What is Yoga? by Ed Jones Yoga is a Sanskrit word that is loosely translated into English as “union”. But what is it we are uniting? In Hatha yoga we seek union between the mind, body, and spirit through a series of practices handed down through the ages from master to student. These practices date back more than 5000 years to the ancient sages in India who passed their wisdom down through aphorisms and word of mouth for several thousand years. It wasn’t until approximately 200 B.C.E. that Patanjali captured these teachings to paper. In the West, yoga is usually associated with the physical aspects of yoga practice (see Eight Limbs of Yoga below). But yoga is much more than just putting the body into difficult poses and chanting Om. Hatha yoga is a system of coming closer to the divine in each of us; a system of self-study to better understand ourselves beyond just our bodies; an approach to thinking and behavior toward ourselves and each other to recognize the worth and connectedness of each and every one of us; a system of cleansing the body, mentally, physically, spiritually, and energetically. Through a devoted practice of hatha yoga, we begin to truly know ourselves, become more sure of ourselves, and find the strength to find stability in even the most challenging situations – whether it’s standing on your head for ten minutes, dealing with a difficult family situation, or facing massive changes in your life. Yoga shows you YOUR truth and who you really are. When you know who you really are, you gain confidence in yourself and your ability to remain calm and centered in difficult situations. Only when you are confident and strong you can begin to “let go”. Anyone can practice yoga, even if you think of yourself as stiff or not very strong. When you step on your yoga mat, the practice is yours. Even in a group setting, everyone’s yoga is unique, since we all have unique bodies, goals, attachments, desires, emotions, etc. We all bring our own ‘stuff’ to our mats. But the beauty of yoga is that we can leave all of our ‘stuff’ behind, even if for just an hour, and be in the moment of our practice. There is no competition in yoga and over time the ego asserts less and less control over your practice. Many gyms offer yoga classes too, but these are generally limited to just the physical aspects of a yoga practice. Classes at The Yoga Factory, however, may also include breathing practices, inspirational readings, and meditation. The classes vary by teacher and are as unique, playful, serious – or a combination of all! – as the teachers who lead them.  Eight Limbs of Yoga by Ed Jones Compiled by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, the eight limbs of yoga comprise an ordered series of practices to purify the body, mind, and spirit, and when practiced consistently and regularly, ultimately lead to enlightenment. While the physical part of yoga is certainly important, it is only one of the eight conventional limbs of yoga practice, all of which have meditation as their rationale. These are the eight limbs of the complete yoga system as they are found in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.     * Yama - Five restraints for interactions with others     * Niyama - Five observances for yourself     * Asana – Physical postures     * Pranayama – Guiding energy via the breath     * Pratyahara – Stilling the senses and focusing the mind inward     * Dharana - Concentration     * Dhyana - Meditation     * Samadhi - Blissful absorption of one's individual consciousness in the essence of the divine The eight limbs of yoga comprise classical Ashtanga Yoga. This is not to be confused with the system of Hatha yoga also called ashtanga. The former is the eight-fold yoga path put forth by Patanjali thousands of years ago. The latter is a more vigorous style of yoga brought to the West in the 20th century by sri. K. Patthabi Jois.  Some Benefits of Hatha Yoga from Yoga – Art of Living The benefits of Yoga are numerous. In terms of energy Yoga is like a universe in itself. Some of the important Yoga benefits include anti-ageing, balance and flexibility of body, increase in knowledge and wealth, improvement in mental health and development of personal and social values. This is not the end of story; Yoga also helps in improving strength, sexual life and reducing weight. Yoga makes you feel good. Yoga is relaxing. It's energizing. It's strengthening. Healing benefits of Yoga are so great that you feel better at the end of every Yoga session than before you began and life runs effortlessly when you keep up a steady discipline than when you don't. Yoga enhances your understanding of life. Yoga changes an individual's perspective about life. After coming in the fold of Yoga a person finds himself taking up a broader view of life. Yoga helps a person to know who he is, how life works, who is God and so on. One starts looking at things differently, with less confusion. It helps in more peace of mind, better health, more keenness for life, and an ever-growing sense of internal well-being. As one practices Yoga, positive effects of Yoga begin to show. The sense of feeling good envelops around the individual. This feeling is so natural and so genuine that it goes entirely in an individual's life. In this way it helps clarify deepest cravings, motivations and aspirations, thereby restoring confidence, hope, meaning and rationale to life. We all like feeling good, peace of mind, being joyful, peaceful, animated and calm. There can't be two opinions about this. But the sad part is that most of us know that we are not feeling as good as we should. The driving force of yoga is aimed at the monumental, life-changing discovery of who and what you actually are. This is precisely how yoga works, how it makes you feel good. Yoga helps you experience the truth. The truth, which you discover is goodness. The implications of knowing the truth are massive. Thus Yoga gives you the strength to unravel the truth with which you will begin to live with security, confidence and inner psychological peace. Such great are the benefits and properties of Yoga. Yoga changes your life.

The Yoga Factory has created a unique, welcoming space for students new to yoga, as well as experienced students looking for a gentle practice. Our vision is to introduce students to gentle yoga designed to calm the mind and center the body.  This page is designed to assist each body to ease into a practice at a comfortable and non-threatening pace. We offer a path consisting of five levels: Beginner This class and workshop are designed for those new to yoga.    Level 1 This class is appropriate for those with little to no experience with yoga.  The focus for this class is basic centering and breath with fundamental asanas (postures).  Level 1-2 Those who have been practicing yoga for at least 6 months will feel at home in this class.  If your interested in exploring the connection between the mind, body and breath and adding some intermediate level poses to practice, come and enjoy this class.  Level 2-3 For those students interested in deepening their practice and adding more advanced intermediate poses.  This class assumes students are adept at listening to their bodies.  Recommended for students who have been practicing for at least 1 year. Mixed Level This class is appropriate for all levels.  The teacher adjusts the class level to meet the needs of the students. Typical work includes warm-ups, breath focus and asana (posture) practice.   Our classes are based upon three styles of Yoga. HATHA The Perfect Class for the first time student.  Hatha is slow and smooth, focusing on each pose and its benefits, designed to ease you into your yoga practice.  These classes are designed for all levels of yoga students and are  designed to strengthen the physical body and nervous system. The spine is strengthened and all internal organs and functions are enhanced.    You'll find Hatha yoga energizing. VINYASA You are ready for the next level of your yoga practice.  Vinyasa yoga is a popular, evolving form of traditional Hatha yoga that focuses on integrating breath and movement, awareness and alignment,  strength and flexibility.  Likened to a dynamic dance, postures or asanas are connected through the breath for a  transformative and balancing effect.  Unlike Ashtanga, each class is choreographed by the instructor and is unique.  ASHTANGA The breath is the heart of this discipline, and links asana to asana in a precise order.  By synchronizing movement with breathing and engaging your Bandhas, (stomach muscles) an intense internal heat is produced.  This heat purifies muscles and organs, expelling unwanted toxins as well as releasing beneficial hormones and minerals. The breath regulates the practice and ensures efficient circulation of blood.  The result is a light, strong body. The classic Ashtanga Series is comprised of a set sequence of sun salutations, standing poses, and finishing poses which are considered the two slices of bread in the Ashtanga sandwich.  What comprises the core (or filling of the sandwich) are a series of specific postures that make up the Primary, the Intermediate, and the Advanced Series.  Once you’ve learned the sequence you can begin to focus on its more subtle benefits through a deeper understanding of the breath and its connection to each moment of the practice.  Students are invited to use the Ujjayi breath (breath of fire) as a gateway to deeper awareness in the practice.  They also begin to explore Bandhas (a series of locks) that help them to regulate the flow of breath.  By synchronizing movement with breathing and engaging the Bandhas, an intense internal heat is produced.  This heat purifies muscles and organs, expelling unwanted toxins as well as releasing beneficial hormones and minerals. The breath regulates the practice and ensures efficient circulation of blood.  The result is a light, strong body.  In addition, Ashtanga incorporates Vinyasa (the linking of one pose to another) to help the student find a dynamic and graceful flow that deepens the practice into a form of moving meditation.  Ashtanga/Vinyasa Mix:  (Intermediate/Advanced)- Saturdays 10:15-11:45 a.m.  This class gives students the meditative benefits of the set series of Ashtanga yoga poses that begin and end each class.  The middle of the class is geared toward the specific skill level and immediate needs of the students in the class.  Sometimes the students do the traditional Primary Series which focuses on the calming and healing benefits of releasing and opening the back body through forward bending.  Sometimes the students are challenged with elements from the more demanding Intermediate Series which focuses on extending and opening the front body to access the cleansing and energizing qualities of backward bending.  Students are also sometimes exposed to a more free-form vinyasa-style center for the class, which generally focuses on hip opening and core strengthening.  Modifications are provided to meet the needs of each student.  But because the practice flows from one pose to the next, students are encouraged to have a firm foundation in their knowledge and understanding of basic yoga poses before taking this class.