Kripalu Yoga brings harmony to the body, mind and spirit. It's focus is on body awareness using breath and movement to become fully present in your body. The balanced sequence of yoga postures releases the chronic tension that dulls vitality. Kripalu Yoga is taught in three stages. Stage One is Body and Breath Awareness - In this stage you learn how to bring yourself fully present in your body and practice the classic yoga postures with a flowing breath, proper alignment, and a mental focus on body sensations. The purpose of this stage is to stretch and strengthen your entire body releasing chronic muscle tension that inhibits relaxation and underlies many health problems. An attitude of compassionate self acceptance is stressed. Stage Two is Focusing Inward - in this stage you learn how to encounter and release deep-seated emotional and mental tensions. The purpose of this stage is to open the heart and clear the mind. Postures are held for longer periods of time and the mind is focused on the intensified flow of sensation, emotion and thought. Regular practice restores emotional balance and mental clarity. Stage Three is Meditation-in-Motion - With the mind deeply relaxed, you allow the body to move spontaneously as guided from within. Entering this experience, you drop everything learned from external sources and respond directly to the urges and intuitive prompting of the body. This stage is a form of moving meditation that reveals the essential mystical truth.