Values

While there are many forms of yoga, most of what we offer at Shri is connected to the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition developed by K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India during the 20th century. We believe that its core, yoga is a health system that works at multiple levels within the body. As a system, it has three principle elements (Tristhana): breath (pranayama), gaze or focus (drishti), and posture (asana). These three work on three levels: the nervous system, the mind, and the body, and they are always performed together.

Some might think that breathing is just breathing, but there is actually an incredible richness to the breath. How we breathe reflects how we feel, and how we feel determines how we think and act. In this framework, the breath is a fruitful window into the mind-body connection because it is a meeting ground for the conscious and unconscious self. This is a key element supporting yoga's potential as a tool for growth and why yoga is such a powerful system for personal development. While yoga has many expressions, Shri is committed to the breath-centered practice of yoga because it has such incredible, direct, and measurable benefits.

The combination of these elements is what prepares us for high-performance and challenging physical practices while allowing a state of calm focus at all times. When we develop the ability to maintain balance between ease and effort in each yoga pose, we also develop the strength and focus to maintain calm and clarity in any situation—on or off the mat.