The Elements of Yoga
In over two decades of experience, it seems that there are five elements (like in Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda) that really form the core of what makes a yoga practice, regardless of lineage.
Those are:
AWARENESS : CURIOSITY : PATIENCE : ACTION : DISCERNMENT
In this work, we always begin and come back to these five elements.
These elements allow us to create a practice that meets each person where they are.
This is not a one-size-fits-all, workout-oriented practice (though you may sweat!)
This is about you uncovering You, as the practice of Yoga has always intended.
We meet ourselves honestly and repeatedly in this way. And we evolve on our own time, as only we can.
The Mission of SAN
SAN was established as a space that brings yoga back to its therapeutic roots.
What you will encounter at SAN is not a workout, but rather a “work-in”.
SAN offers you a place to slow down and listen; to be with the process of uncovering your true nature and all of the challenges and triumphs that go along with that process. The difficulty in practice may certainly come from sweat and hard physical work at times, but perhaps more often it arises from the challenge of facing yourself with curiosity, patience, and awareness.
By doing so, you offer yourself a chance to transform from within; building integrity in your muscles and joints, clarity in your way of seeing and thinking, and robustness in your relationships to yourself, others and the world.
*A note from Anya:
Over my lifetime, I have been injured many times and encountered significant pain through yoga; a practice that was always intended to heal and create the conditions for self-transformation. My own journey took me in many directions looking for other practices that were helpful rather than hurtful. In the end after a lot of study and searching, I have come full-circle back to yoga, as I now enter the practice with a very different mindset than I once had. Yoga itself was not the problem, but instead it was how I approached my own body and practice. I am excited to share what I have discovered with others.







Sign up for Works in Process
A newsletter on movement, life and the elements of health