ABOUT TREE OF INDIA YOGA
Our practice is rooted in the timeless belief that yoga is more than physical movement—it is a path that nurtures wholeness. Through steady practice, yoga cultivates inner peace, clarity, and resilience, while opening the heart to greater compassion. It reminds us that joy is not found outside of ourselves but arises naturally when we live with presence, balance, and connection.
ABOUT TREE OF INDIA
Our Story
Tree of India Yoga began in 2006 as Tree of India—a holistic yoga and aromatherapy brand founded on the recognition that we are not separate from nature, and that nature is essential for true wellness. Rooted in the sacred aspects of the natural world, our work has always honored the interconnectedness of body, mind, spirit, and environment.
Over time, Tree of India has grown to encompass a yoga school, two community-centered studios—Oxford Community Yoga and Hamilton Yoga Center—and a full line of handcrafted aromatherapy products. Together, these offerings reflect our mission: to support the holistic well-being of each student while fostering the health and vitality of our wider community.
Community Support & Connection
Join a welcoming community where encouragement, shared experiences, and authentic connection create a sense of belonging on and off the mat.
Strength & Flexibility for Body and Mind
Build physical strength, enhance flexibility, and develop resilience through consistent practice, supporting both your body and your inner well-being.
Yoga is a path of devotion to love, truth and understanding. Yoga teaches us to identify and explore unexamined assumptions through objective observation of our thoughts, feelings, sensations, and actions. Yoga also provides a system for accessing our inner resources -- wisdom, compassion, contentment, courage, and gratitude among others. Yoga is about acting in a way we believe to be right while surrendering control over the outcomes of our actions. We practice out of love for the Self, with a desire to know the truth, for the benefit of all beings. Yoga is a lifestyle and a way of being.
Yoga practice is the skillful combination of movement, postures, conscious breathing, concentration, and meditation with the intent of bringing the practitioner closer to their true nature. Our teachers embrace one another’s varying lineages and perspectives. We also embrace the varying perspectives of our students and provide space within each class for individual authorship.
Transformation usually doesn't take place in one dramatic surge. Lasting change comes from an accumulation of small choices we make each day. A commitment to self-observation and development creates a heightened sense of awareness. Through this awareness we see patterns of behavior and learn to create change through discernment. The practices of yoga bring freshness and clarity to our perspective.
Critical, judgmental thinking and self-doubt impede our development. Yoga teaches us to move easily through life with a sense of wonder, light-heartedness and humor. Your practice should benefit every aspect of your life. An intelligent and consistent yoga practice should help you embrace the world more fully and intimately. Our intent at OCY is for everyone to leave feeling calmly alert and fully able to adapt to the everchanging demands of life.
What Is Yoga?
COMMON MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT YOGA
Yoga is about fitness or flexibility.
Corporations, yoga studios and teachers have used images of yoga postures to represent health and wellbeing to sell everything from classes to clothes and from food to cars. Consider the thousands of images of yoga postures that are promoted in print and on social media, and you can see why people think yoga is about fitness and flexibility. Meanwhile, there have been no cues asking them to question this assumption. Yoga may improve fitness and flexibility, but that is not why we practice. Many people begin practicing yoga for its physical benefits, but then realize that the physical benefits are a side effect of the changes yoga makes in the brain and nervous system.
Yoga is a wellness modality for reducing stress.
Another common misconception is that Yoga is a well-designed system that promotes relaxation. On the contrary, not all yoga is about creating peace, harmony, and bliss as is often promoted in the Western “spa culture.” While in some cases this may be the result, it is certainly not the sole intent of practice. Yoga is a transformative process. Some of the practices prescribed during this transformation are designed to break down old patterns of thought and behavior so that new, more beneficial patterns can be created or emerge. This process may involve rapid breathing, long-holding of asanas, difficult realizations, etc. In fact, Hatha yoga roughly translates as “the yoga of force.” To live a more peaceful life, it is necessary to confront some of our deepest fears. This process requires a skilled and knowledgeable teacher and ideally, a sangha or community with whom we can share and discuss these sometimes-difficult experiences.
Yoga is derived from an Eastern religion, but it's ok to drop that part and focus only on the physical aspects of the practice.
We recognize that anyone worried about how yoga may conflict with their religion must be very serious about their faith. It is our intent to represent Yoga as accurately as possible. Yoga comes from a tradition that includes multiple religions and philosophies including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Tantra, and Sankhya. Yoga is about open inquiry rather than belief. If one believes that inquiry with an open mind is dangerous, Yoga is probably not for them -- at least not at this point in their life. Beliefs often change.
It is not our job as yoga educators to convince or "win over" anyone to make them "believe in" yoga. Teaching yoga is an opportunity for us to share something we love, and what we love about it. We look forward to practicing with you!
OUR STUDIOS
What You Need to Know Before Attending a Class
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We encourage you to register online as space is limited. However, drop-ins are always welcome!
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The studio door will be open at least 15 minutes prior to class start times. Arrive early! Give yourself enough time to hang up your coat, take off your shoes and socks, and turn off your cell phone. You’ll also want to give yourself a few extra minutes to lay out your mat, gather props, and bring your breath to an even and steady pace.
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Classes start on time, and the front door may be locked once class begins. This policy ensures uninterrupted class time and security.
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Please leave your shoes, coats, backpacks, etc. in the "coat area." Removing your shoes before entering is an easy and courteous way to keep the studio floor free of bacteria, chemicals, and other harmful substances that can be found on the soles of shoes. It is also a sign of respect that the studio is a sacred space for those who practice here regularly.
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Please bring water bottles that can be securely tightened to prevent spilling.
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Practicing non-violence (ahimsa) at the studio means coming into the space in a peaceful way. Please be gentle in voice, movement, actions, thought, and attitude. Many students come to yoga for a safe, uplifting, truthful environment. Hopefully, this gentle way of approaching and being will dissipate negativity not only during yoga class but in other areas of our lives as well.
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People from all faith traditions are welcome. Yoga is a spiritual practice that can be compatible with other beliefs or practices you already partake in. In yoga, there is no belief required. Yoga is about open inquiry rather than belief.
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Sanskrit mantras are a part of the yoga tradition. If you choose not to participate in the chanting of mantras, including "OM", we don't mind at all! We do ask that you please remain silent as the mantras are chanted.
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Tree of India states in the strongest terms our commitment to inclusivity and diversity and our ongoing determination to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, community members, and guests of the studio, regardless of age, color, ability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
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We’re so happy you’re here. Whether you come here to find pain relief, learn to relax, or feel a stronger sense of community, know that you are here for all the right reasons, and your timing is perfect. Welcome to the community!
OUR PURPOSE
Transforming Lives Through Yoga & Meditation
Our Mission
To foster holistic well-being by empowering individuals on their journey of self-discovery, inner peace, and personal growth through authentic yoga, meditation, and mindful living practices.
Our Vision
To cultivate a compassionate, inclusive community where people of all backgrounds can connect deeply—with themselves and one another—through the transformative power of yoga and meditation. We envision a world where these ancient practices are accessible, respected, and integrated into daily life.
Our Goals
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To offer high-quality classes, workshops, and trainings that honor the roots of yoga and support personal transformation.
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To make yoga and meditation accessible to diverse populations by removing barriers of cost, culture, or experience.
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To nurture community through shared practice, education, and service.
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To inspire mindfulness, compassion, and balance—on and off the mat.
