Yoga

Activities
About Us

All classes are taught by certified Yoga instructors.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding physical restrictions please check with an instructor prior to beginning the class.

Please see “General Rules” below.

Schedule

Level	Schedule	Details
Beginner and Intermediate	Sunday 8:30AM – 10:00AM Tuesday 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM Thursday 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM	Free of charge
Seniors Yoga / Chair Yoga	Monday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Free of charge
Ashtanga Yoga Level 2 classes: Intermediate to Advanced level	January to May Saturday 7:00 AM – 8:45 AM	There is a fee for these classes. The classes are suitable for yoga practitioners who want a more physically challenging practice. Watch this page for updates.

Before joining the yoga classes, please fill out the liability form and email it to yoga@myhtw.net.

Liability form

Updates

108 Surya Namaskars

108 Suryanamaskar (SN) is a yoga marathon. We need to prepare ourselves for this event with daily practice. To encourage and prepare for this event, we are starting a daily SN challenge of 8 weeks starting from Sunday Nov 21. This is also the Thanksgiving week and beginning of festive season. The best way to thank yourself is by making a promise (Sankalpa) to do SNs everyday. This is how the 8 week challenge will work:

Please enter your name and weekly target in the google sheet
For e.g. If you commit to 12 SNs every day, the week’s target will be 12*7 = 84. Each day you will enter how many SNs you actually did.
We will review and publish the summary at the end of each week (On Sunday).
Every week, you should increase your weekly target – based on your preparedness.
We will do an interim ONLINE boot camp of 54 SNs on Saturday Dec 18, 2021 from 8:30 – 9:30 AM. I hope everyone is ready for 54 SNs by Dec 18.
Please continue to challenge yourself. We want everyone to feel like a winner on Jan 15 by completing 108 SNs or getting close to it.
We will end the daily SN challenge after 8 weeks on Jan 15 2022.
To get more updates please join the HTW Yoga WhatsApp group. You can send an email to yoga@myhtw.net

This is excellent way to spend the holidays and the new year with focus on health and well-being.
So this week, please start getting prepared to begin the 8 week SN challenge from Sunday Nov 21.

Annual Community Events

Event	Time	Details
108 Suryanamaskar (Sun Salutations)	Mid January Saturday 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM	To celebrate Makara Sankranti and honor the Sun. Surya namaskars will be performed with instruction. 108 Surya namaskars will be performed with instruction
H2H Yogathon (Heart to Heart)	Mid February Saturday 7 AM to 10 AM	To celebrate Heart Health month, this event will include a 1-hour walk, 1 hour of yoga, pranayama and meditation and a talk by a guest speaker.
Kids Summer Camp	June	This is a fee based camp. Kids will be in two groups Group1: 8 to 12 years Group2: 12 to 16 years Activities include yoga, pranayama, meditation, krida (play) yoga, Karma (service) yoga, storytelling, guest speakers and arts and crafts. When scheduled, details will be included in this page.
International Yoga Day (IYD)	On a Saturday close to June 21st	Since 2015, The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated annually on 21st June. HTW, in collaboration with the Consul General of India in Houston, hosts a major event in Town Green Park in The Woodlands to raise the awareness of yoga in the community.

General Rules

All participants coming to any Yoga event must complete, digitally sign and submit the liability form.
Please be socially responsible. If you feel sick, please do not come to the class.
Please bring your own yoga mat, napkin, water bottle to the yoga practice and dress comfortably.
Please come to practice with an empty stomach or at least 3 hours after your last meal.

Yoga Class Outline

Each yoga session will usually follow the following format:

Beginning Prayer
Warm ups/Joint loosening practices
Suryanamaskars (Sun Salutations)
Asana (Posture Practice)
Deep Relaxation Technique
Pranayama (Breathing Excercises)
Ending Prayer

Hindu Temple of Woodlands believes in building a strong and healthy community through the Yoga program.

Yoga enhances the holistic well-being of an individual by improving physical, mental and spiritual health. It is a lifestyle that is sustainable through all stages of life, for all ages and, all religious beliefs.

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal of life is to manifest that Divinity within by controlling nature, internal and external. Do it by Work or Worship or Philosophy or Psychic control, by one or more or all of these and be FREE ….”

- Swami Vivekananda

Vision

Build a strong community by focusing on the holistic well-being of each individual.

Sarve bhavantu sukhinahah; Sarve santu niramayah;
Sarve bhadrani pashyantu; Ma kaschid dukkh bhag bhavet;
Aum shantih, shantih, shantih

{May all be Happy; May all be free from diseases; May all align with reality; May no one suffer from miseries. PEACE for everyone}

mission

Offer free regular yoga programs as well as yoga related annual events for the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of each member.

Saha navavatu;
Saha nau bhunaktu;
Saha veeryam karvaavahai ;
Tejasvi naa vadhita mastu;
maa vid vishaa va hai;
Aum shaantih, shaantih, shaantih

{May he protect us both; May he nourish us both; May we both work together with great energy; May our studies be enlightened and fruitful; May we always work together in harmony}

values

Respect each individual as a divine soul
Open to all irrespective of their religious affiliation, nationality, race, gender
Prioritize personal safety

FAQ

Can I come to the class even if I have never done yoga before?

Yes you can. The classes at HTW are tailored to meet the needs of beginner and intermediate level of participants. Yoga is not a competition. Listen to your body. We encourage you to try out one of the weekly yoga classes and see how your body responds. Please complete the liability form on the website before you participate. Discuss any concerns or limitations with the instructor prior to the practice. Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat, napkin, water bottle and great attitude. If you don’t have the yoga mat, on your first day, please let the instructor know and you can borrow it from HTW.

Can I attend yoga classes if I am just recovering from illness or surgery?

Please discuss with your medical provider before joining a class. You may be more suited to exercising in a chair or with the Seniors session before joining the regular weekly classes. Please inform you instructor of your concerns and limitations. HTW and the instructors are working in good faith to help you improve your physical and mental health.

Are the classes free?

Yes. However, HTW has generously offered the space for instruction. Donations to HTW earmarked for “Yoga” may be made through the “Donate Now” link above.

Are the HTW Yoga instructors certified?

Yes. All yoga instructors who teach at HTW have completed the Yoga Instructor’s Certification Course (YICC) offered by VYASA-Houston.

Does the HTW Yoga program participate in any community outreach programs?

The instructors who teach at HTW also teach yoga in other programs in the community. Some of them are:

Canopy: A cancer survivorship center at Memorial Hermann, The Woodlands
Stop Diabetes Camp: In collaboration with SEWA International, this camp is a 10 day – 20 hour yoga program designed to help persons diagnosed with diabetes or pre diabetes to manage and control their health.
Cancer Survivor Yoga Class: Houston Methodist West

Donation

The weekly yoga sessions are free to all. However, HTW offers its space and facilities for the yoga program. We urge the participants to give back to the temple by donating to the temple for the “Community Yoga Program”. Make a note that this donation is for the yoga program.

Donate

HTW is registered non profit organization with 501(C )( 3 ) status.

If you work for organization that has a company match program for donations, please consider donating to HTW through that program. Many participants and their employers are already donating to HTW through the gift matching program.

Contact

yoga@myhtw.net