Yoga is part science, part mystic philosophy; it is a system that honors the inseparable nature of body, mind and spirit within each of us and through its various practices assists in maintaining that connection through every moment of life. The body is strengthened, stretched and made supple through the practice of Asana, or bodily postures. Pranayama, or control of the breath is practiced to calm the mind and smooth the flow of Prana, or life force resulting in better health and a longer life. Various forms of meditation are taught to further calm the mind so that inner knowledge and wisdom can spontaneously arise. The word yoga means union and ultimately all of the various practices of yoga seek to remove our false notion of separation that is born out of being human and lead us back to the truth of oneness with all life.
The Bhaktishop School of Yoga
March – July 2008
Portland, Oregon
RYT-200
I completed the 200-hour program with training in anatomy, sequencing, hands on adjustments, philosophy, mantra, meditation and plenty of instructor supervised teaching. Of all the certificates and degrees that fill my walls I am most proud of this one. Finding yoga was like coming home and finding my teacher Lisa Mae was like opening the door on a freezing winter day to find a cozy, warm fire waiting inside. She helped me see and understand that yoga is as much about the heart as the body and that opening the doorway to the heart is as important and powerful as opening the hips, or shoulders or spine. Her devotion to the practice of every aspect of yoga inspired me to dive into my own heart and explore, to continue learning from what I found and to grow and to teach from my own experience. And to this day that lesson serves as the foundation of my practice and the core of my teaching style.
