About Yoga
Students in my classes can expect a thoughtfully combined sequence of asanas, integrated with alignment, flow, creativity and philosophy.
About Yoga
Students in my classes can expect a thoughtfully combined sequence of asanas, integrated with alignment, flow, creativity and philosophy.
Erika teaches yoga in the San Francisco Bay Area
The goal of our yoga practices should be to diminish our suffering and return us to our inherent state of peace and potency. Yoga is both the word describing this original state of peaceful liberation and the tools/practices we use to attain a healthy vibrant body and a stable mind.
Ancient Yogi’s believed that deep within us there is something that is not subject to change. This eternal source called Purusha (according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras) is who we really are . . . but we lose sight of this true nature through our mistaken perceptions. We forget our true selves as we identify with the transitory and ever changing experiences that surround us.
The practices in Yoga of moving, breathing, focusing, reflecting, chanting, and meditating cultivate an inner environment for the student to experience calmness. It is in this inner stillness that a profound peace arises. This deep peace is Purusha. The ability for the yogi or yogini to steady him or herself in this unchanging state is the work of the practice.
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it mentions that in addition to just doing the practice (Ahbyasa), it is beneficial to infuse the practice with these 3 qualities:
Longevity
Our attitude towards practice is that we are in it for the long haul – this is where our yoga becomes a practice for life.
Consistency
Being dedicated to a regular practice even as the seasons of our lives change. What the practice looks like may change but the dedication to practice remains.
Enthusiasm
Doing our practice each day with our full heart and soul is the goal. Loving it wholeheartedly and being fed by it.
The last piece of advice the Yoga Sutras offer us is that as we practice it is best not be attached (Vairagya) to the outcome. If we can let go of our expectations and simply focus on just doing the practice, something profound happens.
Through discipline, thoughtfulness and love what has always been there is revealed. . . that the Source of all that we need is within us
I wholeheartedly believe the practice of yoga is beneficial for everyone. It is so much more than exercise. It is a practice that supports us in navigating our lives with more discernment, compassion, balance and vitality.
