I remember taking my 1st yoga class in college, I was fast, it was slow, it was easy for me because I was flexible, and I thought I can be really “good" at this. As a kid, I had years of gymnastics, tap, jazz, ballet, swim team, track team, you name it, but something about yoga had me coming back. I realized it was everything that was opposite of what I was trying to do - it slowed me down, I needed grounding, and it helped me to really breathe and start my day, I felt more alive and happy. My Mom always talked about yoga when I was a little girl and when she did, she would light up, her glowing beautiful skin and the happiness exuded. Years passed, and I had forgotten about it, until yoga found me, and I too, discovered what that feeling was like. In true Cancerian form, I have always been a nurturer, and Cancer people are deemed as the “Mother” of all zodiac signs. So it was a natural progression for me to find something that I could learn in order to help to heal those in need, which really opened me up, mentally and physically, while exploring the inner core of myself in the process.
That's the beauty of yoga, it’s there for everyone, at any age, at any time, and anywhere. Yoga for me is kind of like 'church' if you will, it’s a routine thing that I do and go out to do by myself or with others. It’s the time I take out of my day to truly honor me & the state of mind that I’m in. I feel a closeness & solidarity with my community and to a higher essence of myself and who we are as a whole. Taking a moment to breathe with intention and just “be” makes me feel sparkly inside, I literally feel something vibing inside me. After class I smile more, I feel more alive, I want to connect, and feel more at ease.
Through breath work we get to slow down and come back to the simple postures and shine in our meditative state. But you don’t have to go to a yoga studio to take a class, you can watch a video, listen to a recorded meditation, or do your own practice in the privacy of your own living room in your pajamas. Yoga is a state of being, it is only 1 of the 8 limbs of Patanjali. Our Western way of thinking, has us visually body conscious and Instagram obsessed, with thousands of images showing off extreme poses. Yet, we tend to get wrapped up in that and forget that YOGA - in essence is much more than what we see in the physical world, and much of that too is not being shown simply because it’s simply not sensational. Difficult yoga poses or super flexible people aren’t better yogis per se, simply taking shapes does not encompass all that yoga is or can be. When you live life through yoga your thoughts and your words shift, you realize it’s how you live daily on and off of your mat while wearing Lululemons or not. Every expression of yoga is special and unique, living and breathing it into our daily lives any way we seem fit, is perfect just the way it is.
