Yoga in Sacramento, California

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If you already do yoga you know how wonderful it can make you feel. If you're new to the practice or just haven't found a studio you like, come experience Bill Counter's classes at Shanti Yoga Sacramento.

You'll come out of class feeling taller, stronger and happier about everything in your life. Yoga cultivates your inner strengths, promotes greater flexibility, and calms the mind. An ongoing practice enhances those mental resources which will provide you with reserves of balance, tranquility and contentment. It'll make you better prepared for all the challenges of your life.

Bill teaches five fun and challenging classes a week. And Shanti also offers 30 other classes a week with many great teachers if you're looking for different class times. Our Sacramento yoga classes page is a good overview.

Our classical hatha yoga classes are welcoming to beginners but also offer a range of more advanced options for experienced students. If you're looking for even more challenges, our ashtanga >> vinyasa remix and ashtanga >> 1st and 2nd series classes offer an extraordinary opportunity to systematically deepen your practice.

YOGA FAQs Why do yoga?  On a physical level, yoga practice can help you stretch and massage shortened muscles, build strength and bone density, improve balance, massage your internal organs and give you a cardiovascular workout. Is it meditative?  Classically, the physical practices have just been the beginning. The core of the tradition is meditation. We focus on the breath while doing the poses and end each class with a final relaxation and meditation. You'll find that the practice of yoga cultivates mental focus and clarity, promotes relaxation and tends to make you happier about the rest of your life. And it's fun. How can I do yoga? I can't even touch my toes. You don't have to be strong or flexible to begin. You can work on preparatory versions of the harder poses, skip a few things, come out of poses early if you need to and just have a good time with the practice. The strength, flexibility and balance will develop over time. The easy things you can do now, the impossible ones just take a little longer. Can I really get a serious workout from yoga?   Guaranteed. Come to an ashtanga-based vinyasa or power yoga class if you want to work. Many newcomers to the practice are amazed at the variety of class styles and intensity levels that yoga offers. It's not just lie around and stretch. We'll find muscles you didn't know existed. Where does yoga come from? This is an ancient practice from India. The roots of yoga can be traced back thousands of years to civilizations of the Indus Valley. In Indian thought, yoga is considered one of six major branches of inquiry (shat darshana) or ways of viewing the world. Is yoga a religion?    No, it's a philosophical system with both physical and meditative practice components. The techniques of the system have been used by atheistic as well as religious groups (Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain among others) because the work has been proven to be of lasting value for producing health and happiness. In our present culture we're happily obsessed with the fitness benefits that yoga provides.  What does the word yoga mean?    It's a Sanskrit word meaning "yoke" or "union". In the traditional sense, yoga is concerned with linking the individual with the rest of the cosmos in a meditative state. Yoga is both the system of physical and meditative techniques involved on the journey and a description of the goal. What sorts of results can I expect?    It depends on the nature of your practice. In the classic text Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (from about 200 b.c.) the advice for a successful yoga practice includes vairagya (detachment from goals) and abhyasa (a long-term dedicated practice). There is a correlation between progress and frequency of practice. Moderation and consistency will pay off. Where should I start? If you're just beginning your explorations, come to one of our classes at Shanti Yoga and see how wonderful yoga can make you feel. For information about the studio and the full class schedule go to: yoga sacramento. Just pick a class time that's convenient and show up! We'll see you in class soon! back to top