 What brought you to your yoga practice?
I really missed yoga in a studio and wanted to find the right place. I decided to try five keys with little to no expectations and am so happy! What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? I’m able to focus on clearing my mind more and increased mobility. What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga? You can do hard things! It’s a practice and every day is a work in progress. I’m so grateful for every instructor at five keys who has helped me over the last 7 months. I feel so seen and heard in this studio and I love the “come as you are” feeling when I walk in!!
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 Photo by Lital Levy on Unsplash "I am so absorbed in the wonder of earth and the life upon it that I cannot think of heaven and angels." - Pearl S. Buck This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 3.11 सर्वार्थतैकाग्रतयोः क्षयोदयौ चित्तस्य समाधिपरिणामः sarvārthataikāgratayoḥ kṣayodayau cittasya samādhipariṇāmaḥ As distractedness declines and one-pointed focus arises in the mind, a flow of absorption in the object of meditation arises. Although Yoga Sutra 3.11 may seem quite esoteric at first, when we look at it from the basics, it actually makes quite a bit of sense. Let’s break this one down into pieces, since it is the only sutra we’ll cover this month and is central to understanding subsequent sutras in pada three.
Sutra 3.11 is made up of seven Sanskrit words (combined here into four). And when we look at them one by one, what Patanjali is trying to explain becomes quite clear.  What brought you to yoga?
My deep love for movement and flow led me to yoga, where I found a practice that beautifully blends both. What is your approach to teaching? I aim to create a safe and welcoming space for students to explore their own potential and discover the joy and playfulness that yoga offers. Why did you choose to teach at 5KY? I was drawn to Five Keys Yoga because of its commitment to “yoga for all abilities.” I truly appreciate their intentional approach to making yoga accessible to everyone. What makes your soul sing? I may sound repetitive, but nothing lights me up more than flow. When my breath and movement come together in perfect harmony, it brings me a sense of joy and clarity.  What brought you to your yoga practice?
I was searching for a mindful practice where I could be in the present moment without distractions like my phone or tv. I also love to stretch and was looking to tone my muscles - yoga was the perfect answer! What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? I noticed my balance and flexibility improve significantly! Also found myself moving more freely and with more comfort, as well as feeling less anxiety in my daily life. What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga? To give yourself grace, and not get discouraged when falling out of routine. It’s never too late to jump back in!  Photo by Davies Designs Studio on Unsplash "The real spiritual progress of the aspirant is measured by the extent to which he achieves inner tranquility." - Swami Sivananda This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 3.10 तस्य प्रशान्तवाहिता संस्कारात् tasya praśāntavāhitā saṃskārāt By habitually calming the movement of the mind, a tranquil flow of consciousness is developed. No matter our external goals, I think we are all looking for more tranquility in our lives. Whether our mind races with anger or anxiety, is heavy with despondency or worry or is generally peaceful, a feeling of calm is always welcome.
That is why yoga is so attractive - especially in the frenetic world we are in right now. We are all looking for ways to increase and maintain a sense of peace.  What brought you to yoga?
I first came to yoga looking for a way to move and connect with my body. I never felt comfortable participating in sports or large group activities, and yoga provided the quiet, expansive space I needed to move and grow. I quickly learned that yoga was much more than a physical practice. It helped me manage my stress and anxiety, and allowed me to explore my own inner landscape. Ultimately, yoga provided the foundation I needed to build a warm, welcoming place for my body, mind, and spirit, in turn, allowing me to come home to myself. What is your approach to teaching? While the process of coming to your mat can be an empowering and enlightening experience, the process itself can be difficult as it involves some vulnerability. I strive to create safe environments for people of all bodies and backgrounds to practice by providing options and modifications through props and verbal cues, ultimately giving practitioners choice along their yoga journey. I also aim to embody all aspects of yoga in my teaching, including but not limited to asana, pranayama, and meditation, so my students can explore everything yoga has to offer. My goal is to provide a warm, safe space for students to tune into their own inner landscape, and I hope they leave their mat feeling strong, grounded, and empowered. Why did you choose to teach at 5KY? When I first came to 5KY, I admired the calm, warm, and inviting atmosphere of the practice space. I immediately felt comfortable and at home, and that was just from my very first class! Holding space for others is important to me, and making sure everyone has that right is imperative to me as well. I appreciate that 5KY is committed to accessibility and inclusivity through Yoga For All Abilities, and they strive to help the community by providing a place for practitioners to come relax, connect, and build their own yoga practice. What makes your soul sing? Travel! I love exploring new places, indulging in the food and culture, and learning new things along the way. I personally believe that the journey is worth celebrating just as much as the destination, and there is something so powerful about creating your own itinerary or vision board, manifesting and working it into reality, and then embarking on the wonderful adventure you made happen! In between travels, I love taking the time to slow down and lose myself in nature, reading, or video games. I love hanging out with friends and family, exploring bookshops, and trying new restaurants.  Photo by Buddha Elemental on Unsplash "Once you have seen, you cannot fool yourself. " - Sadguru This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 3.4 त्रयमेकत्र संयमः trayam ekatra saṃyamaḥ When working together, these three are called samyama. Patanjali explains that when dharana, dhyana and samadhi flow into one another while using one object of focus, it is called samyama. This is actually quite a simple sutra. Patanjali is simply saying that “samyama is just another name for the three practices of concentration, meditation and absorption applied together.” (Bhakt, 133) In samyama, “the three are a single thread” (Iyengar, 182) and therefore, integrated.
 What brought you to your yoga practice?
I was looking for a new way to incorporate some movement and de-stress from my work, and after doing some searching I found 5KY on meetup and decided to give it a try. What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? After my first session I noticed how relaxed my muscles felt, especially in my back and shoulders, and how much tension I had been holding there for who knows how long. It brought a lot of relief especially during a stressful work week. What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga? I would tell my pre-yoga self that it’s important that your mind and body be in tune with one another, and many times the key to feeling better mentally is to take care of yourself physically. Even on days when you’re not feeling up to it, sometimes movement is enough to make you feel a lot better both physically and mentally.  Photo by Omkar Jadhav on Unsplash Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing yourself is enlightenment. - Lao Tzu This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 3.3 तदेवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यमिव समाधिः tadevārthamātranirbhāsaṃ svarūpaśūnyamiva samādhiḥ Enlightenment (or Samadhi) is when through meditation the essence of the object shines forth in its own essence, without form. Now Patanjali reaches the final and eighth limb of Raja Yoga, which is Samadhi or the state of enlightenment. As difficult as meditation is to describe in words, enlightenment is even harder. Patanjali tries to explain it here so practitioners will have an idea of what it is like to experience enlightenment and understand when they have reached that goal.
 Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash The mind that is alone is not only innocent but young...only such a mind can see that which is truth and that which is not measurable by words. - Jiddu Krishnamurti This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 3.2 तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् tatra pratyayaikatānatā dhyānam Built upon the foundation of concentration, meditation is the uninterrupted flow of attention toward the object of concentration. Patanjali distinguishes between concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana) within the eight limbs of Raja Yoga he lists. This is a key distinction for practitioners because while we often describe what we are doing as “meditating,” in fact the only action we can actually take is to concentrate.
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