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Frequently Asked Questions
What do I bring to class?
It is a good idea to bring a bottle of water, blanket, and a yoga mat if you have one. We also have some spare mats if you don’t yet have your own.
What do I wear to class?
Wear loose fitting comfortable clothing. Classes are done barefoot if at all possible.
What are the benefits?
Because therapeutic yoga works with both the body and mind, and because our classes teach skills as well as being a follow along self-contained practice, the benefits are numerous, and perhaps best summed up in this graphic:
It is a good idea to bring a bottle of water, blanket, and a yoga mat if you have one. We also have some spare mats if you don’t yet have your own.
What do I wear to class?
Wear loose fitting comfortable clothing. Classes are done barefoot if at all possible.
What are the benefits?
Because therapeutic yoga works with both the body and mind, and because our classes teach skills as well as being a follow along self-contained practice, the benefits are numerous, and perhaps best summed up in this graphic:
Can I eat before class?
Yoga is best done on an empty stomach, so there are two options:
What if I’m not flexible?
Perfect! These are therapeutic yoga classes, not gymnastics or contortion lessons. Yoga is not about how flexible you are, although the classes will help you improve flexibility. Yoga uses asana or postures, among other things, to promote joint, spine, muscle, and organ health. The gentle mindful movements are there to restore and build mobility, balance, and grace, while promoting all aspects of health. Also, by (re)training breathing patterns, therapeutic yoga helps to ease physical and mental tension, so the flexibility you gain will not only be physical but also mental.
What if I’m not fit?
These are not physical fitness focused classes, so you don’t need to be fit or strong to take part and reap the benefits. The less fit you are, the more your fitness and strength will improve as a result of doing the classes.
If on the other hand you are fit and strong, these classes will help you recover and relax from the other activities you are already doing, all while giving you a mental tune-up.
How is yoga different from stretching and other fitness classes?
Traditional yoga is an integrated system of health preservation and promotion. The asana or yoga postures that are often the focus in many yoga classes are just one aspect of yoga. Traditional yoga incorporates many techniques and practices with the ultimate goal of unifying the mind and body into a harmonious whole. Our therapeutic yoga classes for example connect the movement of your body and the fluctuations of your mind to the rhythm of your breath.
Connecting the mind, body, and breath directs our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognise our habitual thought patterns without labelling, judging, or necessarily trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practise, rather than a task or a goal to be completed.
Is yoga a religion?
Yoga itself is not a religion. Yoga is a philosophy of life and health that traces its roots back at least 5000 years to the Indus Valley in what is now India. Being such an old and well-established philosophy, yoga has influenced religions from the region such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but yoga itself is neither of these things. Yoga can be practiced by all cultures and accommodates all belief systems.
What is Om (Aum) and what does it mean?
Aum is a mantra, a vocalisation that is traditionally used during yoga practice. It is said to be the sound of the universe (a culmination of all sounds), and measurements of the background sound of space have confirmed this to pretty much be the case. Aum, or the sounds of ‘a’, ‘u’, and ‘m’ also cover the vocal range, which makes this sound particularly good for strengthening our vocal cords and lungs. The vibration Aum and certain other sounds we use in the class also have soothing effects on the nervous system. This may be direct and indirect by changing the pressure our lungs and respiratory muscles place on major nerves like the vagus nerve. Aum and other vocalisations in our classes are not used in a religious way or to signify worship.
What are chakras?
Chakras are symbols of centres or hubs in our body. Some refer to them as energy centres. Anatomically the seven chakras known to yoga are areas where major nerve bundles, endocrine glands (hormone producing glands) and/or internal organs are located.
Ancient yogis were keen observers of human nature and health, and identified chakra regions to be particularly relevant to physical function and mental well-being. An example of this that everyone will understand from experience is the uneasiness felt in gut region when you’re anxious or worried about something. This corresponds to the chakra yogis noted as being central to our sense of confidence and security. In modern medical terms they correspond to the heart, enteric nervous system, and adrenal glands for example.
The goal of yoga is to have a free flow of energy, blood, lymph, and nervous system conduction through the chakras, as this translates into optimal distribution of nutrients and elimination of waste.
Why is Sanskrit used in yoga?
Words like asana, pranayama, and the original names of yoga postures are Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the language of yoga. We use some Sanskrit terms for the same reason karate uses some Japanese and ballet some French terms: 1) it shows respect to the origins; and 2) sometimes there is no translation that fully does justice to the concept trying to be conveyed. That doesn’t mean you have to learn any Sanskrit as we will translate everything. We sometimes use the Sanskrit to show respect to the origins of what we do in the class, and to honour those who came before.
What does Namaste Mean?
Namaste: My soul recognises your soul.
I honour the love, light, beauty, truth and kindness within you,
because it is also within me.
In sharing these things there is no distance and no difference between us.
We are the same. We are one. Namaste.
Literal Translation of the word: Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you “I bow to you.”
Yoga is best done on an empty stomach, so there are two options:
- Eat a light meal at least an hour, preferably longer, before the class; or
- Eat a bigger meal at least 2 and preferably 3 hours before the class.
What if I’m not flexible?
Perfect! These are therapeutic yoga classes, not gymnastics or contortion lessons. Yoga is not about how flexible you are, although the classes will help you improve flexibility. Yoga uses asana or postures, among other things, to promote joint, spine, muscle, and organ health. The gentle mindful movements are there to restore and build mobility, balance, and grace, while promoting all aspects of health. Also, by (re)training breathing patterns, therapeutic yoga helps to ease physical and mental tension, so the flexibility you gain will not only be physical but also mental.
What if I’m not fit?
These are not physical fitness focused classes, so you don’t need to be fit or strong to take part and reap the benefits. The less fit you are, the more your fitness and strength will improve as a result of doing the classes.
If on the other hand you are fit and strong, these classes will help you recover and relax from the other activities you are already doing, all while giving you a mental tune-up.
How is yoga different from stretching and other fitness classes?
Traditional yoga is an integrated system of health preservation and promotion. The asana or yoga postures that are often the focus in many yoga classes are just one aspect of yoga. Traditional yoga incorporates many techniques and practices with the ultimate goal of unifying the mind and body into a harmonious whole. Our therapeutic yoga classes for example connect the movement of your body and the fluctuations of your mind to the rhythm of your breath.
Connecting the mind, body, and breath directs our attention inward. Through this process of inward attention, we learn to recognise our habitual thought patterns without labelling, judging, or necessarily trying to change them. We become more aware of our experiences from moment to moment. The awareness that we cultivate is what makes yoga a practise, rather than a task or a goal to be completed.
Is yoga a religion?
Yoga itself is not a religion. Yoga is a philosophy of life and health that traces its roots back at least 5000 years to the Indus Valley in what is now India. Being such an old and well-established philosophy, yoga has influenced religions from the region such as Hinduism and Buddhism, but yoga itself is neither of these things. Yoga can be practiced by all cultures and accommodates all belief systems.
What is Om (Aum) and what does it mean?
Aum is a mantra, a vocalisation that is traditionally used during yoga practice. It is said to be the sound of the universe (a culmination of all sounds), and measurements of the background sound of space have confirmed this to pretty much be the case. Aum, or the sounds of ‘a’, ‘u’, and ‘m’ also cover the vocal range, which makes this sound particularly good for strengthening our vocal cords and lungs. The vibration Aum and certain other sounds we use in the class also have soothing effects on the nervous system. This may be direct and indirect by changing the pressure our lungs and respiratory muscles place on major nerves like the vagus nerve. Aum and other vocalisations in our classes are not used in a religious way or to signify worship.
What are chakras?
Chakras are symbols of centres or hubs in our body. Some refer to them as energy centres. Anatomically the seven chakras known to yoga are areas where major nerve bundles, endocrine glands (hormone producing glands) and/or internal organs are located.
Ancient yogis were keen observers of human nature and health, and identified chakra regions to be particularly relevant to physical function and mental well-being. An example of this that everyone will understand from experience is the uneasiness felt in gut region when you’re anxious or worried about something. This corresponds to the chakra yogis noted as being central to our sense of confidence and security. In modern medical terms they correspond to the heart, enteric nervous system, and adrenal glands for example.
The goal of yoga is to have a free flow of energy, blood, lymph, and nervous system conduction through the chakras, as this translates into optimal distribution of nutrients and elimination of waste.
Why is Sanskrit used in yoga?
Words like asana, pranayama, and the original names of yoga postures are Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the language of yoga. We use some Sanskrit terms for the same reason karate uses some Japanese and ballet some French terms: 1) it shows respect to the origins; and 2) sometimes there is no translation that fully does justice to the concept trying to be conveyed. That doesn’t mean you have to learn any Sanskrit as we will translate everything. We sometimes use the Sanskrit to show respect to the origins of what we do in the class, and to honour those who came before.
What does Namaste Mean?
Namaste: My soul recognises your soul.
I honour the love, light, beauty, truth and kindness within you,
because it is also within me.
In sharing these things there is no distance and no difference between us.
We are the same. We are one. Namaste.
Literal Translation of the word: Nama means bow, as means I, and te means you “I bow to you.”
