Our philosophy at Surya is that yoga is more than a traditional workout. Your yoga asana practice will serve to clear your mind of chatter. Yoga will tone and strengthen muscles, cultivate balance, and increase stamina. But it does so much more than traditional aerobic exercise. Yoga is a "practice," which means that each time you come to your mat you will practice breathing, movement, and optimal alignment. There is no "perfect" in a yoga practice, therefore each practice is an experience in respect, patience, and grace. When the body is in its optimal alignment, aches and pains dissipate. You deepen your practice each time you land on your mat; and then you take your practice out into your daily life. By integrating each move you make with the breath, you will increase your lung capacity. This deep breathing will help you to reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and help you to cope with daily events that may be out of your control. You will increase flexibility (no, you don't have to be flexible to practice yoga), but in a safe manner-drawing upon muscle energy before organically sending that energy out. Don't worry, you can also definitely get a great workout during your yoga practice, but it isn't about flying from one pose to another. If you are looking for a gentler yoga or restorative yoga, we have that, too! It is your practice and you follow the guide of your body and breath to make your practice your own. Yoga works for EVERY body!
