The Practice
Yoga is not just being on a mat for 60 or 90 minutes at a time. Yoga is calming the fluctuations of the mind and it is a lifelong journey to find yourself. The practice is about being present and mindful first with yourself so that the world is easier to navigate.
I teach a Vinyasa style of yoga and my goal is to teach the whole practice. This means that I want my students to take the metaphor of the physical practice off their mat and find ways to incorporate what they learn in class to their daily lives.
I’ve been so blessed to study with Sri Dharma Mittra who, I feel, is the living embodiment of yoga. He has dedicated almost his whole entire life to the practice of yoga and it is such a beautiful experience to learn from him. I’ve learned from Sri Dharma, my guru, that anyone can do yoga no matter what their physical condition – there is yoga for every single one of us and it isn’t always a pose.

Mini-Workshop: Eka Pada Koundinyasana
Here’s a 2 minute mini workshop video that I did for Wanderlust at Squaw Valley 2014. It’s a few tips on how to do a fun arm balance.
Translated to English this quote means “Yoga is the calming of the fluctuations of the mind.” This sutra is the essence of yoga, meaning that if one practices yoga then the mind will calm which will bring balance. This is especially important for everyday life given the stresses that we encounter so often – just do a little yoga and it will all be ok. Yoga helps us chip away at all the stuff in our minds that gets in the way so that our thinking will become clear and peace can be found.
Yoga Sutra 1.33 maitri karuna muditopeksanam sukha duhkha punyapunya visayanam bhavanatas citta prasadanam
“By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the suffering, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind becomes clear and calm.”
This sutra is my favorite – it’s my mantra – it’s how I try to live my life
The Four Immeasurables are found in Sutra 1.33. They are: Love (Maitri), Compassion (Karuna), Joy (Mudita), Equanimity (Upeksa) – four principles to apply to every action and every thought in every day.
The Practice March 7th, 2019Martin