Yoga Shala

Established in 2003, The Yoga Shala is a community of practitioners dedicated to teaching Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in the tradition of Sri K Pattabhi Jois. All of our classes are based on his method.

Ashtanga yoga is a special practice and one that has changed and enriched the lives of practitioners around the world. This traditional yoga method (vinyasa karma) cleanses, strengthens and makes flexible the body and mind. By coordinating the breath (Ujjayi) with energetic locks (Bandhas) and specific gazing points (Drishti), the student learns to still the mind and fine-tune their attention; essentially “getting to know them self better”. Dedication to practice is healing for all aspects of the individual and over time is integrated into daily life and relationships.Ashtanga Yoga is the eight-limbed path of traditional practice. Asana, the practice of yoga postures, is one limb on the traditional path of yoga. Sri K Pattabhi Jois believed asana to be the limb which, when practiced correctly, with dedication, and a good intention, awakens the practitioner to all other limbs of yoga. The practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, as taught by K Pattabhi Jois, is a system of asana practice which purifies, strengthens and provides stability for the body and mind. The practice utilizes Tristhana, the three places of attention or action. They include the yoga posture (asana), the breathing/moving system (vinyasa) and the gazing point (drishti). In order for the student to move forward in the practice attention must be given to tristhana. It is this cultivating of attention in practice, the training of the mind, which begins to awaken a connection to the Self, or that which is beyond the ego-centered definition of the body and mind. This Self-Realization is the ultimate goal of any yoga practice.