Breathing Room Collective is a Boutique yoga studio in Hillsboro, Oregon

The word Ashtanga comes from Sanskrit and means “eight limbs.” It refers to the eightfold path, or Eight Limbs of Yoga, described by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, a foundational text of classical yoga philosophy. These eight limbs offer a framework for living with greater awareness and intention, encompassing ethical principles, personal discipline, physical postures, breath regulation, concentration, meditation, and the deeper states of awareness that yoga seeks to cultivate. Although modern Ashtanga Vinyasa classes are best known for their physical sequences, the broader tradition extends far beyond the postures themselves.

Rooted in traditional Ashtanga yoga, Jivamukti is derived from the Sanskrit term jivanmukti, meaning “liberation while living.” At the heart of this practice is the idea that yoga isn't something we leave behind when a studio class ends but a way of relating to ourselves and to the world around us with greater awareness, compassion, and intention.

Developed in New York City in 1984 by Sharon Gannon and David Life, Jivamukti emerged from a desire to honor the traditional spiritual roots of yoga while making its teachings accessible to modern practitioners.

Even a simple, gentle yoga practice works with movement, breath, mindfulness, and stillness - all of which can change the way we experience our bodies.

Your Nervous System Is Part of Your Yoga Practice

Even when nothing is technically wrong, your body can become accustomed to staying ‘On’ and alert. Always scanning for the next issue, problem to solve, or attention grab.

Practicing yoga will not eliminate stress from your life. But it can give you the tools you need to recognize what is happening in your body, and learn to shift gears when necessary.

Samadhi: The Practice of Being Fully present

The eighth and final limb is samadhi. It is also the most difficult to describe.

Depending on the translation and philosophical tradition, samadhi may be described as absorption, deep contemplation, integration, or a profound state in which the usual sense of separation between the observer and the object of meditation falls away.

Patañjali describes it as: “Samādhi is when only the object of meditation shines forth, as if the mind itself were absent.” - Yoga Sutra 3.3 (VedKosh)