From Power Yoga to 8-Limb Power Yoga: My Quest for a Balanced Practice

The 8-Limb Power yoga method is an alloy of all of my practice and study for almost 20 years, combining everything I know, love, and respect into the method. Yoga shows us that change is constant. This is my contribution to that change.

Finding My Yoga Path: Early Influences

My introduction to Yoga was at Gold's Gym. The class was called "Power Yoga." The practice was held in an air-conditioned room with ceiling fans and mirrors. The teacher had a "Yoga Fit" certification, which I believe you can still receive after only a weekend of training! The practice was entirely asana-based, with no pranayama (breath control) or meditation to speak of other than perhaps attention to moving with the breath in the vinyasa style and a very short savasana (resting pose). Having no idea what Yoga was, I found these first few practices very challenging and powerful in a way I didn't understand.

My second influence was Baptiste Power Yoga, which was practiced in a hot, humid environment with no mirrors and some ceiling fans. The instructors were at least 200 hours trained, and all were very well-read and knowledgeable. However, by design, all spirituality had been removed from the practice other than perhaps the three Oms at the beginning and end of practice, and occasionally, a teacher hinting at there being "so much more to this practice than the physical." And yet, the practice was primarily sold as the "hardest workout" you will ever do. Many repetitions of the sun salutation series were modified from the Ashtanga version. The practice was mainly asana (yoga postures) with a 5-minute savasana.

I took the bait and was curious about the "So much more than the physical" part of the practice that my teachers kept hinting at, which led me to my third influence: Jivamukti Yoga, a more holistic approach to Yoga. The practice began with seated meditation and mantra. It was an unheated environment with a dynamic playlist that enhanced the energy of the practice. The five pillars of Jivamukti yoga are shastra (scripture), bhakti (devotion), ahimsā (nonviolence, non-harming), nāda (music), and dhyana (meditation). My experience in this style of Yoga is limited to attending a 10-day intensive. However, this brief immersion into this style and practice of Yoga exposed me to the depth, breadth, and importance of the spiritual aspects of Yoga.

I came to Yin Yoga out of curiosity and the feeling that I needed to slow down in life. Ultimately, it taught me the importance of adding slowness and stillness to my practice. Yin yoga focuses on holding supported postures for several minutes to target the connective tissues of the body. It is practiced in a cool environment and is highly focused on meditation and introspection. Yin revealed to me the importance of what we call the middle path, the path of balance that so many have discovered before me.

Bringing Together the Pieces of the Puzzle: The Philosophy Behind 8-Limb Power Yoga

At this point, I still felt that I had the disconnected pieces of a jigsaw puzzle called "Yoga," So I undertook the 300-hour yoga philosophy training with Embodied Philosophy. This was a year-long academic study of yoga history and philosophy. This is when I realized how the pieces of the puzzle fit into a really beautiful user's manual for a healthy and fulfilling human life. 

I opened Burning Wheel Yoga School, knowing that many other practitioners were seeking a practice of Yoga that was not only focused on the physical but made time and space for the energetic, mindfulness, and spiritual practices in a more balanced way. From there, I created a practice model that would fit into the current 60-90 minute class time framework that practitioners in my area are familiar with. 

Understanding that we are physical, psychological, emotional, intelligent, conscious, and spiritual beings, I wanted the practice to polish and reflect light on all those facets. I also wanted to respect, honor, continue, and educate the tradition and culture of Yoga.

A Yoga Practice for Everyone: The Benefits of 8-Limb Power Yoga

8-Limb Power Yoga is scalable in terms of both practice time and difficulty. Practice can be shortened to as little as 15 minutes or as long as 2 hours. The asana sequence can be simplified for new practitioners and scaled up to make it challenging for seasoned students. Teachers at Burning Wheel are instructed on how to read the skill level of the room, draw a conclusion to the average experience level, and sequence that skill level appropriately for each practice. 

All 8-Limb Power Yoga practices include: 

• Asana: Yoga postures, i.e., downward facing dog, tree, etc.
• Prāṇāyāma: The practice of controlled breathing helps to calm the mind and prepare the body for more intense physical activity. It also serves as a reminder of the first breath we take when entering the world.
• Mantra: The repetition of Sanskrit words and syllables to create a particular energetic vibration in the body and mind.
• Pratyāhāra: the practice of withdrawing the senses from external objects and distractions, turning the focus inward. This helps practitioners gain control over their sensory experiences, fostering greater concentration and facilitating deeper meditation. Essentially, pratyahara serves as a bridge between the external world and internal awareness, allowing for a more profound connection with the self.
• Dharana: Concentration or focused attention on a single object or thought. The mind is focused on a single point or object, such as a mantra, a visual image, or even the breath. This discipline of sustained focus helps to cultivate mental stability and clarity, preparing the practitioner for deeper meditation (dhyana). Through dharana, one learns to quiet the fluctuations of the mind.
• Dhyāna: Meditation or sustained, uninterrupted flow of awareness. In dhyana, the practitioner moves beyond mere concentration (dharana) to achieve a state of flow where the mind becomes fully absorbed in the object of meditation. This experience fosters a profound sense of inner peace, insight, and connection to the self and the universe. Dhyana is essential for cultivating awareness and spiritual growth, allowing for the realization of deeper truths and a sense of unity with all existence.
• Extensive Savasana (10-30 minutes): An extended savasana allows for complete stillness and the possibility of samadhi (deep absorption). The ethical principles and personal practices of Yama and Niyama are woven through the asana practice in a conversational style.

Short readings from spiritual texts may be delivered as a way to support the teachings during class and follow the Samkhya model of proof. Direct experience of the teacher, inference (the teacher's reflections and commentary on the experience), and valid testimony from one who knows (the spiritual text). Because we are a school of householders, normal everyday people with jobs and families, not renunciates, we teach the philosophical views of Tantra and Kashmir Shaivism. As well as referencing the differences between Tantra, Vedanta, and Raja yoga. We also acknowledge that this information may not be important to everyone. However, if your curiosity is sparked, seek out a Burning Wheel staff member or reach out to us for more information and resources for study.

The 8-Limb Power Yoga practice at Burning Wheel Yoga School is delivered in a heated environment of 95-100 degrees. Heat is an important tool that aids in blood flow circulation in the physical body and prana in the energy body because prana manifests as heat in the body. If the environment is roughly body temperature, the body is not fighting against the air temperature to heat itself. In addition, it is a dry heat, which is a better approach to releasing excess heat as the body sweats. In this dry environment, the sweat quickly evaporates off the skin, carrying away the excess heat without straining the kidneys or adrenals. 

There are no mirrors in the practice to encourage the students to focus inwardly and use proprioception to align the physical body into the proper position. Introspection is also used to determine blockages or clogs in the flow of prana in the nadis (energy channels). The practitioner can then be instructed on how to use movement, breath, and concentration to remove those blockages and restore the proper flow of energy, bringing health and vitality to the physical body. Then, the practitioner will also be supported through their emotional, mental, and spiritual journey through conversation and connection. 

Building a Community of Transformation: The Life-Changing Benefits of 8-Limb Power Yoga

Ultimately, the 8 Limb Power Yoga method offers the practitioner access to the building blocks that will support a lifestyle of self-reflection and self-development that will improve their physical form, mental acuity, and emotional resilience.

I have been personally transformed by these practices, and at 45 years of age, I can honestly say I am still improving. I have witnessed countless students radically transform their lives for the better by teaching them these practices. My mission is to help as many people as possible, but I am just one person. Only together can we help humanity liberate itself from suffering.

If you want to share your passion for these practices and help others, fill out the form to receive information about our upcoming Yoga Alliance-registered 2026 yoga teacher training!

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