We believe that while yoga postures can and will create vibrant health, they are ultimately vehicles for growth and self-discovery that go far beyond gymnastic accomplishment. We hope students will leave our classes feeling more awake, more alive, and more empowered to meet the challenges of life with skill and grace.

What does a Grateful Yoga class look like?

We begin with breathing practices and thorough warm-ups, both to prepare the body and also help the mind transition to a more internal focus. We teach postures both as flowing series and individually with longer holds. The fundamental practices are alignment, breathing and awareness: training the body to move efficiently, pleasurably, powerfully and with mindfulness. We encourage students to adapt the postures to work in their bodies, rather than try to do them "perfectly".

The benefits of the postures extend beyond the physical. They connect us to the wordless language of the body, open the door to healing, and encourage positive mental qualities such as concentration, equanimity and self-love.

Deep relaxation is an essential part of a yoga practice, and we always leave time for a generous rest at the end of class. In deep stillness, the body is renewed and the mind refreshed.

Our classes end with about 5 minutes of seated meditation. Meditation is like a yoga pose for the mind. We teach simple techniques that help develop the full potential of the mind: focus, surrender, insight, cultivation of positive emotions, creative visualization.

We generally plan our classes around a theme: a principle of alignment, a metaphor from Nature, a poem, a philosophical teaching. We strive to make the elements of our classes blend together into a unified, meaningful experience, rather than just a random assortment of poses.