Tree of Life: The TRUNK

Tree of Life: The TRUNK

Yoga is not a religion. It does not replace religion, but is a wonderful complement. Yoga welcomes all religious backgrounds or none at all. It teaches that we are spiritual beings in human form. Our bodies are a temporary vehicle through which we are having a human experience that should edify our souls. It teaches LOVE.

Yoga philosophy believes that each of us has a soul - ATMAN. We also have the mind and body. Our true identity can only be found when these are blended into one unified whole: Holistic. This is the TRUNK of yoga, the foundation. As branches extend from the Tree of Life, the branches of yoga extend from this grounding principle. This includes the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, 200 A.D.

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Balasana | Child's Pose

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Tree of Life: The ROOTS

Tree of Life: The ROOTS

The ancient science of Yoga has been discovered by archeologists in multiple ancient civilizations. The geographic vastness in which some of these civilizations existed apart from each other is so amazing! Somehow they all practiced a form of yoga. This includes ancient India, China, Tibet, and also Mayan cultures all the way on the South American continent - Oceans away from Asia. They each created a system of yoga and passed down the practice from teacher to student from generation to generation.

The Indus River Valley civilization was the first, however, to fully develop the mind/body/spirit science and preserve it into the 21st century. The birth date of yoga is between 3,000 - 1,900 B.C.

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Balasana - Child's Pose

Sun and Moon

Just like the sun and moon, everything has an internal source of energy. In our bodies, the sun and moon occupy opposing halves similar to the concept of yin and yang. The moon represents the left energy channel (ida nadi) and the sun represents the right energy channel (pingala nadi). Our goal is to achieve and maintain BALANCE between both.

"As above, so below. As without, so within."

Sun and Moon

Sun and Moon

Just like the sun and moon, everything has an internal source of energy. In our bodies, the sun and moon occupy opposing halves similar to the concept of yin and yang. The moon represents the left energy channel (ida nadi) and the sun represents the right energy channel (pingala nadi). Our goal is to achieve and maintain BALANCE between both.

"As above, so below. As without, so within."

Halasana - Plow Pose

Halasana - Plow Pose

• Stretches the spine
• Stimulates the abdominal organs
• Stimulates the Thyroid gland
• Balances throat chakra

Yoga is Yoking

Yoga

The meaning of the Sanskrit word yoga is "yoking" or "connecting." Yoga is basically a state of interconnectedness, where we exist in everything and everything exists in us. In our asanas, we take the shape of a fish, boat, tree, dog, and/or cat (etc) to feel more deeply connected with all of the life around us. These poses urge us to dissolve the separation derived from ego, along with fear, isolation, and cynicism. Oh heavens, we are ONE.

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Hatha Yoga

• Consists of 8 limbs of practices.
• Branches that need attention and exploration.
• Hatha yoga is practiced in the West.  "Ha" meaning sun and "tha" meaning moon, thereby uniting pairs of opposites.
• Haṭhayoga is translated by the Monier-Williams dictionary as "a kind of forced Yoga or abstract meditation (forcing the mind to withdraw from external objects.
• Swatmarama introduces his system as preparatory stage of physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation or Yoga. It is based on asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques, also known as shatkarma). Hatha Yoga became popular in the west beginning in the second half of the 20th century, and is often referred to simply as "Yoga" in the context of health and physical exercise.

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