The word yoga means “union.” It is the joining of the physical, emotional, thinking, intuitive, and heart-centered parts of ourselves. In our society we tend to focus on Asana, which is the physical practice of yoga. According to Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras, this is just one of the 8 limbs on the path to yoga. Many of the other limbs deal with mental and spiritual well being.

Asana can be beneficial for everyone. It may be practiced to increase strength and flexibility, or to be a therapeutic way to heal and de-stress. No matter what your reason is for starting a yoga practice, the playful energy and lightness that students experience become the reason that they keep coming to their mats.

—Danielle