I then guide them towards practices that can support a Bright New Beginning.
During class, I use inclusive and simple language to make the biomechanical and metaphysical concepts that support the yogic traditions accessible to all. I seek to empower students to tune in to what their own body, mind and spirit need and draw upon the energy within and around them.
I am passionate about the decolonisation of yoga in the West and am committed to continued study to ensure what I share upholds and respects the traditional practices and cultural context of yoga.
