02 Jul What is Yoga?
Find your Yoga
If you ask your favorite Yoga teacher, a well-respected guru across the world, the woman who sits next to you at work, and yourself: What is Yoga?”…you’ll get very different answers. And as long as each person is answering genuinely to their experience practicing, teaching, or learning about Yoga, their answer is correct!
Yoga presents a different path for every Yogi, whether they have been practicing for one day or ten years. Yoga is in everything. The physical practice that we know from the media and that is commonly practiced in studios is Yoga Asana.
How To Find Your Yoga
If you want to start your journey to finding your Yoga, don’t look to Instagram. Don’t look to clothing brands that sell leggings or celebrities that promise a perfect body through practice. Find your Yoga by looking inward and we promise you will find it. It is the union between body and mind, between yourself and the universe. Yoga Asana practice can help you find that union.
Try Something New
Whether you are trying Yoga for the first time or want to move deeper into your practice, taking the initial steps can be intimidating. Practicing with strangers or trying new poses for the first time does not always feel comfortable. But you can feel comfort knowing that each Yogi in the studio with you is on a journey as well. Everyone has completed a first Yoga class. Everyone has fallen out of a pose.
Embrace this discomfort and tension by staying in the present moment. Breathe. After you have completed a class or a pose, remember to stay in the moment and move past what did or did not happen during your practice. The most important part of your Yoga journey is not what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow; the most important part of your Yoga journey is right now.
Reflect on Your Experiences
There are many different types of Yoga to pursue and enjoy, but what is best for you?
Start this journey by writing down what you are looking for in your Yoga practice. While one Yogi may look for a calming morning routine, another Yogi may want to feel more present in their body. These goals may change every day, and that is okay.
Enter a space that makes you comfortable to experiment, fail, try something new and take rests when you need them. As you attend different classes, notice how your body moves and feels before, during and after practice. Journal your experiences and reflect on how your Yoga practice is affecting the way you move through the outside world. Yoga is a practice that takes the weight off of our lives, whether that weight is caused by stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
Similarly, when you attend a Yoga class that brings you peace, reflect on those moments. What about the experience helped you focus and find calm? Think about more than just the type of yoga or the teacher. How did you approach the class? Were there any moments when you felt yourself struggling or frustrated, and how did you address those moments?
Finding your Yoga does not take one or two classes. Yoga is a lifelong journey that isn’t always a straight line toward peace and calm.
Find Your Yoga at I Am That – Yoga
Our mission at I Am That – Yoga is to make yoga accessible to EVERYbody. We have created an accessible space in Collingwood, Victoria that welcomes anybody to explore what they can get out of Yoga, no matter who they are or where they are on their Yoga journey. If you have felt intimidated, unwelcomed or put off by yoga spaces, join our studio and experience the most supportive environment created by highly experienced teachers and a beautiful community of yogis from all walks of life. as The Urban List put it: “There’s no ego at I Am That.”
I Am That – Yoga teaches a selection of different classes throughout the day to make it as easy as possible for you to find your yoga. Some examples of ways you can find your yoga with I Am That – Yoga include:
Community Yoga: Donation-Based Classes
Don’t let membership and drop-in prices deter you from finding your Yoga. Bring what you can to our Friday donation-based classes, taught by newly qualified teachers to practice teaching.
Power and Vinyasa Yoga
Meditation through constant movement. For Yogis who are more comfortable with a more physical, sweaty flow, I Am That – Yoga offers a variety of power and vinyasa classes. Temperatures range from 24-34°C. Check our Classes Offered page to learn more about the vibes and temperatures for each class.
Mellow Flows
Perfect for those who like a steady flow of poses but also like to take it slow. Take your time getting in and out of asanas, hold them a little bit longer than in a vinyasa flow and discover your body, space and breath while in them.
Hatha Yoga
The foundation of all asana practice, Hatha yoga is the more traditional approach to physical posture practice, that the other forms derived from. Less dynamic and more focused on alignment, breath, mindful movement and meditation, Hatha classes are the best place to get started and truly learn what yoga asana is.
Candlelight Sessions
Treat yourself to a gentle and restorative class, taught by candlelight. Candlelit classes are offered in the evening and offer a flow for Yogis on different parts of their journey.
Guided Meditation
They come in all forms and formats and have one goal alone: to help you become more present, more grounded in the now and more universally conscious of the fact that everything you need is within you.
Restorative and Yin Classes
The path through Yoga isn’t all handstands and vinyasas. Yoga allows each of us to enter a space where we release tension and anything that is weighing us down. Enjoy deep, gentle stretches and fill up your cup with yin classes or find deep rest in restorative classes throughout the week.
So what is Yoga? Yoga is EVERYTHING. With all this variety in Yoga, you are bound to find your own. Our studio is located right off of Smith Street in Collingwood, less than 50m from an 86 tram stop at Keele Street. Join us for some yoga, a cup of tea and a chat with our friendly and welcoming team, about how each of these practices can be integrated into your Yoga journey.