Yoga is a whole system, a multidimensional path that mirrors the layered complexity of being human. The word yoga itself means union, and it invites us to explore and welcome all aspects of ourselves, to realize a state of wholeness and harmony within.

People come to yoga from all kinds of different “rooms.” These rooms open into one great house that is Yoga. Once you’ve stepped into one room, consider wandering into a few others. Each one offers a different kind of medicine. Together, they deepen our practice and our understanding.

If your days are like mine—filled with movement, responsibilities, and constant stimulation— Yang, you might find yourself craving silence, Yin. At first, silence can feel uncomfortable. The mind resists, filling the space with thoughts of all the "productive" things you could be doing. But embracing silence helps you connect to your creativity and promotes efficiency.

This “all-in” quality of bringing all of your attention, energy, and effort to what you are doing without reservation or distraction is a core value of Yoga. The teachings of Yoga tell us that scattered thoughts, attention, and energy hinder our progress at many levels.

On the yoga mat we train a lens on our bodies and this can be uncomfortable. In my years as a yoga studio owner and teacher, and simply a person in the world, I have come to understand how fraught our relationships with our bodies can be.

Stories help weave a society together by providing a moral compass through teachings that reach a wide audience. They are magical in their ability to not be restrained in dogma, rules, and laws. Instead, they are creative, entertaining, relatable, and are a reminder to avoid polarity of thinking.

Mindfulness is a practice, a way of living your life through awareness. The act of noticing and letting that noticing thoughts, emotion, images or sensation taking place in your mindbody complex. It’s the act of tuning into each moment with openness; without judgement.

Gentle yoga (and approaching yoga gently) requires deep listening to our minds and bodies which is not an easy process. If we approach this process kindly, with self-compassion, we begin to strengthen and stretch mind, body, and spirit.

I strive to share with all of the students who attend my classes that contentment is a practice; it doesn’t just happen to you. In yoga, this concept is called santosha. Santosha is choosing peace over anger, contentment instead of frustration, and love in the presence of judgement.

Meditation occurs in an entirely different domain than the activities of our daily life. Meditation is being, not doing.

I believe that through deep inward exploration everyone can experience their own insights and awakenings, discover the practices that speak to them, and experience creative bursts that feed the soul… that ever-present and über powerful bliss within.

There are many reasons why I meditate, but the one that has kept me going all of these years is that it is fun! There is great joy in regular meditation. It is like going on a wonderful vacation every day.

I began yoga teacher training last January with an open mind but clear, pragmatic goals. I wanted to learn to teach so I could confidently be a substitute teacher at our studio, and to provide more knowledgeable, compassionate support for our wonderful teachers.

I got much more than I bargained for. I got something of a brain rewiring. And I’m grateful for it.

Tom Thompson’s life is about waking up from the trance we live.