Summer Book List

There’s something about summer that invites us to slow down, stretch out, and sink into a really good book. Whether you're lounging by the pool, relaxing between adventures, or enjoying a quiet moment on the porch, summer is the perfect season to nourish your inner world as much as your outer one.

We’ve curated a list of books that inspire reflection, spark curiosity, and support your journey—on and off the mat. So grab your sunscreen, your favorite iced tea, and dive into our Summer Book List – your next favorite read might just be waiting.

The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope

In The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling, Stephen Cope draws on the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to explore one of life’s biggest questions: What is my purpose? With insight, compassion, and real-life stories — from figures like Jane Goodall to Walt Whitman — Cope weaves ancient yogic philosophy with modern-day journeys of self-discovery. The book offers both inspiration and practical tools for aligning your daily life with your dharma, or sacred calling. It's a soulful guide for anyone longing to live with more intention, clarity, and courage.

The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi

In The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras, Nischala Joy Devi offers a uniquely feminine and deeply compassionate interpretation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Rooted in intuition, love, and inner wisdom, this translation emphasizes the heart-centered aspects of yoga, making ancient teachings feel accessible, nurturing, and profoundly relevant for modern life. Devi reframes the sutras not as rigid rules, but as gentle guidance for living with grace, balance, and spiritual connection. This book is a beautiful companion for anyone seeking a softer, more soulful path through yoga philosophy.

Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith

In Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self, Anodea Judith bridges the wisdom of Eastern chakra theory with Western psychology in a deeply insightful and integrative way. Exploring how early life experiences shape our energetic body, Judith offers a comprehensive look at each chakra through the lens of developmental stages, psychological patterns, and personal healing. This book is both a practical guide and a spiritual map, helping readers understand themselves on a deeper level — physically, emotionally, and energetically. It’s a transformative read for anyone seeking to align body, mind, and spirit.

The Power of NOW by Eckhart Tolle

In The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle delivers a profound invitation to step out of the constant chatter of the mind and into the stillness of the present moment. Blending spiritual insight with practical guidance, Tolle explores how living in the “now” can free us from anxiety, fear, and regret — and open the door to peace, clarity, and a deeper sense of self. This modern spiritual classic encourages readers to experience life more fully, one breath at a time, and reminds us that the present moment is not just where life happens — it’s where our power truly lies.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

In The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz distills ancient Toltec wisdom into four simple yet powerful principles for living with greater clarity, peace, and authenticity. With deep spiritual insight and straightforward language, Ruiz invites readers to break free from limiting beliefs and self-sabotaging patterns. The agreements — Be impeccable with your word, Don’t take anything personally, Don’t make assumptions, and Always do your best — offer a transformative path to inner freedom and deeper connection with ourselves and others. A small book with a big impact, it’s a timeless guide for anyone seeking more intentional living.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

In The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance, Robin Wall Kimmerer invites us to reimagine the concept of economy through the lens of reciprocity, relationship, and the natural world. Drawing from her background as a botanist and Indigenous knowledge-keeper, Kimmerer uses the humble serviceberry as a metaphor for a more generous and interconnected way of living — one that values sharing over scarcity and community over competition. With her signature poetic insight, she challenges us to rethink how we measure value and to consider what it might mean to build an economy rooted in care.

You can join us Saturday, June 21st for a Community Book Chat for this book! Learn more here

Yoga: A Gem for Women by Geeta Iyengar

Yoga: A Gem for Women by Geeta S. Iyengar is a comprehensive and empowering guide to yoga practice through the lens of the female experience. As the daughter of B.K.S. Iyengar and a pioneering teacher in her own right, Geeta offers clear, practical instruction rooted in the Iyengar tradition, while thoughtfully addressing the unique needs of women at every stage of life. From menstrual health to pregnancy and menopause, this book is both a technical manual and a nurturing companion — honoring yoga not just as a physical discipline, but as a lifelong path of self-discovery, balance, and inner strength.

The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist

In The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life, Lynne Twist offers a profound shift in how we think about wealth, abundance, and purpose. Drawing from decades of global philanthropic work, Twist explores how our beliefs about money shape our lives — often unconsciously — and how we can redefine our relationship with it to reflect our deepest values. This book is less about financial strategy and more about spiritual clarity, encouraging readers to move from a mindset of scarcity to one of sufficiency, gratitude, and intentional living.

Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman

In Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement, biomechanist Katy Bowman shakes up the way we think about movement and exercise. Rather than isolating fitness to workouts alone, she reveals how our daily movement patterns — or lack thereof — influence everything from cellular health to chronic pain. With a blend of science, humor, and practical advice, Bowman invites readers to reconnect with a more natural way of moving, offering tools to integrate whole-body movement into everyday life. It's not just about exercise — it’s about how you live in your body, every moment of the day.

Accessible Yoga by Jivana Heyman

In Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body, Jivana Heyman offers a powerful reminder that yoga truly is for everyone — regardless of age, size, ability, or experience. With clarity, warmth, and compassion, Heyman provides practical tools for adapting yoga to meet individual needs, including detailed guidance on pose variations, chair yoga, and inclusive teaching strategies. More than a manual, this book is a movement toward equity and empowerment in the yoga world, inviting all of us to reimagine yoga as a practice rooted in presence, not perfection. It’s an inspiring resource for students, teachers, and anyone who believes in making yoga a welcoming space for all.

Down to Earth Dharma by Rebecca Bradshaw

In Down to Earth Dharma: Insight Meditation to Awaken the Heart, Rebecca Bradshaw shares a compassionate and grounded approach to mindfulness and awakening. Drawing from decades of Insight Meditation teaching, she offers practical tools and gentle encouragement for cultivating presence, emotional resilience, and heart-centered awareness. Bradshaw’s teachings are refreshingly honest, weaving personal stories with dharma wisdom in a way that feels both deeply human and profoundly spiritual. This book is an invitation to wake up — not by escaping life, but by meeting it with clarity, kindness, and courage.

Teacher Spotlight: Genevieve Gigandet

Our Teacher Spotlight Series continues with Gen Gigandet.

What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?

Attending yoga classes as a practitioner in several different contexts and environments (studios, community centers, college gym, corporate office setting, and outside at a music festival) has allowed me to see that a yoga practice roots deeply to grow into a life well-lived.  From learning the principles of yoga philosophy to polishing up my anatomy knowledge, during my teacher training I worked to understand well enough to share yoga with others.  

I felt called to teach to beginners who may not have accessed yoga before to see the practice as a tool to better understand the self.  I taught to people in recovery from substance use, in their daily treatment programs and this challenged my perspective to approach each class with a “beginner’s mind” myself.  I knew I had to keep building my skills and confidence to maximize my ability to have a positive impact on others!  

If I can assist someone in understanding how a consistent yoga practice can weave into the fibers of their life, I will encourage it!

In the summer months how do you most like spending your time outside?

I love tent camping and will try to go at least two times a year, during summer and fall.  Start with a good roaring campfire, add some yummy treats and comforting company, with games or conversation… these always add up to my most favorite experiences.

What’s something on your bucket list?

I want to travel and go on an outdoor rock climbing trip.  For the top-roping style I enjoy, I’d need to find a guide to anchor the routes, but I know I have the interest and determination to enjoy a multi-day hiking and climbing experience like that.

What keeps you inspired as a teacher?

Staying inspired for me comes from reading books or poems or social posts, preparing my class playlists, and attending yoga classes in multiple styles (Right now I am loving heated slow flows and sometimes engaging in challenging strengthening practices). I try to prioritize slowing down my life by walking outside often and trying to access different forms of healing and nourishment.  

I also remind myself that I practice yoga to be freer, and to see more clearly, not to participate head down in a corrupt and oppressive system.  Activists, writers, and teachers like Susanna Barkataki and Lama Rod Owens inspire me to stay true to the purpose of my practice and use the situations I am faced with in life as material to work with practicing presence and compassion for myself and others, even if it can be uncomfortable at times.

Any mantra or quote you live by? 

From Mary Oliver’s Entering the Kingdom:  

“The dream of my life
Is to lie down by a slow river
And stare at the light in the trees-
To learn something by being nothing
A little while but the rich
Lens of attention.”

I share this dream!  To truly become part of the environment I am occupying, not separate from it.  Later in the poem, the speaker is easily noticed by the crows and creatures, making her separate and stranger again, but that doesn’t take away from the dream experience she is able to have for “a little while.” I find this to be a hopeful and also honest understanding of the human relationship and responsibility to Nature.

You can find Gen on the schedule Saturday & Sunday morning at 10:30am for Slow and Hot classes.

Teacher Spotlight: Jessica Belongia

Teacher Spotlight: Meet the Heart of Our Studio

At the core of every great yoga class is a teacher who brings presence, passion, and a unique perspective to the mat. In our new Teacher Spotlight series, we’re taking a moment to shine a light on the amazing instructors who guide our community with wisdom, humor, and heart.

Whether you’re a longtime student or just starting out, we hope this series helps you feel even more connected to the incredible humans holding space in our studio.

First up… Jessica Belongia.

Outside of practicing yoga, what other activities do you enjoy?

I actually love my work as a Physical Therapist.  I love helping people continue being able to do all the things they want to do.  .I also like to hike with my dog, read, travel, and garden.

In the summer months how to you most like spending your time outside?

Hiking, gardening, road cycling, kayaking with my husband

What’s your go-to way to relax or recharge?  

I love a nap.  I'm currently spending way too much time watching The Gilmore Girls!

What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?

I never planned to teach.  I just wanted to learn more and go deeper.  But then I realized I have a different perspective and that I have something to say that might make a difference to other students.  And I love teaching movement.

How has yoga impacted your life off the mat? 

Yoga has taught me to take a breath before I react and to be able to sit in discomfort, to let go of assumptions, and to laugh when I fall then get back up and move on.

What’s something on your bucket list?

Hike Mt. Washington

What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

In high school, I was a pretend phone operator on America's Most Wanted

What advice would you give to someone new to yoga?

Just start.  

What keeps you inspired as a teacher?

Learning from other teachers

Any mantra or quote you live by?  

Still Learning

Jess currently teaches Strong Foundations on Thursday evenings and offers a Yoga for Beginners 4-week Series throughout the year.

Yoga for Men vs. Women

Yoga is for everyone, but there are some clear and distinct differences between males and females when in comes not only to our anatomy and build, but also our emotional needs and what motivates us to practice yoga. In this article we will uncover the foundations that have created the practice we know today, and explore the gaps in hopes that a clearer understanding will help us as individuals to make choices both internally and externally to serve our personal practice, even when we are being led in a all-levels public class.

The History

To start, it is interesting to take a look at the history and origins of the yoga practice. Throughout time the yoga practice has taken on many forms. At least 3500 years ago in Western India, present-day Pakistan, Archaeologists found carved images of gods and men in the lotus position. The first mention of the word yoga as a defined discipline was in the Rgveda, a sacred scripture of Brahmanism written sometime between 1500 and 1000 BCE. At this time yoga was defined as a discipline of reciting mantras and hymns. A group of men who performed songs and melodies in worship of the god of the wind, Rudra, found they could sing their songs better if they practiced pranayama - breath control or extension.

At this time, women were not only participants but contributors to the development of these practices. Some of the hymns in the Rgveda were written by the rishikas, or the 27 women sages. Notable among these women was Lopamudra, who taught her husband. Women were also trained musicians and singers, who sang and taught these hymns in forest universities, called Gurukul. (Rao, 2023)

During the Classical Period women’s role in society began to center around her devotion to her husband and much of her spiritual life was through the lens of self-sacrifice and loyalty. It was also during this time that the practice of yoga was systematized.

The Foundation of Modern Day Yoga

During the Classical Period the Yoga Sutras were created by a philosopher named Patanjali. The Sutras are still studied today and serve as a guidebook for students of yoga, which at the time of creation was primarily geared towards young boys.

Throughout the years there have been many different paths established to practice yoga and reach the ultimate goal of enlightenment, and union with the true self. The path that we in the west are most familiar with is hatha yoga which centers around the physical postures. This style of practice was introduced by yoga teacher Krishnmacharya, who began teaching classes aimed at students who were mostly athletic, young men. He came to be known as the father of modern day hatha yoga.

Krishnamacharya is the man behind many notable teachers including Pattabhi Jois who created Ashtanga Yoga, which is the origin of vinyasa yoga, and BKS Iyengar who created Iyengar Yoga which introduced the use of props. A common resource for new and upcoming yoga teachers today is “Light on Yoga” by BKS Iyengar. The breakdown of the postures for alignment, entry, and exit from the pose, is based on a male body. Additionally, the information presented for women’s practice, particularly as it relates to the time of menstruation is brief at best.

Yoga Culture Today

How interesting to note that the creation of the practice we rely on today was created mostly by men for men, yet if you join a yoga class you are more than likely to encounter a room full of women. As a yoga teacher, this leaves us with an interesting predicament. We are taught very limited information about how to properly care for the female body. If you are a women, you can go off of your own experience and that will inform your teaching, but then there tends to be a gap in the care and attention paid to the male preferences and modifications that may be needed.

Yoga for Men vs. Women

When we start to break down these differences there are a few areas to consider. Let’s look at the complexity of womanhood, the anatomical differences between the male and female form, and the differences in the goals and motivations for starting a yoga practice.

3 Stages of Womenhood

• Menstruation

• Pregnancy

• Menopause

Anatomy

When we look at the skeleton, the primary area to focus on when it comes to difference between males and females is of course the pelvis. A female pelvis is wider and has more flexibility for purposes of child birth, while a male pelvis narrower and “taller”. That said, it can be assumed that women are more flexible in their hips, low back, and pelvic muscles. This means that poses which require mobility in these areas are going to be much more accessible and generally more “comfortable” for women than they will be for men.

Muscularly, men are generally built with more muscle mass, while women generally have a higher fat percentage. The strength men bring to their practice can be beneficial in certain places, and create challenge in others. It is important to know your body and to use the yoga practice to serve your individual needs and the specifications of your body.

Pose Guide

Challenging for men: Poses that require significant hip and hamstring flexibility, shoulder mobility, and balance. Examples include dolphin, down dog, half pigeon, triangle, pyramid, childs, extended hand to foot, eagle, and wheel.

More accessible: Arm balances and inversions

Challenging for women: Poses that require significant strength, flexibility, and balance. Examples include eight angle, scorpion, handstand, crow, one-handed tree and chin stand.

More accessible: Backbends and hip openers

Motivations

Everyone comes to class for a different reason and it can change day to day. That said, typically women are most often practices for stress relief, flexibility, and conditioning whereas men often find yoga for the workout or to balance their strength building routine with flexibility. This is why.it is most typical to see men in hot/power classes, while women may more likely fill a restorative or slow flow practice.

What can we learn from this?

As students, we may want to consider our own motivations and what classes we are choosing. Men may feel an intimidation or even an aversion to lean into their softer more emotional side. Women may stray away from more challenging practices for similar fears of intimidation or embarrassment. We all need the full spectrum of experience. Self reflection will help uncover the moments we are letting fear lead and assist us in making choices in the lane of health and wellbeing.

As teachers, it is important to keep in mind where the student is coming from when they enter your class. The needs are different around the room and when teaching an all levels class, it is important to create an environment that fosters exploration, investigation, and autonomy. It can be useful to think around the differing motivations so that you can more clearly communicate and connect.

Sources:

Rao, A. (2023, October 27). Understanding women’s role in yoga history. Breathe Together Yoga. https://breathetogetheryoga.com/understanding-womens-role-in-yoga-history/

Sparrowe, L. (2003). History of Yoga. Boulder; Yoga Journal.

Yamas: Asteya

As we continue our journey through the Yamas, Asteya is listed third. Asteya translates to non-stealing. This translation when taken literally can cause this yama to be overlooked in it’s importance. Many of us consider the act of non-stealing an easy virtue to follow but the assumption we make is that this yama only applies to the stealing of material goods. Have you considered that non-stealing can also apply to generosity, or stealing ideas or even time? In this article we will discuss the complexities of non-stealing and how we can truthfully assess how it shows up in our lives.

Lesser Known Practices of Non-Stealing:

1. Respect Others’ Time

   In our busy, fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the value of someone else’s time. Practicing Asteya means being conscious of how much time we ask from others—whether it’s in meetings, friendships, or even in a yoga class. Are we mindful of starting and ending on time? Do we respect others’ time by being present and engaged in the moment?

2. Allow the full spectrum of experiences

   Often it is the happy times that are captured, showcased and celebrated. Are you avoiding the other side of the spectrum? It is important to remember the beauty that can be found in the painful and uncomfortable emotions. Grief, pain, and sorrow can offer healing and growth. These emotions can show us even more about ourselves and what we care about. Asteya is to honor all of the emotions.

3. Avoid misrepresentation and appropriation

   In the scope of the yoga practice and the teachings, we must reflect on where the teachings come from and be mindful that we are no taking things for ourselves and owning them. It is normal and natural for the practice to evolve and change to serve modern day students and the culture they live in. With that being said, if we are going to use certain practices, chants, or Sanskrit words we should do our due diligence and understand the true meaning and be sure we are honoring the origins.

4. Remain transparent and authentic

   Practicing non-stealing also means being honest in all our interactions. Are we withholding information or misleading others for personal gain? Are we stealing from relationships by not being transparent? Asteya invites us to be open and truthful, fostering trust and connection in all our relationships. This means owning our ideas and giving credit where credit is due, and avoiding gossip and not “taking” others’ news.

5. Be honest about what you need

   We live in a consumer culture. We are surrounded by advertisements and encouragement to spend and to accumulate. There is also a pressure to compete which causes comparison to others. Gathering things you don’t really need (wealth, power, fame or enjoyment) works against Asteya. Instead we can practice generosity by only taking what we need, donating unused items, and being honest about how our habits and cravings impact the world around us.

Benefits of Practicing Asteya

• Self reliance

• Sense of abundance

• Minimalism

• Balance

  Freedom from the temptations of comparison, greed, ignorance, appropriation, and attachment allow us to live up to our potential. We can experience more pride and self reliance, and confidence in who we are, how we contribute, and surety about our place in the world.

  The practice of Asteya is a beautiful reminder that there is more than enough for everyone. By living in harmony with this principle, we not only improve our lives but contribute to a world where respect, generosity, and kindness flourish.

Yamas: Satya

The principal of satya is another one of the yamas. The lesson is one of truthfulness. The word sat means “that which exists, that which is.” Satya, refers to our thoughts, actions, and words reflecting what truly exists, in contrast to the reality that our individual perceptions and opinions cause us to see.

Without further investigation, we may believe we are dutiful followers of satya, generally leading an honest life. What gets overlooked is the way our past experiences, and the emotions tied to them, can alter what we believe to be true.

There is a concept taught in the Yoga Sutras called citta. Citta is essentially the space between the true self, the divine being that we are, and the outside world of experiences and happenings. As we move through life and develop our own understanding of how the world works and who we are in it, our citta gets clouded. How we define ourselves and the meaning being the actions of other people creates a filter.

When we express truthfulness in our thoughts, actions, and words it requires staying aware of the assumptions are making, and when we are going off our opinions or prejudices.

Another idea to consider is that multiple things can be true. It is possible to say the truth without oversharing or imposing our ideas on another person. This is applicable to satya because honesty should be prefaced by ahimsa (doing no harm).

Practicing Satya

You are invited to spend time with someone you prefer not to be around. Maybe this person is encroaching on your boundaries, makes you feel uncomfortable, or simply isn’t someone you want to develop a closeness to. It can be difficult to figure out how honor yourself and also stay commited to truthfulness without hurt feelings.

In this situation we want to be honest but also compassionate in our communication. Before you speak, ask yourself - is it true, is it kind, is it timely, is it necessary?

In our example, if you are invited to get a coffee for instance, you can create space by saying something simple like “no, but you enjoy!”. When we use a response like “not today, maybe another time”, what happens when the next time comes around? If we aren’t up front in the most kind way possible at the start, we end up in a loop of white lies.

If the situation arises where this person continues to ask and press for your time, you can still elaborate without posing your opinions and assumptions. Rather than expressing your disinterest in their company, you can express that you hate to keep turning them down, but you are being more selective with your time and you appreciate the offer.

You can’t expect people to know your boundaries if you don’t communicate them.

To be successful in the practice of satya you must know yourself. This process requires reflection and awareness over who you are, how you are affected by the happenings around you, and what your preferences are. When there is clarity over your own biases, and you develop an understanding that the people around you are influenced in a similar way, you can see things as they are and speak to them in a clear and kind way.

This practice is not intended to be simple or easy, but commitment and dedicated effort of returning to our mat and returning to self reflection keeps us on the path.

Interview Series: YTT Graduate Taylor Gillette

Taylor Gillette

Why were you interested in YTT?

“I was going through a lot of different things in my life personally, I was searching, I was looking for something to fulfill me and connect me. When I came to the info session, I never thought I would actually be a teacher. 8 weekends later, I can’t wait to teach. I didn’t even know I was interested and that I was searching for this. I think it was timing and alignment that really got me here.”

When you were deciding to sign up, what was holding you back?

“I don’t like spending money on things, so it was financials. I really thought at the point I was in my life, how much do I want to keep spending my money. I was going to use this money for a 1 week vacation in Costa Rica because I really wanted to ‘find myself’. But then, thinking about it I was like, you’re not going to find yourself in one week. This is an investment. So, maybe you really should go to the info session and see if this is worth investing in yourself. And of course, come full circle, it was an investment that was so worth it, and I definitely found myself but look how long it took. From January till May, and I’m just beginning to find myself. 1 week of vacation, and a lifetime of connections, memories, friendships, so much knowledge - so worth it.”

What has been your biggest challenge?

“Probably the very first thing I was fearful of was teaching, so speaking publicly and getting up there in front of everyone. Everyone is looking at you for direction, guidance. So my biggest challenge and fear was having trust in myself that I can get the words out and really speak what I know I have in my heart. Everything you have taught us, we have all the tools.”

“I’m also fearful of what the future looks like. Eventually, maybe, one day becoming a full time teacher. You know, failing is my biggest challenge that I go through all the time, but I can’t believe how supported I feel here so I am looking forward to knowing that I have a support group behind me and mentors that I can come to, to support me on those days where I may be questioning some future career decisions, teaching, studios, where to teach, how to teach, so I feel so much more confident with my people behind me, and I can do this.”

What has been your favorite part of YTT?

“The connections, and the openness, and being vulnerable - I did not know that that was going to happen. We discussed so many things, very wide range. And getting together with strangers when we first started here, and the fact that everyone opened up, and that made me feel I could open up. The safe spaces that were held was so important and something I never experienced before. It was that connection I never knew I was missing. I feel very wholesome and fulfilled from just that, and who knew that was even going to come about.”

If you could give advice to yourself before starting YTT, what would you say to yourself?

“It just keeps coming back to - trust yourself and let your voice be strong. There were times I knew what my fear was going to be in the beginning and as soon as we started teaching or doing small things and cueing small things, you could still see that in me. That I wasn’t letting my voice me strong. So just be strong, from the get-go. You can do this, everyone can do this, we’re all going to do this. And it’s okay if you can’t say one word or cue or you forget something. It’s all going to be okay.”

Describe your pre-YTT self in 3 words

“Lost, alone, and indifferent”

Describe your post-YTT self in 3 words

“Grateful, connected, I’m gonna say four, amazed, and fulfilled.”

Yamas: Ahimsa

The Yamas make up the first of eight limbs of yoga. Yamas are know as moral disciples or abstinences. The five Yamas are principals that advice on things you should refrain from doing as you progress towards a state of enlightenment. For an overview of the Yamas and Niyamas, take a look at our introductory post: A Journey Through the Yamas & Niyamas.

It is understood that the eight limbs of yoga are intended to be a path toward enlightenment, one that should be followed sequentially. We begin our journey with the Yamas, specifically the first of five, Ahimsa.

Ahimsa translates to absence of injury, or more commonly understood as non-violence. This is an interesting principal to begin with because at the surface it seems most of us should feel confident we have this one under control. However, there is more than meets the eye.

We can agree that non-violence includes refraining from intentionally causing harm to others, to ourselves, or to nature. Physical violence and hurtful speech fall into this category, but have you considered the power of your thought? Even thinking hurtful things, casting judgements whether spoken or not are going to cause a ripple effect. The way we speak, or think, about others often reflects how we see ourselves. It can be easy to identify criticisms in others when we are finding those same critiques within our own character. It almost allows for the justification that if we hold ourselves to the same standard then it is okay to hold that standard for the people around us. This can be a slippery slope.

There is a freedom in acceptance. To accept our limits, our human-ness, the lessons we need to learn, and embrace all of who we are with love and without harsh judgement. There is a power in that, as if a weight has been lifted and we are now free to be exactly where we are, and grow from there.

On the mat:

In our asana practice we can incorporate ahimsa by considering how well and how compassionately we are listening to our bodies. When we reach for a posture that is outside of our capabilities on a given day, this can translate into injury. We might also start to beat ourselves up over what we weren’t able to do, casting judgements and thinking negative thoughts. It is important that we listen to our bodies and respect our boundaries to maintain a sustainable practice that will take us though the years and offer the insight we need to continue to learn about ourselves, in all phases of life.

A Journey Through the Yamas & Niyamas

Yoga is a complex word and its meaning is nuanced. Many of us know yoga to be a physical practice, but what is lesser known is that yoga is actually made up of 8 limbs, only one of which is Asanas, the posture practice. The first two limbs are called the Yamas and Niyamas. These are ethical principals to follow that form the foundation of a strong yoga practice and yogic lifestyle. These moral codes are separated into two categories, the Yamas are things not to do, or restraints, while the Niyamas are things to do, or observances.

The Yamas and Niyamas are presented in Yoga Teacher Training and often are the first exposure students have to these principals. As a teacher and a trainer, I have found immense benefit from returning to these lessons time and time again. There always seems to be something new to uncover and a new application for every stage of life.

Below is a list of the 10 principals. Over the next 10 blog articles, we will unpack these principals one by one and discover more ways to look at the life code that the yoga teachings provide us for “right living”.

Yamas:

• Ahimsa: nonviolence

• Satya: truthfulness

• Asteya: non-stealing

• Brahmacharya: non-excess

• Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-greed

Niyamas:

• Saucha: purity

• Santosha: contentment

• Tapas: self-discipline, training your senses

• Svadhyaya: self-study, inner exploration

• Ishvara Pranidhana: surrender