Welcome to Yoga LYFE 2021
Welcome to Yoga LYFE, my name is Denise, and I own the studio together with husband Brian (pictured here with our sons Seth and Gabe, and our much beloved cat Ash). As 2021 begins, with the many global challenges, there is a sense for us of “beginning again,” refocusing on our core values for Life and LYFE...
Welcoming – the moment you step into the carriageway at LYFE the yoga begins
Community – bringing people together, connecting, supporting everyone to feel their best
Laughter – the reminder to smile and to laugh to release tension
Optimistic – looking for joy, the beauty in the world even within the challenges
Inclusion – embrace the differences we all have that offers richness and diversity to the collective; our teacher, our members, and in the style and variety of classes
Authenticity – being true to ourselves, supporting each other to learn, to grow and be the best versions of ourselves.
I am passionate about the tools and art of teaching Yoga. I am grateful to the powerful practices that travelled from India to the west. I continue to study and better understand the history of yoga in India and it’s immense value and application in our modern lives. Let me be clear, at Yoga LYFE we are not claiming to be “spiritual leaders” or “gurus,” rather we are also students of Yoga just like you.
Studying and practising yoga has many benefits, and at the heart is the realisation that we are connected; threads in the fabric of life, droplets in an ocean of consciousness, stardust in the universe. We are elemental, connected through our embodied life that is filled with difference and likeness. We are this beautiful complexity of self within the universal oneness that is continually evolving through the cyclical nature called the cosmic dance of life; creation (Brahma), sustenance (Vishnu), dissolution (Shiva).
Too much? You might be thinking… “I’m just here for the exercise.” Which is totally fine. It’s up to each of us as individuals to decide how we wish to be connected to our yoga practice.
The promise of Yoga is to connect to what resonates within all of us; the feeling that we are connected to everything else. Actually, we are never not connected. Even as you are individual and separate. That the promise of Yoga is an invitation to connect to what fills us. A feeling of rightness or fullness. Not that we are consciously looking for something, rather the experience of Yoga brings us to the feeling – for me it was like I felt at home. This still amazes me to this day, and this feeling has been a profoundly transformative lens in my life.
At Yoga LYFE we will not force or try to convince you or push any “lens” on you, rather we welcome everyone and offer Yoga as an invitation, never an obligation, to connect within ourselves and to the world around us, and to remind you that both are not separate.
Each of our teachers are unique and offer an authentic approach from their experience of yoga and life. We are not a studio of single minded people, rather we believe in diversity as the greatest catalyst for us all to evolve. Brian and I completely trust the integrity of our team and are grateful for the creativity they offer to YOU, our community.
We are also passionate about creating a community that recognises the gifts of individuals and all of their differences. Difference is key for the growth of LYFE as a community as we welcome all ages, abilities, experiences and perspectives. We honor this inclusivity and this means; everyone is absolutely welcome.
We vow to embrace you as your unique and distinct self. That you do not need to fit any mold or to be “like-minded.” Everybody is different, and experiences life and culture differently.
We promise to provide a safe space to listen and communicate and connect and learn and respect all of our differences. We will make mistakes, we are human and perfectly imperfect. We ask for your patience as we dedicate ourselves to the life-long process of healing from injustices and misunderstanding. We will encourage everyone to laugh together, to be optimistic, to be inclusive and not censure our differences.
We do not tolerate Racism, Sexism, Classism, Homophobia, Anti-Semitism, Ageism, misinformation, and anyone who believes they are better than anyone else.
We support wholeheartedly Black Lives Matter and the LGBQTIA+ community. We believe in taking action to help mitigate climate change. We believe that activism is for everyone; it is a way of being active in the world's participation.
Our goal is to respect differences and find respectful relationships for the continuity of Life through LYFE.
We respectfully acknowledge the First Nations people of Country throughout Australia. We acknowledge the cultural and spiritual connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have with the land and sea. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, as well as existing and emerging leaders.
Now... let us engage in the study and practice of Yoga, together.