Happy New Year 2025!

Dearest Yoga Students,

The decision to write an update like this has eluded me for far too long. As with any offering I put out to the world, I always want it to be infused with purpose and consciousness and aligned with Yogic principles. All of those things take time- which this year I seem to have had so little of! I do hope you’ll take a few moments to read and enjoy this New Year’s note and update- from my heart to yours. 

2024 has been my busiest and most successful year yet. I have now logged nearly eleven thousand teaching hours since I began my career in 2013. I finally feel like my yoga clinic is thriving, and this is in large part due to your commitment and dedication to the yoga tradition. For this, I thank you deeply! As my practice continues to grow, I would like to renew my commitment to you- my friends, students, and fellow practitioners- to continue infusing heart, mindfulness, intention, skill, and intuition into all of my offerings. As both my personal yoga/meditation practice and my teachings have evolved, it has become clearer to me that leading life with the above qualities (and in alignment with yama/niyama/brahmavihara), is what creates a strong foundation for deep, transformative work, lasting and profound change, success, and good karma for all. 

In reference to the above, please take some time to consider these teachings more specifically as outlined below, in accordance with the Yoga and Buddhist traditions:

Yama- Restraints (don’t do these!): Non-Harm, Truthfulness (Non-lying), Non-Stealing, Non-greed, Right Use of Energy (hard to translate this one)
Niyama- Observances (do these!): Cleanliness, Contentment, Discipline, Self-Study, Surrender to a Higher Power
Brahmavihara- The Abodes of the Heart: Kindness, Compassion, Heartfelt Joy, Equanimity

I suspect that the above terms are familiar to you- as I try to teach them directly, or at least infuse them into every one of my offerings. The above virtues are really what make a yoga practice different from “fitness”- we are asked to infuse everything we do on the mat and in life with these virtues (which I often refer to colloquially as “goodness”). 

A note about our current state of affairs:

In Yogic cosmology, the universe is separated into 4 Yugas (cycles, world-ages). As we cycle through each Yuga, the general moral and physical state of humanity decreases. While an entire cycle of 4 Yugas is 4,320,000 years, we are currently in the Kali Yuga- the final Yuga that lasts 432,000 years. This is a time when the world and humanity is at its worst. Basically, Kali Yuga is defined by a shallow world culture filled with greed, hatred, anger, and attachment- the antithesis to the above listed yogic virtues! It is not difficult these days to venture outside and, in some capacity, feel sick, stolen from, attached, lacking, anxious, angry, depressed, etc. This is a time where suffering in all forms is at its highest. In light of these very real conditions, it is more important than ever for us- as aware humans- to anchor MORE deeply into what is right, righteous, and good. We are asked to develop such a strong relationship with the above listed virtues that, at least in our own vortices, the limitations and suffering representative of Kali Yuga is transmuted. While I am not always successful (and for those moments, l try to lean on compassion and forgiveness), this is always my intent in my work and life, and I invite you as yoga practitioners to participate in engaging with life in this way. Yoga is a tradition that recognizes duality- what happens inside happens outside. As above, so below. The antidote to our collective suffering has always been, and will always be, a life lived by virtue and a spiritual practice (sadhana)- like yoga, meditation, religion, time spent in nature, whatever that practice is for you- to help cultivate these virtues towards self and others. As we step into 2025, I invite you to contemplate the above virtues, include them in your sadhana and lives, and- as always- to ask me about them! I am here unendingly as a consultant and guide to help you unlock and apply the principles of yoga to your life. To that extent, please look at my below offerings in 2025:

Group Classes, Private Yoga Therapy, Massage, Bodywork, Ayurvedic Health Consulting, Public and Private Workshops, and Retreats. More info can always be found on my website, www.matthewmitlas.com. 
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Thank you again for your trust, presence and participation in this tradition. I wish you a happy and prosperous 2025 filled with GOOD! And, when challenges inevitably appear, may you anchor into the teachings of yoga and endure and transcend in the most easy, loving, and graceful ways possible. 

May all beings be filled with loving kindness
May all beings be well
May all beings be peaceful and at ease
May all beings be happy

With all my love and gratitude!
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Namaste,
Matthew Mitlas (Yoga Matt)