Oh yeah, it's Yoga…really.

So, I’ve been thinking…

Been getting a bunch of questions lately about why I love yoga. Interestingly and not by coincidence, I’m sure, one of MY yoga teachers asked me to come up with a definition of what I’d say to someone who asked me what yoga is.

Don’t ‘cha just love when that kind of stuff happens?

So back to my original statement…I’ve been thinking…

What I can tell you is what yoga is to me, personally. And, honestly, to me it has so many layers I feel like I’m learning something new every practice.

To me, yoga is always inclusive and is always available to anyone at any time. That is one of the reasons I love it so much. It’s a constant for me, in my life, and I can go as deeply into it as I choose on any given day at any given time.

It is unity of body, mind and spirit.

When I do yoga, I’m so intent on the asana at hand and on the breath, there is no focus on the future or the past. It almost forces me to be present in only that moment and when that happens, all anxiety, worry or any THING that has my mind in its grips, is released.

It’s so very healthy for my body. I’m sweating. I’m moving my body. I’m getting stronger and more open. And there’s this cool thing that happens. When my body opens and those hard places of tension are relaxed I start to feel the strength in the very fibers of my muscles and in the very core of my bones. When THAT happens, my whole self, my spirit, my heart, opens up and everything falls into alignment. Body, mind and spirit all connect up and I feel such love and peace. I feel a clarity and a deeper knowledge of who I am. I feel free and whole.

There is no doubt in my mind that yoga changes people from the inside out and from the outside in. It brings us into a new awareness of our purpose and place on the planet and brings us into a deeper knowledge of who we are. It illuminates and enhances our vision so we see more clearly.

If I had to give a short answer, I guess I’d say…

Yoga is about love…it is that thing that ultimately opens our hearts, refines our minds, purifies and strengthens our bodies and allows our spirits to soar, freely, and to love without condition.

There you have it…my interpretation of what yoga is.

I’m curious, though…what does it mean to you?

{ 1 comment }