Yoga

The real aim of yoga is to slow down the mind and allow it to return to the deep peace of the heart. The word 'yoga' means union. People have been reaping the benefits of a consistent yoga practice for over 4000 years.

In the Western world people often start yoga to get into better physical shape, to lose weight or become more flexible. The beauty of this practice is that what begins with a physical goal can soon become something much more profound. Over time, as you breathe deeper and deeper into your body, you begin to realize and experience more and more peace in your life. How does this happen?

To put it simply: The breath. A simple secret all children know. As kids we breathe into our bellies. We are more connected to our hearts than our minds. But as we grow up, tension and worries can mount and as the head begins to rule the heart we start breathing more and more superficially. Eventually we are only using a very small portion of our lungs. This can give rise to many imbalances in the body and mind over time.

The harder we become as adults, trying to control the outcome of our lives, the more rigid we become in our bodies and minds. The more we worry about our bills, our jobs, our relationships, our cars, our taxes, our plans for the future, the more the breath becomes shallow and tight in our chest. It happens slowly over many years. Soon, many of us end up overwhelmed and stressed out with a wide variety of health compliants.

Yoga helps us breathe deeply and move like children again. Living here and now. Light and relaxed in our bodies, soft in our hearts. Healthy in mind, body and soul.

At the Water Garden our classes combine yoga postures with deep breathing designed to make you feel great. As your breathing pattern transforms from shallow in the chest to deep in the belly your whole body begins to feel stronger, more flexible and your mind becomes peaceful and focused. Try a class and see why one of the oldest practices in the world will have you feeling younger than ever.