Yoga has been a discipline that honors the body, mind and Spirit for millenniums. Long before the trendy yoga studios of the West, the Eastern traditions had embraced the practice as a part of life in the exceptional – as well as the ordinary person.

Although a variety of other forms of yoga are beginning to just get their due recognition, Hatha Yoga is likely the most familiar form of yoga in the West. All practices of yoga have the same end goal. Even so, with the advancement of different expressions and technologies, yoga is not simply a product of all the tech groups out there. Not all yoga practices are created the same and if you are ill prepared for an intense session sometimes you can leave feeling like you need 24 hour roadside assistance Buffalo NY to tow you home. However, while the external expressions may be different, the basis for the ancient persuasion is to gain peace and access to the Divine.

Svaroopa Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga. Flexibility is not a requirement as much as it is a result. Our asanas are designed to relieve pain and add movement. Areas that go stiff, like back, hips and knees are targeted to give the student the ability of freer movement and grace.

One of our biggest challenges was a young man who had been in a motorcycle accident. Greg was only 19 years old when he was cruising the hills and took a bend a little fast, hit loose gravel and lost control of his Harley. Despite the seriousness of the accident, he had several things going for him at the time – one big advantage was that he was young. His resiliency proved his biggest asset along with a determined spirit to overcome his injuries.

He had broken his back in two places and dislocated his left shoulder when he slammed into a large boulder on the side of the road. He incurred a hairline fractured to his left hip and all in all ended up with two and a half weeks in the hospital. His helmet saved his life and he escaped any organ damage, but his frame was whacked. After months of healing and physical therapy Greg still walked stiffly and was cumbersome in his ability to sit and rise from a chair. The doctors told him he would likely be in pain the rest of his life from the damage done to his back.

Greg decided there had to be an answer other than a steady stream of pain meds and feeling like he had the body of a ninety-year-old rather than a nineteen-year-old. Within weeks he was searching for alternative treatments and found our studio. He studied more about Svaroopa Yoga and as soon as he got the green light from his medical practitioners he came to see us.

Jonah sat with Greg for a while and did an assessment after hearing his lengthy rehab history. After deciding a course of action, Jonah asked Greg to get his physical therapist to sign off on the Svaroopa regime. Btw, she not only signed off on it, but attended the first several classes with Greg. She wanted to learn how she might be able to incorporate some of the postures into her PT work.

After a few short weeks Greg was walking with grace and ease. He no longer resembled the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, clunky and stiff. He was gently easing himself in and out of chairs rather than taking a rigid moment by moment approach. He smiled more. His demeanor was that of a youthfulness, rather than old age. Greg still comes by the studio three times a week. He has been caught giving advice to new students on occasion and has asked about becoming certified as an instructor.

Greg is just one of our many success stories. Of course, you don’t have to have had a major accident or cataclysmic injury to gain the grace and ease of movement and relaxation that Svaroopa Yoga offers. It’s a practice for everyone and we invite you to learn more about us and join us at our studio or on-line.

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