Paths of Yoga

Contrary to popular belief in the Western world, yoga does not just mean practicing physical postures (asana)--this is just one component of one path of yoga, and some paths of yoga do not involve asana at all. Yoga is ultimately a pathway for spiritual liberation and Self-realization--time spent on the mat falls under a specific type of yoga called Hatha Yoga, and asana is just one component of Hatha Yoga; it also involves mantra, purification methods, and pranayama. The primary purpose of practicing Hatha Yoga is to prepare the body for long periods of seated meditation; it is a means for calming the mind, body, and senses to allow spiritual insight to flow freely in the state of meditation.

In yoga’s migration to the Western world, much of its original purpose and teachings were lost or stripped away to just a form of physical exercise. In an effort to practice decolonization, Umi Yoga intentionally emphasizes yoga’s true purpose as a spiritual discipline to progress on the path toward spiritual liberation for the benefit of all beings.

Yoga is an open practice, meaning we are free to choose the particular path(s) that speaks to us most.

To learn more about the different paths of yoga, click here.