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yoga is at the very heart of everything i do and offer. most people aren't familiar with what yoga actually is... yoga means union or wholeness. what yoga practices do is help people to find wholeness within themselves and realize their inherent oneness within the universe. i highly recommend practicing yoga poses, awareness/meditation, and breathing as part of one's lifestyle. until it is experienced, the claims others lay to the power of yoga sound too good to be true (or a little wacky and out-there!), but after giving it an honest try, most people are incredibly blown away by the power of something so simple and straightforward. the style of yoga i teach is my own special blend. i call it the natural yoga method. my classes combine poses, where i encourage students to exert themselves fully but without straining, with metered breathing, music, mindfulness (present moment awareness), intuitive free-flowing movements, insights, relaxation, and meditation. whenever possible natural imagery is used, we use natural light and fresh air to connect to the living universe. as students gather experience in practice, they are increasingly encouraged to let go of self-consciousness and we blend our long, strong holds with free-form, inspired movement. this is the hallmark of the natural yoga method style, and it liberates body, mind, creativity and spirit. in addition to our practice on the mat, i encourage my students to look at their lives as a living yoga practice- a journey to wholeness- and the practice on the mat as a small part of that total experience. the mat is the laboratory where we re-align, strengthen and balance our bodies and sharpen the most important tool we have- our awareness. that in turn brings out our mental, physical and emotional best, and connects us to our own heart, our source, our spiritual center. it is a highly personal experience, although many people have similar experiences of lightness, blissfulness, relaxation, confidence, creative inspiration and contentment. yoga practice heightens and develops a feeling of compassion and empathy with others, even animals and plants and the environment. it also can be a powerful way for couples to connect, stay connected, and remain truly in-love for a long, wonderful time. yoga practice, together or seperately, can work as a form of relationship therapy, especially in the form of private lessons. yoga is inherently a very deep and intimate experience with one's own self and as shared with others. practicing at least once or twice each week is highly recommended, and at times of high stress or for those more experienced with the practice, daily practice is suggested. practice can be done with group classes, private lessons, with videos, or on one's own. starting the practice under the guidance of a qualified instructor is highly recommended. more about the natural yoga method the natural yoga method is a simple, practical approach to integrating the vast wisdom of yoga into daily life in a very natural way. I wanted yoga to accesible to people of all levels of philosophical interest, because the gems contained in yoga practice are applicable universally, but the cultural wrappings in which they are contained turn some people off or are intimidating because they seem so different. Many people in the West, I know especially in America, have had a very negative experience with organized religion, and so when I offer yoga I strive to give the universal aspects, and allow individuals to search deeper and embrace any parts of the cultural context that thrill them on their own. I also know people who are happily and strongly affiliated with organized religion, and I want the natural yoga method to serve them as well. Yoga does not have to be religious in any way, but for many people, it does touch deeply the spiritual and/or creative aspects of their hearts. It is an individual experience in one's own body, heart and mind. In my view, the most important aspect to remember is that we are alive to fully be alive. Too many people relinquish themselves to a life of muddling along in line, trying their damnedest to conform to spoken and unspoken social mores and to not make waves by being a true individual in any way. What is the point of living if we live a lie? What is the point of being individuals if we try so hard not to explore or express what makes us unique, or to cherish or investigate the world around us? There is nothing enlightened about erasing your personality... enlightenment is the extraction of all that is not you from the truth of who You are as an individual, then allowing yourSelf to shine your unique light into the world. People who are truly themSelves are rare gems in this world and inspire joy and consciousness in others, just by being themSelves everyday. It is mind-blowing once you realize the power contained in being confident and honestly yourSelf- it is the most potent way to affect postive change in the world. This has been my direct experience! Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to Self-realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skill in the performance of one's actions. ~B.K.S. Iyengar, Astadala Yogamala Five Principles of Living Vividly Vinyasa~ life is a meaningful unfolding, a journey back to wholeness Vinyasa has many meanings, but it describes any flow that has a cycle of rising and falling, creation and dissolution. It also means "to arrange in a special way". Recognizing life as a vinyasa is to live with a feeling of purpose, curiosity and gratitude for the miracle that life is. If we live as if life is random and hateful, we will suffer deeply. If we live like life is an ever-unfolding masterpiece, we will embody our greatest potential. This means employing the self-discipline it takes to live in a way that enriches ourselves, a way that is sustainable. This means building our confidence and becoming what we admire and truly are as individuals. Smriti~ mindfulness, remembering to be here fully Smriti means remembering. All too often we disembody ourselves- our mind in the past or future, or its own commentary. The body is left in the actual moment, without tending. To be present is to be connected to this moment as we live it, fully conscious. This moment is the only moment that is. By practicing Remembrance or mindfulness we are connected to life. Through being mindful, we access the depth of our life experience, we connect to insight, we connect to Wholeness. To be mindful, let yourself feel your breath, and witness the sensations and position of your body, the thoughts constantly streaming. Through the doorway of the body and thoughts, we come into the moment, we come to identify ourselves as the watcher of the experience, not the experience itself. This brings us a lot of insight, peace, and inspiration. Avinaabhava Sambhandu~ interbeing, recognizing the inextricable interconnection of all A poet wrote, "Throughout the universe, One Body revealed". The practice of mindfulness reveals all of the wisdom of nature. Nature flows freely, it is completely uninhibited and itSelf. To connect to nature mindfully is to draw closer to the universal level of life, where we are all nourished and inspired, where we are all conected. Everything that exists, interexists. We cannot live independently- we need air, water, and the complex interaction of sunlight, minerals, dirt and organisms that manifests food, and so on. Our body is filled with an ecosystem of bacteria and other microorganisms that make us possible for us to digest, a world of cells that work together in communities as tissues, tissues forming organs, organs forming systems. Are we one, or are we the many? We are to the universe as the cells within are to us. We are all part of one living earth, one living universe. We can only live in harmony with this truth if we wish to be whole. Maitri, Ahimsa & Seva~ living gratitude and kindness, finding your deepest Self in whole-hearted loving and compassion for others In light of interbeing, helping others is to help ourselves. Through unselfish acts of kindness towards others, giving of our selves, our hearts, our time, our energy, our means, we become more whole. We recognize that to hurt others is to hurt ourselves, our community, our society, our planet. We should also recognize that this works in the reverse direction: to hurt ourselves is to hurt our loved ones, our community, our society, our planet. To rise to every occaision to uplift others is to uplift ourselves towards wholeness, towards freedom. Gandhi said that when we lose ourselves in the service of others, we can truly find ourselves. We have to live fully as individuals, and when we rise to every opportunity for kindness, love and generosity, we not only elevate others, but come into an even deeper experience of who we are and our potential in this life. We cannot fear unconditional love, no matter how immense and overwhelming it is. No matter how much we are ever hurt by being open to love, our ability to feel deeper happiness and love will always swallow that pain and grow larger. Ishvara Pranidhana~ 'Deep Honesty', harmony with Nature, following the heart, surrendering to the truth of reality (Reality=God's will, if that resonates with you) In order to live a truly fulfilling life in harmony with our greatest potential, we have to transcend the prison of expectations and preconceived notions that prevents us from following the guide of unconditional love in the heart. We have to let go of all we think we know and open ourselves to what is, and the only interpreter to listen to is the spiritual-heart. Being honest with ourselves and others completely allows us to flow on the path of love in this life, a path of grace that brings us home to our Self. We don't have to know how anything is going to work out in the future. Just being present, compassionate and fully honest in each moment, we follow that which sparks the deep, expansive love within. In this way we learn to always listen to and trust our own deepest experience, which is in complete harmony with the greatest good of the Whole. This is Ishvara Pranidhana, harmony with the purely objective truth of reality in our own uniquely subjective way. Music, movement, art, and other forms of creative expression move the energy and keep us from getting blocked, resistant or insensitive to the longings of the soul. Creative expression, including singing and listening to music, can help us to cleanse, purify, express, and find the Self within. Choosing the right songs to listen to or sing at the right time, by feeling, not by rationalizing, can help us to heal, accept, become more present and more free. It is a form of therapy, a form of yoga. Everything is energy, so by learning to observe that and work with energy in life, you will find truth and harmony, which unleashes your fullest potential, happiness, and satisfaction in life. These five ideas can loosely convey the basis of the sustainable, Yoga-lifestyle (sadhana in Sanskrit) of living wholeness and harmony. These ideas are just one expression of this truth, the natural yoga method is just one perspective of Yoga. There are so many ways offered in the world, so find the way that keeps you inspired, that uplifts you and helps you to acheive wholeness (Yoga). The guru, or the teacher, is life itself. If we live with opened eyes, hearts and minds, we will keep evolving, growing consciously into our own highest potential and live a life that is nothing short of extraordinary. That is the heart of the enlighten yoga- exploring life in the thrill of our greatest potential at the expense of no other, but instead enhancing the world around us just by being alive! Everything is possible, life is ripe with infinite potential. This is your life, how will you live it? Who do you want to be, how do you wish to be remembered by others, what mark do you want to leave behind on this precious planet? Live vividly, with passion and wonderment, in knowledge of the full depth of existence.. every moment is simply playfulness and at the same time extraordinarily sacred. This is my offering to the universe, from the lotus blossom of my heart. <3 ~ laura