When you think of a yoga class, you might imagine a room filled with people stretching their bodies on mats, moving through poses in a quiet, peaceful space, possibly singing or chanting in a language you don’t understand, and maybe honouring a deity you’ve never heard of.
Often, our Western world sees yoga as a form of physical exercise: a means of improving flexibility, building strength, reducing stress, or simply a chance to put aside our everyday responsibilities and experience an hour of quiet and calm.
Although many yoga practitioners experience these benefits, and they might have been what initially drew them to the practice, there is a much deeper sense of self developing in the background.
For me, yoga extends far beyond the hour spent on the mat; it is a way of life. Not a way to live perfectly, but to live with an increased awareness of oneself. The practice offers me a mirror to recognize how I show up in the world, my thought processes, habits, and self-defeating behaviours. Yoga encourages me to make more conscious and supportive choices for myself and for those around me.
This aspect arises when I am attending a class that is physically challenging for me. Mentally, I take a step back to listen to the conversation I am having with myself about the challenge. In that moment, I recognize that I can choose to continue to struggle (suffer), or I can choose to create peace and ease through my breath and the way I talk to myself in that moment.
“Yoga on my mat broke open my heart and opened my eyes to personal growth”
When I change my mind, the way I see and interact with the world around me changes.
As I move from the external awareness of my body, moving through yoga postures on my mat, into a more internal reflection, I can see clearly the direction I wish to grow, the work I still have yet to do.
Yoga on my mat broke open my heart and opened my eyes to personal growth. It has taught me how to breathe through adversity, find patience for myself and others, seek alignment when I feel out of balance, cultivate the strength and courage needed to face challenges, and it has fuelled my sense of inner dedication, commitment, honesty, integrity, love, and kindness. Yoga is an ongoing opportunity to grow as an individual in service of the greater good.
The eight limbs as a living practice
Through my continued studies with my teachers of the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Aṣṭāṅga Yoga or Classical Yoga), my time on the mat has become a living practice where I can explore and embody the ancient teachings of yoga in real time.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga are often referred to as a sequence of steps to complete or accomplish. However, I believe they are better understood as eight intertwined aspects that, when practised and studied faithfully, create a meaningful and balanced life. While asana (physical postures) is the limb most people are familiar with, it is only one part of a much deeper practice.
Each of the eight limbs are not separate practices—they are designed to support one another. The yamas help us live in harmony with others and the niyamas teach us how to cultivate healthy relationships with ourselves. A continued physical practice (asana) keeps the body healthy, while the breath (pranayama) steadies the nervous system. The limbs teach us to direct our attention inward (pratyahara), develop focus (dharana), deepen our awareness (dhyana), and create a deep connection to a higher source (samadhi).
Yoga extends far beyond our mat. It can be seen in how we greet our neighbours, how we breathe through frustration, how we speak to ourselves, care for our bodies, and remain present in the midst of an overstimulating world.
As a yoga teacher, my intention is to share these lived experiences from a place of love and encouragement, creating a safe environment for others to explore their own path with honesty, alignment, and integrity.
I am honoured and deeply grateful to have the privilege of sharing the practice of yoga at both Yoga Grace and The Sweat Project – East Village in Qualicum Beach. I strive to weave these ancient teachings together with my own experiences, both on and off the mat, making them relatable to my students while staying true to the lived path of yoga. My intention is to inspire peace of mind and ease of heart every step of the way.
