The 5 Yamas, translated from Sanskrit as "ethical restraints", form the first limb of the 8 Limbed Yoga path of yoga outlined by Patanjali. It is one of the most popular and revered frameworks for the practices of yoga. Each class in this series can stand alone, yet present an opportunity to learn more about yogic philosophy in an embodied way. May this knowledge catalyze both inner inquiry and outer action toward positive social change!

In this class, we'll use the yogic teaching of Ahimsa, non-harming or active kindness, as the underlying theme. How can we practice Ahimsa toward ourselves throughout a yoga class and throughout our day to day lives? How can we apply Ahimsa toward our treatment of others, the earth's resources, and our attitude in general?

Expect to stay close to the ground and work with foundational postures such as Warrior II, Triangle and Half Moon. There are also some challenging balancing postures in the mix so we can practice being kind and not taking ourselves too seriously!