What is Yoga? Yoga is an ancient art, science and physical practice which is self-empowering and utilizes a wide range of tools (asana, pranayama, meditation, mudra, kriya and bandha) to enhance physical and emotional well-being and to maintain and restore health. It can be a powerful tool on the journey of personal and spiritual growth as well.
What is the meaning of “yoga”? Commonly translated, yoga is a union of the body, mind and spirit. It is the union of the sun with the moon, or light with darkness. It is a union of masculine and feminine, inhalation and exhalation and the unification of dueling energies or opposites, to create balance.
What is asana? The Sanskrit meaning is "posture" held in stillness, both mentally and physically and yet conscious of the subtle shifts that arise during this practice. An asana is a pose in the yoga practice and is used to strengthen and heal the physical body. It takes practice and dedication to cultivate calmness, concentration and lightness.
What is YOGA NIDRA?
Yoga Nidra is not asana. Yoga Nidra is an ancient and life-changing approach to complete relaxation. Unlike other meditation techniques, you rest on your back and are guided into a state of complete relaxation, effortlessness and renewal. Yoga Nidra is a systematic approach to total rejuvenation and healing of the body and mind. It is truly a gift to help you shape your destiny and live the richest life you can imagine.
What is a Chakra? The Sanskrit word translates as wheel and represents the energetic junctions and pathways in the physical body. Although there are said to be over 1000 energy centers in the body they have been broken down to seven major centers which reside within the spinal column.
Is yoga a religion? Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy that began in India an estimated 5,000 years ago. The practice provides a framework for spiritual growth and mastery over the physical and mental body. Yoga sometimes interweaves other philosophies such as Hinduism or Buddhism, but it is not necessary to study those paths in order to practice or study yoga. It is also not necessary to surrender your own religious beliefs to practice yoga. "Yoga is an expansive discipline with profound philosophical reasoning that embraces the human experience. At it's core, yoga addresses the most fundamental need of the human being: to know one's spiritual self in its Absolute form...."Quote from Jesus in the Lotus by Russill Paul, New World Library, 2009.
Who can do Yoga? No pre-requisites are required to begin practicing yoga. Yoga is for everyone, irrespective of age, gender, belief system, cultural background or ability. Yoga offers a broad range of levels, styles and tools that can be tailored by a skilled teacher to suit the unique needs of each individual student.
What can you gain from Yoga? Yoga has gained global acceptance by helping people meet the challenges of our modern daily life with greater equanimity, and improved health and well-being.
Yoga serves as a means to:
relax and refresh after daily activities
enhance quality of life and improvement of relationships
increase attention and focus in children and adults
improve in personal and professional productivity
reduce stress and stress-related problems
stabilize mental and emotional challenges - depression, anxiety, etc.
alleviate a wide range of physical ailments - back pain, arthritis, etc.
help in the recovery from illness - post surgery, injuries etc.
maintain vitality from youth through old age
support women through many life changes, including PMS, pregnancy, and menopause
address the special needs of the differently-abled
guide in the process of self discovery and personal transformation
provide an avenue for spiritual growth
There are so many classes to choose from, where do I begin? At Prana Yoga Center we offer a variety of yoga styles and levels. If you are a beginner the Fundamentals of Yoga series is a foundational class designed to prepare you for the garden of yoga styles offered. If you are seeking a gentle practice hatha, slow flow, yin and restorative are ideal. If you are seeking a stronger practice Forrest or vinyasa would be appropriate. A student must experience the different styles and determine which yoga style resonates with you. If you have any health conditions or simply want further guidance as to what class to take, do not hesitate to call the Prana Yoga Center for more information.
What is the difference between the different yoga styles? All modern yoga falls under the classical hatha yoga tradition. Simply put, each yoga style uses the same poses and the variation depends upon how the poses are sequenced and how long the poses are held and the amount of vigor when practiced.
What do I need to start? Wear comfortable cotton clothing that allows you to move freely. Prana Yoga Center provides mats but strongly recommends you purchase your own mat for hygiene purposes. Come well hydrated and bring water to drink water after class. Since yoga is best practiced on an empty stomach, eat lightly or not at all for 2-3 hours before class. *Tell your instructor about any injuries that may require modified poses.
Is it important to be on time? Yes. Yoga practice is based on a series of postures. The warm up postures are a fundamental part of the entire series of postures, and trying to perform deeper postures without them may result in injury. In addition, coming late is disruptive and distracting to the other students. Make an effort not to rush your life immediately before of after the practice and it takes you deep and you need time to recalibrate the mind and body.
Can I leave the class early? We discourage you from leaving before the practice is finished because you will miss out on the benefits of the practice, and may risk injury leaving without a proper physical and mental cool down. Leaving early is also disruptive to the class. We do welcome you to take savasana any time during class if you feel fatigued or dizzy. If you must leave early, speak with your teacher at the beginning of class.
Why is it important to take savasana? Savasana provides the time your body needs to absorb the benefits of the asana (physical) practice. It allows your heart rate to slow down and the oxygen in your blood to circulate to your entire body. It offers a chance to still your mind and accept feelings that may have come up during practice.
Will yoga change my life? It depends on you. A commitment to a weekly practice will help you manage your stress, build confidence, strengthen your body and deepen your awareness. The more you practice the more results you will see. Some experts say the practice does not really begin until around year 3 and gets better with age as yoga is cumulative. It is a wheel not a ladder.
What if I can’t do all the postures? No problem, you know what your body can and can’t do and you are your best teacher. Our teachers will encourage you to explore your limits, but ultimately, you must decide how far to go. You will decide when to work through something, and when to avoid it. You are your own best teacher and it is your practice and non-competitive.
Do teachers correct our postures? Our teachers strive to assist you to further understand the postures. They may help with your alignment to help you prevent injury or to simply connect on a deeper level. Being adjusted does not mean you are doing a pose incorrectly, it helps you go deeper and reconnect new neuro -muscular pathways. If you prefer not to be adjusted let your instructor know.
Is yoga only for adults? There are certainly types of yoga that are suited to children and young adults, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Sweating keeps the body from overheating and adults sweat differently than children do. We strongly advise anyone whose sweat glands have not matured (this generally takes place during puberty) to steer clear of the hot classes. Kids often have shorter attention spans as well. Even adults sometimes find it difficult to stay focused for 90min and this can be a real challenge for a "busy" young person. Parents, you know your children and teens, please use your discretion.
Can I practice if I'm pregnant? Certainly! Prana Yoga Center has a policy that expecting women take pre-natal yoga only. It is also your responsibility to consult a physician before you practice and to let the teachers know you are pregnant before the class starts.
What does Om mean? Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is considered to be the primordial sound and vibration of all things. The ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us today--that the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell. All Vedic mantras start with OM. It is written and pronounced by some as ‘AUM’ with the letters “A” & “U” becoming an “O” as in ‘tone’. Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves, the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy (prana), and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.
What does Namaste mean? The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is the Divine within each of us that is located in the heart chakra. The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means the Spirit in me honors the Spirit in you.
Remove shoes at the door, we practice in our bare feet. Store shoes inside the studio.
Turn your cell phone off before coming into the studio.
Be early to class. Entering class constantly late is very disruptive and disrespectful to others.
Bring your own mat, as it’s more hygienic.
Practice on an empty stomach (unless specific conditions prevent this). Eat 2-3 hours prior to practice.
If you have health issues (illness, injury or medical condition) please notify your instructor before class. Not every pose is appropriate for everyone.
Ask questions about anything that is not clear to you. You may ask during class when appropriate, or after class.
Refrain from wearing perfume, cologne, or strong essential oils.
Let go of the competitive mind-set. Yoga is noncompetitive. It is a spiritual with the purpose is to calm the mind, open the heart, and stimulate our spiritual evolution.
Be kind and loving to yourself by accepting where you are. It is okay to come out of a pose before the teacher says to. The body will respond beautifully when you show it kindness, acceptance, and love.
Stay for the entire class. If you need to leave early make the time for a mini-savasava before leaving the class. It is the most important part.
Limit the chatter before and after class. Yoga is a time to go inward.
Finally, finish by saying “Namaste: I honor the place in you, which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace.
Yoga—A Sanksrit word meaning “to yoke,” yoga is the ancient practice of uniting mind and body through a series of postures (asanas) and breath work (pranayama). Yoga clears the physical and mental blocks that limit your potential and brings you closer to your true self. At its deepest level, the more than 6,000-year-old practice of yoga generates and moves energy (prana) through the chakra system. Regular yoga practice is a powerful therapeutic tool for healing the physical and mental body; it retards the aging process and keeps you open sexually; it creates strength, flexibility and muscle tone; it improves posture; and it can increase your sense of grace and overall well being.
Asana— a yoga posture. Asanas have both Sanskrit and English names and properties of being either steady (stihra) or soft (sukha). There are said to be 840,000 asanas for accessing the full potential of human movement.
Chakra— an energy center that controls the flow of prana through the body. Each energy center —most traditions emphasize seven main charkas— is located between the base of the spine upward through the crown of the head that compose the human energy system.
Namaste— a salute the instructor recites after the yoga practice, which has been translated by Western guru Ram Dass as, “I honor the place inside of you where your spirit resides; I honor that place in you which is of love, of light, of truth and of peace. I honor the place within you and that place within me, and in that moment our spirits are one in the universe.”
OM— pronounced “aum.” The sound, energy and pulse of the universe. Om is the symbol for humanity’s realization that divinity is within. OM is often chanted at the beginning or end of practice to acknowledge ourselves as part of the greater universe.
Prana— the lifeforce that sustains the body and the earth. Within yoga, prana is described as a river that flows through the landscape of the body and all creation. Prana is the breath of the universe; creation and life; the soul.
Pranayama— yogic breathing, which consists of refining the inhalation (puraka), retention (kumbhaka) and exhalation (rechaka) of breath. The breath is essential to engaging your lifeforce, unlocking your body, deepening your practice, opening the gateway to spiritual growth and bringing life to each posture. Pranayama techniques include practices such as kabhalabhakti, nadi shodana, viloma, brahmari, citali, and others.
Savasana— the final relaxation pose after yoga practice when the body lies still and the mind is at peace. Tradition recommends 10 minutes of savasana for every hour of physical asana practice to allow the effects of the practice to integrate into your system.
Sun Salutations—a powerful combination of asanas linked together to form a unique sequence that is 6,000 years old. The sequence moves from forward folds to backbends, revitalizing and toning the entire body. It generates strong internal heat, increasing the body’s suppleness and releasing deep inner tension.
