Here are the FAQ's

1) What is yoga?

The word yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj means to yoke or bind and is often interpreted as "union" or a method of discipline. A male who practices yoga is called a yogi, a female practitioner, a yogini.

The Indian sage Patanjali is believed to have collated the practice of yoga into the Yoga Sutra an estimated 2,000 years ago. The Sutra is a collection of 195 statements that serves as a philosophical guidebook for most of the yoga that is practiced today. It also outlines eight limbs of yoga: the yamas (restraints), niyamas (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana (concentration), dhyani (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). As we explore these eight limbs, we begin by refining our behavior in the outer world, and then we focus inwardly until we reach samadhi (liberation, enlightenment).

Today most people practicing yoga are engaged in the third limb, asana, which is a program of physical postures designed to purify the body and provide the physical strength and stamina required for long periods of meditation.

2) What does "Hatha" mean?

The word hatha means willful or forceful. Hatha yoga refers to a set of physical exercises (known as asanas or postures), and sequences of asanas, designed to align your skin, muscles, and bones. The postures are also designed to open the many channels of the body–especially the main channel, the spine–so that energy can flow freely.

Hatha is also translated as ha meaning "sun" and tha meaning "moon." This refers to the balance of masculine aspects–active, hot, sun–and feminine aspects–receptive, cool, moon–within all of us. Hatha yoga is a path toward creating balance and uniting opposites. In our physical bodies we develop a balance of strength and flexibility. We also learn to balance our effort and surrender in each pose.

Hatha yoga is a powerful tool for self-transformation. It asks us to bring our attention to our breath, which helps us to still the fluctuations of the mind and be more present in the unfolding of each moment.

3) Do I have to be flexible to practice yoga?

Absolutely not! In fact, a lack of flexibility is all the more reason to begin a yoga practice. The goal of each pose it to reach your edge of comfort, therefore pushing yourself to increase strength and flexibility each time you practice. Your perfect pose might not look like the perfect pose of someone who is flexible... but it's still perfect!

4) How do I decide which type of yoga is right for me?

Some types of practice are more vigorous than others, and some focus on increasing muscle strength while others on flexibility or mental clarity. The type of yoga practice you choose might simply be determined by your fitness and well-being goals; but don't rule out any type of yoga just because of one bad experience. Different instructors have varying styles of teaching, and it may just be a matter of finding a teacher who matches your personality.

5) Can I lose weight practicing yoga?

Yes. Not only does practicing yoga burn calories and build muscle mass (which increases the amount of calories burned), but practicing yoga also puts you in tune with your body. You'll learn to appreciate it like never before, and you'll also become much more self-aware. You'll begin listening to your body in other areas of your life, such as knowing when you've had enough to eat, and which foods don't digest well in your system.

6) What does "Om" mean?

Om is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean?

Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us–that the entire universe is moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell.

Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves–the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om, it takes us for a ride on this universal movement, through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy, and we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.