Our Philosophy
"Yoga" comes from the Sanskrit verb yuj, to yoke or unite. The goal of yoga is to unite oneself with the Divine; the practice of yoga is the path we take to accomplish this.
The Indian sage Patanjali, in his Yoga sutras defines yoga as the control of the activities of the mind. Yoga methods encompass the entire field of our existence, from the physical, emotional and mental to the spiritual. Its methods include ethical disciplines, physical postures, breath control, as well as meditation.
Patanjali taught the eight stage process of spiritual development (the eight limbs of yoga). The first two stages are ethical disciplines (Yamas and Nyamas). Then come postures (Asanas in Sanskrit) and breathing exercises (Pranayama). The last four limbs are meditative stages: control of the sense (Pratyahara), concentration (Dharana), meditation (Dhyana) and enlightenment (Samadhi).
