“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self”
-The Bhagavad Gita
The practice of yoga is one of the oldest forms of meditation. It has the power to clear and calm the body, mind and soul, like nothing else on earth! There are many different styles of yoga, each with its own different set of movements and breathing patterns. Some yoga may be intimidating for those just starting out but fear not… There is a style for yoga for every BODY and level of experience. This mystical practice is accessible to all types of people from all walks of life, and everyone can reap the benefits of even just a few days a week of practice.
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As we move through our busy days, we accumulate all kinds of stress and tension in the body and in the mind. This stuck, stagnant energy can show up as stiff muscles, achy joints, an upset stomach or just a racing mind that won’t quit. People may go weeks, months or even years without cleaning and clearing this negativity out.
This is how disease manifests itself in the body and how we end up getting stuck in unhealthy ways of living. But by stretching, breathing deeply and cultivating the witness in your mind, you give yourself the opportunity to process and heal what you’ve been holding onto, and start living a rich, healthy, intentional life.
Yoga and meditation are one in the same, yet they can have different forms. When we move through a physical yoga practice, we are in a moving meditation. Meaning that we stay present and conscious of the breath, the fluctuations of the mind, all the sensations of the body and even any disturbances in our environment. Yet the same goes for when we sit in a formal meditation practice, or engage in a walking meditation… even washing your dishes or cleaning your car can be a powerful meditative experience.
Related Post: YOUR YOGA JOURNEY: Four Life Skills I Learned From Yoga
The magic of yoga and meditation is that you can take it with you into the world… in fact, you’re supposed to! Yoga doesn’t just happen on your mat and meditation doesn’t only happen on your meditation pillow. That deep yogic breath that we use on the mat, you can bring with you in your car driving to work or during an important meeting or while you help your kids do their homework. We do these practices of yoga and meditation in order to stay cool, calm and collected, – or at least just present- with whatever happens to us out in the world. Standing on your head in yoga is awesome and seeing colors in meditation is exciting but unless you can show up as a calm, loving, fully conscious person outside, then you might need some more practice.
Life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to what happens to us. Going through life without a consistent self-care routine is going to make things much harder… you simply cannot pour from an empty cup. Therefore, it is important to make time for yourself regularly. We shower daily (hopefully!) and clean our homes regularly… we must start considering the mind and the body need to be cleansed too.
Love yourself enough to commit to practicing yoga or meditation or both, regularly. A consistent yoga practice will give you a strong, flexible, balanced body. A purposeful meditation practice, whether that be sitting or walking or painting, will give you a calm and powerful mind. Training ourselves to be here now and to not be so reactive to what happens to us will drastically improve the quality of our life.
So, what are you waiting for?
Today is a great day to start that journey of the self, through the self, to the self.
Namaste.
