Yoga & Life

Yoga enforces a mind-body-spirit connection and encourages us to practice stillness and serenity, however, the correlation between yoga and life is, in fact, quite parallel. A key characteristic to maintain through the ebb and flow of life is strength. We need to be physically strong, emotionally strong, and spiritually strong time and time again, and these qualities are tested quite often. Physical strength allows us to get out of bed every morning and begin a new day. It allows us to proceed through that day with our heads held high while we learn the easy, yet challenging, task of always putting one foot in front of the other. In yoga as we learn the most basic of poses, we are told to stand tall and strong, as in mountain pose (tadasana). We must plant our feet and extend the crown of our heads to stand tall. Our muscles are engaged and our hands, with open palms, point down to the ground, extended, and also strong.

Emotions run high through life and through the practice of yoga. Love, hate, frustration or discomfort are common, but in yoga what we learn can help us in life. There will always be times in life where we feel uncomfortable but must calm our minds and practice stillness in these moments, knowing they will pass. There are commonly new poses or stretches in yoga that are most definitely uncomfortable, but as long as they aren't causing pain, it's important to find stillness and breathe into the stretch. We are taught to send our breath to the different sensations we feel and ultimately practice stillness. Our natural inclination to fight, or flight, takes action when we are faced with hardships, but the same stands true in yoga. When something is comfortable, we want to rest, to take it easy, to enter a pose passively rather than actively, but if we fight it, if we hold on and allow our bodies to fight the urge to stop, we will feel better in the end. 

"Those that seek out yoga don't do it just to stretch, they do it to find something more, to connect spiritually with power." These were the words of my instructor this morning and it rang true to me as her words touched my ears. I am and have been trying to make time for more spiritual power, more prayer and reflection into my life everyday, and by setting an intention for each class and meditating while focusing on my breath, I am connecting with my prana, (energy) with my beliefs and with myself. I am aware of my feelings, of my strong and weak areas, and aware of my spiritual connection as my mind and body connect and find peace.

During yoga class, we are pulled and prodded, poked and patted. Encouragement to reach a certain pose is constant, and welcomed, and the feeling of achievement overcomes me like a rush after I've done something I think I cannot do. You don't have to be flexible to do yoga, but you become flexible after your muscles are warm and your prana is flowing. As I leave the yoga studio and enter back into my daily activities, I am indeed flexible. I must be in order to get everything done that needs to be done. Things change, plans change, unexpected things happen and as humans we must approach the situation and flow with these changes. What I learn on the mat in stillness and strength as my eyes are transfixed on a drishti point is carried with me off the mat and through life. My physical, emotional, and spiritual strength, and sometimes weaknesses, are connected even more so to to a mind-body-spirit connection. I am focused, I practice my patience and revisit the intentions I set during practice. I am calm. I am aware of my breath and of my being in this universe. I am learning and loving the connection between my mind, my body, my spirit, and my life.

"You are enough. You have enough. You are divine."