Movements and exercises are considered functional if they support and strengthen the movement patterns that our bodies rely on to get tasks done every day. Functional Yoga places value in:

• Mobility over flexibility: Flexibility refers to how far we can move a joint. Unfortunately, being flexible enough to do the spits doesn’t make daily activities easier. That’s why we focus on Mobility. Mobility refers to the range of motion we can control through strength and coordination, which is way more helpful in our daily lives.

• Non-repetitive movement: Our bodies aren’t designed to do the exact same thing all the time. That’s why we will explore movement patterns that are varied, nonlinear, and often made up of more than one muscle group. We don’t use our bodies in a linear way, our yoga practice shouldn’t either.

• Functionality over aesthetics: I don’t look like the cover model for Yoga Journal. I bet you don’t either. Our bodies, and the experiences we’ve had in those bodies, should inform our practice! Functional Yoga celebrates these differences and empowers us to honor our own body instead of some arbitrary ideal. There’s no one way, shape, or alignment that works for everyone!