New Student's Guide - Kashi Atlanta

General Guidelines:
Arrive on time.
Don't eat for two hours prior to practicing yoga.
Please turn off cell phones and pagers.
Remove your shoes before entering the yoga room.
Always use a yoga mat or towel on the floor.

Precautions:
If you have any major health problems or are pregnant, please let your teacher know before beginning your practice.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is yoga?
Yoga is defined as union, the experience of wholeness of body, mind and spirit. It is acting and being in harmony with the Divine.

What kind of yoga is taught at Kashi Atlanta?
We offer a variety of styles, with all sessions following a basic structure that includes an opening meditation/intention, flow series of physical postures or asanas, breathwork or pranayama, deep relaxation, and meditation. Yoga philosophy is integrated into all of the classes. Our basic teaching is classical yoga with its authentic spiritual depth intact.

What should I wear?
Wear comfortable exercise clothing and bare feet.

What should I bring?
A yoga mat is required after your first month of practice at Kashi Atlanta. We have mats you can borrow while you are first trying yoga, but recommend that you bring your own. You may also bring bottled water. Please don't bring open containers into the yoga room. Don't wear perfume or cologne.

Do I need to come to my first class early?
Yes. Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to fill out a one-time registration form.

What if I can’t touch my toes?
Flexibility is required only for your mind; we will work on your body. Yoga meets you where you are, even if you can’t touch your toes yet.

How often should I practice?
It is great to develop a daily practice, but if you can only practice once a week, that’s ok too - you'll get out what you put in.

What does “finding my edge” mean?
Take exceptional care of your body by respectfully finding your edge. Learn to listen to your body in your yoga postures, so that you open on new levels without going into strain, struggle, or ego.

Why is chanting important?
Chanting is a traditional part of yoga, using the vibration of sound to help open the body and heart. Our voices are powerfully creative tools, and used with awareness, can affect our state of mind and being.

Why is meditation important?
Meditation is an integral part of yoga. Allow yourself a space of deep stillness to feel the benefits of the practice. The ability to sit and meditate after a yoga session is greatly enhanced.

Is yoga a religion?
Yoga is a philosophy and system of self-healing that embraces and enhances all paths, deepening your experience of your own spirituality.

What are the benefits of a yoga practice?
Yoga may very well be one of the world’s most perfect forms of spiritual, physical and mental self-development. Some of the earliest, most common benefits are reduced stress and anxiety, overall physical health and wellbeing, increased strength and flexibility, stronger immune and glandular function, balanced blood pressure, and peace of mind.

What does “namasté” mean?
Namasté is a traditional greeting meaning “I honor the Divine within you.”What is an Ashram?
Ashrams have been a tradition in India for thousands of years, and are now spread throughout the world. An ashram is a hermitage, a holy sanctuary, or the residence and teaching center of a teacher or guru that often includes a yoga and meditation hall and a residence for students. Kashi Atlanta is one of guru Ma Jaya’s ashrams, (for more about Ma Jaya, visit http://www.kashi.org/majaya/) and is an interfaith sanctuary based in the teachings of yoga, accepting all spiritual paths. It includes temples and shrines dedicated to many of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions. Kashi Atlanta is a residential spiritual community and is considered an “intentional community,” of which there are thousands around the globe. This means that people choose to live together and do so around a common purpose, in this case, the evolution of their own spirituality and service to humanity. Kashi Atlanta has three residences near the ashram where students dedicated to living the spiritual path of yoga live in community. There are also numerous members of Kashi Atlanta who live in the surrounding area.

Why is there community service at a yoga studio?
Classical yoga teaches you to live in the world with a deeper sense of connection and compassion. Reaching out to those in need helps you get out of your own chaos and experience a deepening sense of living as part of humanity. This develops the compassionate heart in the practitioner, and ultimately, the ability to live fearlessly in the world.

Why is there art on your walls?
The art on our walls was painted by the guru, or master teacher, of this lineage of yoga, Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati. It was painted in meditation and prayer, and depicts the varied aspects and beauty of the Divine.What are the different statues?
Yoga is an interfaith spiritual path that embraces all of the world’s religions. We have altars honoring some of these different paths and are open to having and learning more!

Recommended Reading:

The Bhagavad Gita

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Sky of the Heart by Swami Nityananda

Yoga: Mastering the Basics by Anderson & Sovik

Asana Pranayama Mudra Bhanda by Swami Saraswati

About Kashi Atlanta
Kashi Atlanta is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to educate and serve humanity according to the principles of yoga, health, healing, meditation, spirituality, community service and universal consciousness. We offer classes in yoga, meditation, and spiritual growth. We have also created and invite you to join into numerous community service projects including Street Meals, Kashi KidsArt, and the Kashi Care Team.