New class added this week!

Hi, yogis!

I'm very excited to share that starting this Thursday at 9am I'll be teaching a Hatha yoga class at Compass Cycle + Flow. This class begins with breath work and grounding, allowing the mind to tune into the body. We’ll move slowly through traditional asanas, with a strong focus on alignment principles - ample time will be taken in each posture to align, breathe and dig deeply into your practice. These classes will vary in complexity, but will absolutely be suitable for any body - props and modifications will always be instructed and encouraged! Our practice will end with a few final moments of grounding and a long shavasana.

Sanskrit “Hatha”

I’d like to share a few thoughts with you about Hatha yoga, outside of just the studio space. The essence of Hatha hasn’t changed since its beginnings over a thousand years ago - using the breath and physical posture to affect change in the body. However, what we practice today doesn’t look much like what the ancient Hatha yogis were practicing in the year 1000. The original Hatha yogis were ascetics - renunciates who gave up their families, their lives, and all their earthly attachments in pursuit of Yoga.

The Sanskrit word Hatha translates to “force”, and is sometimes defined as the means of attaining a state of Yoga through force. Think of Hatha yoga as anything done with the body - physical asana practice, yes, but also meditation, mantra/chanting, mudras and breathwork. In thinking this way, any act we perform - from washing your feet in the shower to walking your dog to cooking a meal for your family - can be yoga. You are in and of your body - everything you do is physical, everything is yoga. When I share a photo of my dog and I on the couch and say “this is yoga” - this is what I’m talking about.

Those early Hatha ascetics took their devotion to some pretty extreme places while trying to refine their bodies and minds. They’d take sacred vows to show their devotion and discipline - only using one of their legs, fasting (sometimes to death), and sleeping standing up are just a few examples of these vows. And while I’d never advocate for putting your body through such trials, I do have to admire the dedication it would take to devote yourself so completely to yoga.

Over time, Hatha yoga evolved, as all things do. In the 15th century, the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā was written by Svātmārāma. This was the first “manual” on Hatha yoga - it included 15 main asanas, and a few dozen secondary postures, totaling 84 asanas. And with the writing of this manual, yoga shifts - the asanas are no longer just a posture for meditation, but a collection of poses meant to engage the entire body and mind.

And so, modern Hatha yogis are practicing yoga that, on the surface, looks much different than what our yogic ancestors were doing. But, the outcome is the same - we use our breath, move our bodies, chant our mudras and take our meditation seat, and after, we are changed. The change may not always be pleasant, but I would argue that it’s always necessary. When we take the time to connect with our breath and our bodies, we’re taking time to notice how we feel. And in that noticing, something magical happens - we become more fully present with ourselves, and by extension, with the rest of existence. We are all one, are we not?

If you're interested in trying out a Hatha yoga class, the first week at Compass will be pay-what-you-can! Sign up for free on the website, then donate any amount at the studio or via my Venmo. And pay what you can truly means just that - don't let a lack of funds stop you from showing up for yourself.

💖 kass