 Photo by Valeriia Bugaiova on Unsplash Without accepting the fact that everything changes, we cannot find perfect composure... Because we cannot accept the truth of transience, we suffer. - Shunryu Suzuki Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 2.49 तस्मिन्सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः tasminsati śvāsapraśvāsayorgativicchedaḥ prāṇāyāmaḥ Having mastered a steady, comfortable position, inhalations and exhalations should be regulated. This is pranayama. Patanjali spends a little more time on pranayama in the Yoga Sutras than asana but compared to his discussion of "The Witness" and the constituents of nature (the gunas), pranayama is explained quite simply over five Sutras, which we will cover this month and next. This month, we’ll discuss what pranayama is and how to practice it. Next month, we’ll discuss the benefits of pranayama.
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 OCTOBER 20th Fall is the perfect time to re-evaluate where we invest our energies. As we move from the hot summer months through the dry, cool fall months and into winter, Ayurveda guides us to find balance within ourselves. The transition from the full, hot summer months to the coziness of fall and the holidays can be one of most fruitful times of the year.
This is a great add-on for yoga students ready to learn the basics of Ayurveda and how to apply them in a fall refresh of their personal routines.  What brought you to your yoga practice?
To be honest, I started practicing yoga by signing up for a class at school for (what I thought would be) a really easy way to earn college credit. I ended up earning much more than that! What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? Beyond gaining flexibility and strength, consistent yoga practice significantly improved my mental health, which transformed my life and outlook completely. Practicing yoga activated my body awareness and ability to engage with effective mindfulness and genuine contentment. It kindly and frequently reintroduces me to myself and demonstrates that with persistence, I can achieve beyond what I thought I'd ever be capable of mentally and physically. What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga? I would tell myself that the goal of yoga is not perfection in asana, but making the choice every day to pursue earnestness, strength and ease in all facets of life. And I would remind myself, even now, that the secret to maintaining a regular practice is setting achievable goals and generating tons of self-compassion!  Transition into the energy of autumn. Gather your harvest from a full summer of light and activity. Reap the benefits and prepare your body and mind for the slower seasons, with a guided Yoga Nidra (Deep Relaxation), paired with the resonant full-body experience of sound bath.
Revel in the abundance of the Fall Equinox with us on September 22nd. You’ll leave vibrating with peace and harmony, ready to embrace the new season! In our intimate studio, we have space for only 8 participants at these special quarterly events. Spots go quickly and for this reason, we are not able to offer any refunds after booking. All sales are final. All-Access Members get 20% off. Book soon to save your spot!  Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It's about using posture to understand and transform yourself. - BKS Iyengar This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 2.46 स्थिरसुखम् आसनम् Sthira sukham āsanam Asana is a steady and comfortable position. You have probably heard one of us say “yoga begins off the mat.” It becomes like a broken record. But truly, the deeper you go into the Yoga Sutras, the more you realize how ridiculous it is that people are obsessed with asanas.
Don’t get me wrong, I love asana. It was my gateway to yoga. But I didn’t stop at asana, I now practice all eight limbs and can tell you for certain that the benefits I got from practicing the other limbs far outweighs the benefits I have received from mere asana (and I have gotten a lot of benefit from practicing yoga asana.)  Calling all 5KY devotees. It’s our lucky 7th anniversary and that means you are in luck.
Recharge your practice as we make our way toward fall with our Lucky #7 Challenge. Attend classes with us during our anniversary week (September 11-17th) and you’ll be entered to win a free week of yoga! To enter, sign up for (and attend) classes during our anniversary week. Each class you attend will enter you into the raffle one time. So attend as many classes as you can that week for your best shot at a free week of yoga. The winner will be announced on September 20th.  Photo by Robert Anasch on Unsplash Diligence is the mother of good luck. - Benjamin Franklin This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 2.32 शौचसंतोषतपःस्वाध्यायेश्वरप्रणिधानानि नियमाः śaucasaṃtoṣatapaḥsvādhyāyeśvarapraṇidhānāni niyamāḥ Niyama is purity, contentment, self-discipline, self-study, and surrender to the Universal Self As a complement to the five Yamas we studied last month, Niyama encourages us to cultivate inner strength through five essential observances: Saucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (self-discipline), Svadhyaya (self-study), and Isvara Pranidhana (surrender to the Universal Self). These principles invite clarity, peace, and an unshakeable joy into our daily routines and interactions with ourselves.
Sutras 2.40 to 2.45 offer insights into the development of each of the five Niyamas. We’ll again use the practice of pratipaksha bhavanam to describe how we can “cultivate the contrary.”  What brought you to your yoga practice?
I had "dabbled" in yoga since I was in high school - taking classes here when the opportunity presented itself but never finding the right fit to develop into a longer commitment. It became more of a "practice" when I started classes at 5 Keys. What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? Once I settled into 5 Keys and more of a routine (admittedly a very sporadic routine...), I noticed an increase in flexibility and upper body strength, lower cortisol and blood pressure; and reduced "mind clutter." What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga? Keep looking for the right fit in type of yoga (I had no idea how many types there are...Hatha being my new favorite), skill level (don't hesitate to keep taking "Beginner" classes! You can always learn something new), and studio. A great teacher is always a plus but if you find a studio that is welcoming and gets you to the mat, trust that they will find the right teachers to bring everything together!  Photo by Megan Menegay on Unsplash The wise man should restrain his senses like the crane and accomplish his purpose with due knowledge of his place, time and ability. - Chanakya This blog post is part of our Yoga Sutras series. Want to start at the beginning? Yoga Sutra 2.30 अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः ahiṃsāsatyāsteyabrahmacaryāparigrahā yamāḥ Yama is non-violence, truthfulness, non-covetousness, right use of energy, and non-possessiveness At the heart of this path stands Yama, the first limb of Raja Yoga, which serves as the first half of the ethical guidelines underpinning Patanjali’s method. Yama means control or restraint in Sanskrit. These are the boundaries we place on our behavior in order to live more harmoniously with the outer world. They offer a guide to navigating the complexities of external life - interactions with others, society itself, our senses, and environment - with grace and wisdom.
Yoga Sutra 2.30 introduces us to the five Yamas: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-covetousness), Brahmacharya (right use of energy), and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness). In Sutra 2.31, Patanjali calls these principles the maha vratam (great vows) that are universal and applicable to everyone regardless of their social status, the place, time, or circumstances under which they live.  What brought you to your yoga practice?
Physical and mental health and to breathe better. What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? More energy and focus. More peaceful state of mind. What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga? It is my gift to myself every time I’m at 5 Keys. It’s the glue that holds my life together. |
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