Week One

Discussion: What is Yoga?

Light on Yoga: The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke. To direct and concentrate one’s attention on, to use and apply. It is true union of our will with the will of the Divine.

The Heart of Yoga: “To come together,” “To tie the strands of the mind together,” “To attain what was previously unattainable,” “When we feel in harmony with that higher power,” “Yoga is an attempt to create a state in which we are always present-really present- in every action, in every moment,”

It is not necessary to subscribe to any particular ideas of God in order to follow the yoga path. The practice of yoga only requires us to act and to be attentive to our actions.

Meditations from the Mat: Yoga is the study of balance and balance is the aim of all living creatures.

A spiritual practice is one thing that brings us full circle- not to a new self but, rather, back to the essence of our true selves. At the end of a hero’s journey, he finds that he did not need to go anywhere, that all he sought was inside him all along.
“Yoga is 99 percent practice, one percent theory." ~Pattabhi Jois
“A photographer gets people to pose for him. A yoga instructor gets people to pose for themselves.” ~T. Guillemets
“Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind.” ~Patanjali, translated from Sanskrit
• Seva: To be fully human, we must translate our compassion and concern into useful service.
o First, we must ask this: “What inspires you to be of service to the world?”
o Off the Mat and Into the World
o Seva Project as a class: I would like everyone to work on a five hour Seva Project to be completed by the end of the semester. You can work together.
 Homework for next week: Come prepared with a suggestion for a Seva project
• Practive:
o Intention
o Ujjayi Breathing (pranayama)
o Bandhas
o Drishti
o Sun Salutations
o Meditation on the breath
• Journaling
o How do you feel after this first class?
o What do you think you will get out of this class?
o What do you want to get out of this class?