Who are we? Universal Yoga Club is a collective of four yoga teachers sharing our take on how yoga & movement practices can create meaningful change on both a personal and societal level. We believe that daily movement & mindfulness practices are vital tools for overall well-being. We also believe movement variety is key for body, mind, & soul! Our classes aim to get you curious about how you move & how you think. They might be playful, joyful, enlivening, restorative, soothing, calming…but always mindful. We aim to co-create a space for movement, breath, inquiry, the yoga philosophy of interconnection, and the work of building well-being for one and all.
Where are we located? We’re located wherever you are! Since the pandemic, we’re mainly offering our yoga & movement virtually. This might be new to you. It was new to us until just recently too. Just like you, we’re learning a lot as we go.
What does a virtual class offer? To us, virtual yoga offers many of the same benefits as an in-person yoga class. It means we have a way to stay connected to each other during a time that no doubt feels isolating for many of us. We know connecting via a screen isn’t the same as being with fellow humans, but it does allow us to “see” each other, to catch up with each other at the beginning and end of class, and to practice in community. In fact, it allows you to practice in the comfort of your own home (no more drive time required!). You can practice along with partners, kids, and/or pets in the background. You can practice in your pjs or in your work clothes (maybe one & the same these days). You can set aside a special place to practice, meant just for yoga, or you can practice anywhere you can find space for your mat. There’s no right or wrong way.
What is required for practice? In Sanskrit, one of the words used to describe a necessary component of the practice is Abhyasa. What does it mean? Sustained effort…which is practice itself! This word is often paired with another in yoga philosophy texts: Vairagya, which means non-reaction. One of the teachers describes Abhyasa & Vairagya as “never giving up, yet always letting go.” We practice, and yet we aren’t attached to the results. The simple requirement for a yoga practice is attention; perhaps to your breath, to how your mind moves, to exploring how YOUR body moves. What we practice is how we live. If we can cultivate wakefulness & notice where our attention is in practice, that mindfulness can ripple into the rest of our lives.