Welcome!  Thank you for visiting this site. 
You have found a friendly, small studio in a great south Austin neighborhood which offers weekly yoga classes,   massage, and therapeutic aromatherapy.  We are dedicated to creating a sacred space for

Whether you are already practicing yoga or have never tried it before, we invite you, your family and your friends, to come to a class.  Don't worry if it's your first yoga class - we all have had a first class! 

The Benefits of Yoga

People do yoga for many reasons: pain and stress reduction, to get into shape, increased health and vitality, anxiety control, the need for low impact activity due to aging or injury, or as a path for spiritual awakening.

The ancient tradition of yoga has numerous physical, mental and spiritual benefits.  By definition the root word of yoga in Sanskrit is "yug" which means to yoke or bind together.  Yoga is the binding of body and mind and soul to create a wholeness of self.  The Yoga Sutras, which is an ancient collection of aphorisms offered more than 2,000 years ago by the Indian sage, Patanjali says, "Yoga is the cessation of movement in the consciousness". 

Through the practice of asanas (postures) and pranyama (breath control), we aim to calm the fluctuations of the mind, thereby creating a peace or stillness which enhances our ability to cope with the stresses and pressures of life.  The asanas exercise every muscle, nerve, and gland in the body.  By practicing the asanas frequently, with a concentration on healthy spinal alignment, posture is improved and range of motion in the joints is increased.  Yoga increases flexibility and strength, internally cleanses the body, and enhances the immune system.  The disciplined practitioner of yoga achieves mental clarity through improved concentration, enhanced memory and self-confidence.

Spiritually, yoga encourages the individual to turn inward and to discover an inner peace, stillness, and strength that may have been hidden by the mind's inability to be present in each moment.  Compassion is cultivated through this patient exploration of the self and a greater appreciation and understanding of the individual challenges and struggles we all face.

Yoga offers tools to develop respect, acceptance and commitment to ourselves as it also develops our physical and mental adaptability for the activities of our lives and our service to others.  If you see that yoga is useful to you and to your life, use it!  We encourage you, and look forward to meeting you!

Peace, Daphnie Leigh, E-RYT-500, LMT

Please feel free to contact Soul Stretch.  You may email your questions or comments to daphnie@austin.rr.com or call 512-799-6382.