Yoga is a spiritual practice with the ultimate goal of Liberation. In the yogic sense, Liberation means freedom from the identifications of the mind and direct connection with the pure consciousness that resides underneath our separate sense of self. The term Yoga means “union” or “to yolke”, and specifically means union with the flow of divinity within each of us. The beauty of Yoga is that no person or institution owns Yoga - there are as many yogas as there are practitioners. We find our balance by honoring the sacred texts and teachings of Yoga while also understanding that each of us is a unique, limited expression of the divine, destined to walk our individuals paths back towards Wholeness.

Exemplifying the lack of rigidity and conformity within Yoga is the fact that it is still unknown as to whether or not Patanjali was an individual that ever existed, or if his Sutras are a compendium of multiple Seers (enlightened beings). Patanjali is credited with organizing 196 sutras (aphorisms) that compile the essential teaching of yoga and the nature of the mind. The first four sutras below encapsulate the fundamental teaching: when we quiet the mind, we connect with our essential nature of awareness.