I've been practising yoga off and on for the past five years or so. I've used some poses at home and thought I had come up with a good combination of stretching and yoga poses to care for my lower back. You see, two years ago an x-ray confirmed what I already suspected. I had "moderate to severe" degeneration in my lumbar spine. This caused a stiffness in my lower back and at times extreme muscle spasm, once so severe I was in the hospital for several days. I'm an active person. I love to garden, kayak, dance and work as a massage therapist, so I'm not happy when my back slows me down.
My yoga and stretching routine was working "okay". As mentioned, I'm a massage therapist, so have a pretty good idea what needs to be stretched and how to do it. My back was much better than it had been, but I still had to be careful not to overdo- and sometimes that was a very narrow line to walk. Also, I was noticing that I was bothered more and more by heel pain on my right foot, cause by my misaligned pelvis.
Then I thought that it was time that I take a class again to fine tune my poses, so bought a twelve lesson pass with Ground Yoga. I went to the "Gentle" class on Thursday morning for eleven weeks, missing one week when I was gone on a holiday. My back was feeling good- very good.
Last weekend I had a Tango dance workshop. It was three hours per day for three days in a row. I wore my three inch heels (they really do make the dancing easier!) the first class, and found that my feet were a bit sore, but the discomfort was gone the next morning- with some expert foot massage work from my husband. So I put my heels on again and had another lesson, and another. To my surprise and joy- my feet weren't sore for the last half of the classes any more than they would be if you were standing for a number of hours. And my back wasn't sore at all. Tango in heels for nine hours and my back isn't sore? Unheard of!
The only thing that I did differently was attend Vincent's class once per week. Too good to be true? My theory is that the combination of poses that he uses allow my pelvis and trunk to get a thorough stretch. Is it 'Gentle"? Well, it's as gentle as you want it to be. He encourages me to take all the poses just a bit further without going beyond my limits and is constantly verbally coaching and manually 'tweaking' the students' alignment.
Thank you Vincent. I haven't felt this comfortable in my body for a long time. And in fact, didn't know that it was possible. Yay!
I will end by saying that it delights me that Yoga, my Craniosacral Therapy work and dance all share a common language: grounding, balance, midline, and my favorite- opening the Heart.  ...... Susan Pulvermacher

It is fitting that my first yoga class was on a stage. Since I was a young child, I have loved performance, observing and engaging with it. As I matured, I developed more of a yearning for solitude, introspection away from an audience, but still connecting with people, still an art of performance, just not entertainment.
At the Broadway theater, the seats were empty and the stage was quiet, but occupied. I’d never built such heat in such silence. I was used to associating sweat with team sports, the sounds of the game, crowd noise. In that class I could feel that silence was the bassline sound of life, where it’s most profound poetry is intimated.
Today I continue to perform a rather loud style of poetry, and yoga helps humble me peacefully and quietly so that I am better equipped to practice my craft. Every breath in yoga reminds me how important it is to capture the moment in a way that sets it free, much like poetry structures language to enable freedom of expression. I respect each pose as a powerful statement, and have had the blessing of meeting several exceptional people through the practice. One of them might be you, even if I don’t know it, contributing to the energy of good will with the quiet performance of your introspection.
Since that class, I have learned to love yoga for its incredible quality of improving every aspect of my life. I can honestly say that, when I am practicing yoga, I feel the difference in my entire state of being, from my mindset to my physical conditioning to my intimate, casual, and professional relationships. I see yoga as the poetry of posture, which helps me treat every moment and movement as though it is an art, which it is, an art we often take for granted. Yoga gives us space to offer gratitude and accept guidance. As an artist and, more importantly, as a person, I am grateful for this direction, and I hope that by following it, I can help others tap into the inspirational energy that holds us together. Namaste. ...... Isaac Bond

It's simple for me. There is nothing else that I have found that can completely clear my head. I have way too much stress in my life, and this year is one that takes the cake in that department. I have found that yoga - either in a class or at home (as is often the case living in rural Saskatchewan) is the ONE and ONLY thing that truly calms me, focuses my mind and leaves me in an improved mental state.
So that's #1. I also love yoga because I work in a Dental profession and I sit all day long, in the same position...and it is very demanding on my body. I stretch and try to work ergonomically but it's just not enough. Since beginning yoga, I have learned poses and stretches that I can do in 20 mins or so every day that take me from an aching neck/shoulder/back...to "I feel pretty darn good!" I don't go for massages anymore...yoga serves me WAY better (and think about it - it's cheaper too!)
I do have a third reason as well. Yoga is contagious and addicting. In a GOOD way! I think that everyone I work with now has tried yoga to some extent. I can't stop talking about it's benefits for me. Friends and family have now tried it. It is hard NOT to share it's positive vibe! I WISH I could come to the studio every day...unfortunately life gets in the way sometimes...but I have learned SO much that I can apply a lot of it now myself. I crave classes. There is NOTHING like experiencing a class.
As for my first yoga class...it was a community class in Martensville led by a blind fitness instructor who would joke "downward dogs are looking great guys!" She was very comical and taught me basic yoga poses that led me onto home practices (Eoin Finn videos mostly...) for the next few years. My first yoga studio experience was yours Vincent. And I'm hooked.
Thank you so much for that. ...... Lisa Ogle

My very first yoga class was actually at Ground Yoga – at 36 weeks pregnant! I really had no idea what to expect, but I knew that with my rather large belly and lack of flexibility, I was going to be challenged. And I was, but it was much more than I thought it would be. I was expecting to work on that lack of flexibility, but I was surprised at how much strength training was involved. That put me on more of an even “playing field”, as I really enjoy working on strength. I did feel awkward at times, but was amazed at some of the poses I was able to achieve and hold. I especially loved the stretching of the hips and chest, and the poses that strengthen the quads.
Like I mentioned, being my first class, I didn’t know what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised that even though I was pregnant, I was pushed to work hard. By the end of the class, I was definitely hot and sweaty and had achieved a good “work out”. Which is what I prefer – what’s the point of laying around, just because I’m pregnant?! I can do that at home. I felt that I was being prepared for the work of labor, and that is a good thing, and to me, the point of prenatal yoga. Along with the stretching and strength preparation, I was able to focus on breathing and calming my mind, which is another bonus for labor. Working through the pain on a peaceful and calm level in class is training me to achieve that same peace and calm during labor.
I have continued to attend the prenatal yoga classes since I started going a few weeks ago and I am sure that this continuation will help my labor go smoothly and with focus and strength. I only wish prenatal would have been offered a lot sooner! I would definitely recommend beginning as early in pregnancy as possible to achieve the best results! ...... Allison

Yoga brings one back to oneself, after a busy day ends. or begins. like contemplating a fire or a river, or like reading a haiku poem that expands the understanding of a single moment within a few words, yoga is an uncomplicated practice that is a world within itself. the feature landscape within that world is awareness, and the backdrop can be anything from silence to music—and the music can define the class as much as the yoga and teaching style of the instructor. yoga demands. yoga relaxes. yoga is yin, and yang. that is why I love yoga.

My first yoga class at my first yoga class about 20 years ago, I was astounded at how difficult it was to find and hold yoga poses. I asked the teacher what to do when feeling pain in a pose. She said, "In yoga we don't speak of pain, we speak of awareness!" In spite of that answer, I persisted—more off than on over the years.
Many teachers later, I understand that it's stretching and strength, not pain, that we seek. And, many teachers later, my body has learned to recognize when it has arrived in a pose. I'm still not terribly flexible, but my body benefits. always.  ...... Susan

Yoga, to me, is a practice of compassion. It is learning to show compassion to yourself and learning to show compassion for others. It is restorative and revitalizing. It is more than asanas, postures, and positions; it is a way to remind yourself to be mindful and reflective. It is a choice, not a “fad” or “trend”. It is something you practice, not do. You do not push yourself so you can be the best or proud, but to be humble and to understand your limitations and be kinder to yourself because of it. It is present, it is awareness, it is what you want it to be, and that is why I love yoga!  ...... Linda