Yoga is changing my life

Yoga is changing my life; my body and my mind. For 90min, 3-4X a week, yoga is medicine for the soul, and is helping me practice:

Being gentle and not force any situation, pose, or muscle:

Not forcing doesn't mean not trying. Yoga has taught me to push just enough! Enough meaning if you pushed a little, you would see progress over the long run. Yoga has taught me to think long term and to quit trying to get there quickly. Excellent work or progress requires practice and patience. 

The harmonizing of opposing forces is a key aspect of yoga — hot energy is united with cool energy, strong with soft, and masculine with feminine.

– Tara Fraser

Self-discovery and not comparing:

When I first started practicing yoga, I always looked at those around me to see how to do the moves. It drove me crazy. Often the people I watched didn't know the steps or were four levels ahead, and I would end up feeling confused and soar. During these moments, I was reminded that everyone is different, our levels of flexibility, tenure with the practice, our mood that specific day, and so much more. We all see the work (the practice) differently and approach it differently. So I decided to tap into myself instead, try to pay attention, learn. 

Yoga is not about touching your toes, it is what you learn on the way down.

– Jigar Gor

Listening, deeply and with focus:

Once I realized I couldn't use the visual cues around me to practice, I tapped into my listening skills. I tried to zone everything out, those around me, and the thoughts in my head to catch every single word the instructor provided us. I had to clear my head and focus. (side note: to get a bit of help in this particular area I started experimenting with CBD + yoga and it was helpful). 

The practice of deep listening is the practice of open inquiry, without assumption or judgement.

 –Sharon Weil

Slowing down:

Slowing down allows us to focus, observe more, think deeper, asses better, and be more creative. Often I feel that if I am not running, have a million things on my to-do list, that I am not doing enough. This non-stop chase is a false sense of accomplishment; quantity does not equal quality. It isn't about the number of things you choose to do; it comes down to the impact they have, so prioritize quality over quantity, slow down, and enjoy the moment. 

All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.

– Blaise Pascal, Pensées

Being present:

For the magic of yoga to exist, you need to bring your attention to the present moment. To clear your mind, be gentle, push just enough, and genuinely listen, you need to stop obsessing about the past and worrying about the future. Practicing yoga teaches you to be in the moment to enjoy the very second you are sitting in. 

Yoga takes us to the present moment, the only place where life exists.

– Ellen Brenneman

Being kind:

Yoga teaches you to speak kindly to yourself and others. Every time you step onto the yoga mat, you are encouraged to foster a voice that doesn't harm, that turns away from self-criticism and self-injury, and toward insight. Being kind doesn't mean we don't have expectations of ourselves; it only means the best we can do is to try to get better day-by-day. 

Yoga is the unifying art of transforming dharma into action, be it through inspired thought, properly nurturing our children, a painting, a kindness or an act of peace that forever moves humanity forward.

– Micheline Berry

Like I said. Yoga is changing my life. I highly recommend a 90 min Hatha session with Charu at YogaTree, Stanyan location.