And now…

The practice of Yoga

Why practice Yoga? Is it about turning your body into a pretzel? How will Yoga help me? I just can’t seem to get myself to my mat but would like to create a daily practice – what can I do to rejuvenate my practice?

If these are questions you have then you’ve come to the right place! In the Yoga Sutras – a centuries old teaching on yoga written by Sri Patanjali, we are told that Yoga is a practice that brings us to a state of unity. It is the turning of the mind towards that Universal Soul or Purusha, holding it steady, and aligning ourselves with the Divine.

Yoga, as described in the Sutras, is not about a series of exotic looking poses, but a system that teaches us simply and explicitly how to align ourselves with this Universal Divinity. The Sutras offer us 8 steps, or limbs, that are the path of Yoga.

The very first word of the Yoga Sutras is now. Now is the time for the practice of Yoga. There is no time other than now. There are so many ways to practice that in any given moment we have the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with God.


The first two steps of Classical yoga are Yama and Niyama – the attitudes & ethics that bring us into right lifestyle. Next is Asana which include the physical postures we usually associate with the practice of yoga. Fourth is Pranayama, the methods of balancing the pranic or subtle body. Pratyahara or withdrawal of the senses is the next step before Dharana or concentration which leads us to Dhyana or the undisturbed meditation that allows us to achieve Samadhi or oneness.

There is so much to learn when it comes to understanding how to bring oneself into spiritual alignment through the practice of yoga.

The Yoga Sutras are an ideal place to begin.