We practice so we can nourish life, and our approach to practice is an expression of our values
Our philosophy on practice:
Yoga is a multi-dimensional practice whose goal is deep connection - we honor all the tools of yoga, including asana, pranayama, mantra, visualization, and meditation. We also understand that Yoga is so much more than just tools, it is a philosophy and a spiritual practice. In all of our offerings, we are guided by the teachings of yoga, particularly the wisdom of the Sūtras, and the lineage of TKV Desikachar and T.Krishnamacharya.
The tools are meant to serve you, not the other way around - practice will always be altered to meet the your needs and your life. If you are coming to practice with any concerns on how practice can work for you, please reach out to Sarah to schedule a consultation at no charge to talk through what you need.
We prioritize function over form, keeping breath as primary - any asana or method can and should be changed to stay connected to the why of practice. When we are linked with why we are doing something, we build a practice which is empowering, curious, and rooted in our life. We prioritize breath to care for our awareness and subtle body.
We ground our practice in the ethical principles of Yoga and Buddhism - in all we do, we strive to embody non-violence, honesty, non-greed, right use of sexual energy, and not taking what is not given freely. This is not just a statement, but an ongoing and deepening practice.
Yoga is relationship - we practice so we can engage in all of life, ground in our body and work with our mind, and walk the path of awakening toward a more compassionate, ethical, just, and humane world.
Our Community Agreements
When we come together as a group for study and practice, what we will encounter will undoubtedly touch all of us. With this in mind, we make some agreements with each other to maintain the care and respect of our group. Our community commitments are:
1. To maintain confidentiality - we commit to holding the details of others’ stories in confidence, so that all feel free to share and learn.
2. To make an effort not to cross talk or give advice - we commit to speaking from our own experience and to refrain from speaking to anyone else's experience.
3. To use this time for reflection and questioning, and to respect the sacredness of the time we have together - we will all inevitably be reflecting on our own lives, and while doing so we agree to be mindful to not use the group as a place to vent our troubles and stay sensitive to the health of the group as a whole.
In making these agreements, I also make an agreement with you to prioritize the safety of our community, to treat with care the complex power imbalance that is present in the student-teacher relationship, and to be willing and available to listen and make appropriate repair when harm occurs.