Instead of seeing roadblocks in yoga as obstacles, reframe them as building blocks, foundations for balance, resilience, and growth.

If a boxer is focused on the last punch they took, they’re not going to see the one that’s coming. If a yogi is focused on the pose before they’re not going to be engaged in the one they are in. Guiding the mind back to the moment is a constant challenge. The inner struggle is real. If the mind is distracted, it’s easy to go in a million different directions yet get nowhere at all.

You can do hard things AND you don’t have to like it.

You can have a good day and not get your to do list completed. You can love someone and be frustrated with them. You can be happy and sad at the same time. You can fall out of a yoga pose and your value as a human does not change.

Words alone don’t quite encapsulate the energy Yoga on the Roof creates. Some may think yoga and the philharmonic is an unlikely collaboration, but yoga is like a symphony; the entire body working in tempo with the breath. One note alone doesn’t make a piece of music great, it’s the whole composition. In yoga it’s not one shape or one part; it’s the body as a whole working together.

Cultivating a positive thought every time a negative thought enters the mind sounds simple enough, yet it’s not always easy. The reality of switching your thought process like a light switch, especially when you’re experiencing a challenging time can be very difficult. Developing the opposite is ultimately about changing our attitude toward the person or situation creating the difficulty rather than attempting to change the person or situation itself.

Who hasn’t heard the catchy ad slogan, New Year New You applied to everything from diets and fashion to gym memberships? When it comes to yoga, it is the opposite of what yoga is all about.

Yoga is about acceptance, forgiveness, letting go of attachment to false ideas and inviting you to get out of your own way so you can reconnect to the truest self already in existence. Yoga is about clarity and moving beyond illusions and distractions which hide our truest self from our self. It is not about a new self or changing the fundamental being you are.

Discover how yoga can guide you to gratitude this Thanksgiving. On your mat, you can pause, honor your body and breath, and practice mindfulness that strengthens resilience, joy, and acceptance even during challenging times.

Could The Wizard of Oz be more than a classic film? Explore how this iconic story mirrors the yogic journey, from self-discovery to inner transformation, and how home and enlightenment are already within us.

We are all made to fly. To realize our limitless potential as human beings. But instead we sit on our branches, clinging to the things which are familiar to us. Our possibilities are endless, but for many of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable. Crow pose is an opportunity for us to destroy the branch of fear we cling to. A chance to free ourselves from attachment and experience the exhilaration of flight. Letting go of doing the pose perfectly or doing the hardest variation or better yet, that your value as a human somehow depends on how ‘well’ you do the pose.

When things go sideways in yoga or life, it often feels like failure. This post explores how Aparigraha and yogic philosophy reframe detours as opportunities to release attachment, shift perspective, and grow through the unexpected.

What if yoga blocks weren’t a sign of weakness, but a tool for strength, support, and possibility? This reflection from Jaya Yoga explores how changing our perception of yoga props can transform our practice, deepen self-awareness, and encourage more compassion both on and off the mat.

What would happen if we stopped carrying the boulder? Using Eagle Pose as a guide, this reflection from Jaya Yoga explores mindfulness, letting go, balance, and the Buddhist teachings of the “second arrow,” reminding us that freedom begins when we release attachment to the past, future, and unnecessary worry.

Not every arm balance suits every body and that’s okay. Discover how to honor your unique structure, build resilience, and explore creative ways to practice yoga safely, focusing on experience over perfection.

Backbends aren’t just poses, they help us open the heart, release tension, and embrace vulnerability. Practice heart-opening backbends at Jaya Yoga and discover how courage, playfulness, and emotional strength can flow from your mat into your life.

Yoga asks us to search for clarity and aims to move us beyond illusions and distractions which hide our truest self from ourselves. Translation: Don’t believe everything you think. Clarity of mind has a profound impact on perspective.

From childhood we are always hurrying towards a certain age, waiting for life to start while life is happening in between the numbers. Why is the present moment so underrated? Checking the phone relentlessly, disregarding the moment we are in with the people we are with. Wanting to speed forward to the next phase or goal. Shifting so fast from one thing to another, periods of time in our lives become a blur.

Like an organized group of musicians, a yoga class by its very nature is an opportunity for people to have an individual experience in community. Add a rooftop, live music, and it benefits the community. What’s not to love?

Why are we so afraid of silence? From the girl who likes her music so loud the cars next to her are shaking or hotel security is called- that’s a story for another time. Let’s just say MTV called the show headbangers ball for a reason. Is it not better to go through the silence and discomfort and come out the other end relaxed and extricated from the constant go, go, go energy of daily life and the constant whirling and swirling of the mind? Is it worth it to try?

Discover why hip-opening yoga poses can feel physically intense, emotionally releasing, and surprisingly vulnerable.

It seems hard to believe it was only ten years ago and at the same time it’s difficult to remember a time before Jaya.

I am inspired every day by our incredible students, dedicated teachers and supportive community.