Yoga is a physical practice with physiological, emotional and spiritual benefits.
It involves stretching, breathing, building incredible strength in your body and developing equanimity in your mind--and sometimes can involve sitting still and standing on your head!! The word yoga literally translates as 'union' or the yoking of opposites.
Yoga will empower you to bring balance into your life.
Whatever level you are at in your yoga practice, each day you do yoga is different than the last.
And the myriad of benefits is dynamic as well.
Yes, you will get in great shape: building lean muscle tone from the full range of motion involved in yoga, increasing your metabolism therefore burning more fat and slimming down to a weight that is natural for your frame, increasing flexibility and cultivating a strong, supple spine.
But even more importantly, with a regular yoga practice you can develop a deep and compassionate relationship with yourself--a relationship that will not be tenuous, or at the mercy of the inevitable ebbs and flows of positive events in your life.
So, how does yoga connect me with myself? There are a lot of things going on simultaneously when you practice yoga.
Let's look at them individually for a moment.
On a physical level a yoga class consists of a series of postures (asanas) that you move into, hold and move out of--all the while maintaining a deep, calm, continuous breath.
The integration of rhythmic breathing and movement is key to moving deeply into your body and your experience and receiving the benefits of yoga.
What is happening in my body when I do yoga? Physically the postures strengthen your muscles, lengthen and elongate your spine and increase overall flexibility in your body.
On a physiological level this allows your body to release tension, muscle by muscle, that is stored in the body as a result of the contrast you encounter in your everyday life.
Psychologically as you do your yoga practice daily you engender a sense of trust and competency in yourself.
You start to believe in your abilities.
Instead of folding and saying, "Oh, I can't do this," you stay with the posture and in a safe and controlled way you explore it.
This fosters a self-confidence that will envelope and dissolve the negative self-talk that may have been a life-long habit.
And since the postures themselves are never-ending, each person along a lifetime can find new levels of exploration in a posture and therefore always encounter spaces for growth, challenge and self-trust.
There are physical, physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits of the breath work component of yoga as well.
On a physical level, deep, long nostril breathing creates a calm thread, a seamless rhythm for the mind to relax upon--imagine a boat on soft waves--while you are doing your practice.
This allows the mind to quiet.
When a busy mind is able to quiet you are able to sink into the moment.
Those moments calm and rejuvenate your spirit.
Not worrying about tomorrow or lamenting yesterday.
Instead, it's experiencing yourself and your body right now.
Physiologically, this kind of predictable breathing brings a constant flow of fresh oxygen to all the cells of your body, allowing oxygenated blood to flood your muscles, organs and brain.
Many people hold their breath as they go throughout their day.
Deep breath can create a sense of euphoria and well-being at the same time as it will feed the cells of your body so you can do the physical work of stretching, holding and opening in your practice.
Psychologically and spiritually a long, deep calm breath acts as a continuous, unbreakable thread that weaves through your practice, your day, your life--no matter what is happening in your world.
Life events, emotional or interpersonal fluctuations, happiness and sadness, disappointment and elation, joyous surprise and despair--life moves past you as a never-ending tapestry being woven in front of your eyes.
Instead of being tossed helplessly by each event--up and down, back and forth like a buoy on a raging ocean--your breath: long, continuous and calm keeps your mind calm and your body fed so you can experience your life instead of being victim to its events.
Your breath creates a connection to yourself that allows your eternal spirit, that part of you that sees it all and knows all is truly well in your world, to thrive no matter what life offers you.
So--what happens when you bring these postures and the breath together? A yoga class happens.
You can do yoga alone or with a class.
When you begin you may feel fearful or worried, "what if I can't do it?" There is nothing to 'be done'.
You practice yoga to explore yourself, strengthen your body and calm your mind.
If someone is more flexible than you are all that means is that they have to go further to find sensation.
And the same thing is happening for everyone--we all reach for that place of sensation, breathe and play with creating space, moving a little deeper, noticing what feelings and thoughts we encounter at this place, and enjoying the feeling of being entirely in the moment, in sync with our bodies, breath and spirit.
It involves stretching, breathing, building incredible strength in your body and developing equanimity in your mind--and sometimes can involve sitting still and standing on your head!! The word yoga literally translates as 'union' or the yoking of opposites.
Yoga will empower you to bring balance into your life.
Whatever level you are at in your yoga practice, each day you do yoga is different than the last.
And the myriad of benefits is dynamic as well.
Yes, you will get in great shape: building lean muscle tone from the full range of motion involved in yoga, increasing your metabolism therefore burning more fat and slimming down to a weight that is natural for your frame, increasing flexibility and cultivating a strong, supple spine.
But even more importantly, with a regular yoga practice you can develop a deep and compassionate relationship with yourself--a relationship that will not be tenuous, or at the mercy of the inevitable ebbs and flows of positive events in your life.
So, how does yoga connect me with myself? There are a lot of things going on simultaneously when you practice yoga.
Let's look at them individually for a moment.
On a physical level a yoga class consists of a series of postures (asanas) that you move into, hold and move out of--all the while maintaining a deep, calm, continuous breath.
The integration of rhythmic breathing and movement is key to moving deeply into your body and your experience and receiving the benefits of yoga.
What is happening in my body when I do yoga? Physically the postures strengthen your muscles, lengthen and elongate your spine and increase overall flexibility in your body.
On a physiological level this allows your body to release tension, muscle by muscle, that is stored in the body as a result of the contrast you encounter in your everyday life.
Psychologically as you do your yoga practice daily you engender a sense of trust and competency in yourself.
You start to believe in your abilities.
Instead of folding and saying, "Oh, I can't do this," you stay with the posture and in a safe and controlled way you explore it.
This fosters a self-confidence that will envelope and dissolve the negative self-talk that may have been a life-long habit.
And since the postures themselves are never-ending, each person along a lifetime can find new levels of exploration in a posture and therefore always encounter spaces for growth, challenge and self-trust.
There are physical, physiological, psychological and spiritual benefits of the breath work component of yoga as well.
On a physical level, deep, long nostril breathing creates a calm thread, a seamless rhythm for the mind to relax upon--imagine a boat on soft waves--while you are doing your practice.
This allows the mind to quiet.
When a busy mind is able to quiet you are able to sink into the moment.
Those moments calm and rejuvenate your spirit.
Not worrying about tomorrow or lamenting yesterday.
Instead, it's experiencing yourself and your body right now.
Physiologically, this kind of predictable breathing brings a constant flow of fresh oxygen to all the cells of your body, allowing oxygenated blood to flood your muscles, organs and brain.
Many people hold their breath as they go throughout their day.
Deep breath can create a sense of euphoria and well-being at the same time as it will feed the cells of your body so you can do the physical work of stretching, holding and opening in your practice.
Psychologically and spiritually a long, deep calm breath acts as a continuous, unbreakable thread that weaves through your practice, your day, your life--no matter what is happening in your world.
Life events, emotional or interpersonal fluctuations, happiness and sadness, disappointment and elation, joyous surprise and despair--life moves past you as a never-ending tapestry being woven in front of your eyes.
Instead of being tossed helplessly by each event--up and down, back and forth like a buoy on a raging ocean--your breath: long, continuous and calm keeps your mind calm and your body fed so you can experience your life instead of being victim to its events.
Your breath creates a connection to yourself that allows your eternal spirit, that part of you that sees it all and knows all is truly well in your world, to thrive no matter what life offers you.
So--what happens when you bring these postures and the breath together? A yoga class happens.
You can do yoga alone or with a class.
When you begin you may feel fearful or worried, "what if I can't do it?" There is nothing to 'be done'.
You practice yoga to explore yourself, strengthen your body and calm your mind.
If someone is more flexible than you are all that means is that they have to go further to find sensation.
And the same thing is happening for everyone--we all reach for that place of sensation, breathe and play with creating space, moving a little deeper, noticing what feelings and thoughts we encounter at this place, and enjoying the feeling of being entirely in the moment, in sync with our bodies, breath and spirit.
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