What is Yoga?
There are thousands of books on the market which can explain what yoga is much better than I can.
The Science of Yoga is vast; the history, the tradition, the old scripts, the different branches, the old masters, the body postures, the breathing exercises...
But let's first bring it down to the mat and the physical part of yoga since that's mainly what I focus on (like most teachers and schools in the western world).
On the mat yoga can look like fun, exhausting, sweaty, interesting, soft, intense, playful, pleasurable and many other things,
but the essence of yoga is not in what is seen, the essence is inside each person, in the personal experience of every body posture, of every breath, of every moment. The essence is in the awareness of the human experience as an expression of source.
I usually start my yoga practice by relaxing and becoming aware of the breath. Then gentle movements to slowly open our bodies, still keeping that awareness of the breath which makes us more present in the moment which in turn makes us move more mindfully. Awareness of body, breath, mind and spirit is the very thing that differs yoga from the workout in the gym. Mindfully we move, stretch, bend and balance in the different postures in a practice that can be anything from soft and gentle to intense and dynamic to therapeutic and healing.
The Science of Yoga is vast; the history, the tradition, the old scripts, the different branches, the old masters, the body postures, the breathing exercises...
But let's first bring it down to the mat and the physical part of yoga since that's mainly what I focus on (like most teachers and schools in the western world).
On the mat yoga can look like fun, exhausting, sweaty, interesting, soft, intense, playful, pleasurable and many other things,
but the essence of yoga is not in what is seen, the essence is inside each person, in the personal experience of every body posture, of every breath, of every moment. The essence is in the awareness of the human experience as an expression of source.
I usually start my yoga practice by relaxing and becoming aware of the breath. Then gentle movements to slowly open our bodies, still keeping that awareness of the breath which makes us more present in the moment which in turn makes us move more mindfully. Awareness of body, breath, mind and spirit is the very thing that differs yoga from the workout in the gym. Mindfully we move, stretch, bend and balance in the different postures in a practice that can be anything from soft and gentle to intense and dynamic to therapeutic and healing.
For whom is Yoga?
Yoga is for everybody. Everybody might not like yoga but everybody can do yoga. As long as you can breathe you can do yoga. One conscious breath is yoga, a conscious step, a word or action that springs out of awareness is yoga.
Yoga is for anybody who wishes to increase body awareness, strength, flexibility and balance. It is for anyone who wishes to explore and challenge imaginary limits of the body/mind structure and go a little further. It is for the ones who seek meditation, self investigation and enlightenment. It is for the stiff, the flexible, the hurt, the injured, the sick, the healthy, the young, the old, the skinny, the fat, the heart broken, the rich, the poor... and anyone else!
Yoga is for anybody who wishes to increase body awareness, strength, flexibility and balance. It is for anyone who wishes to explore and challenge imaginary limits of the body/mind structure and go a little further. It is for the ones who seek meditation, self investigation and enlightenment. It is for the stiff, the flexible, the hurt, the injured, the sick, the healthy, the young, the old, the skinny, the fat, the heart broken, the rich, the poor... and anyone else!
Why do Yoga?
There are many researches these days proving the benefits of yoga. For example they say yoga increases the circulation of blood, lymph and energy and supports the body's self healing potentials. It is good for the heart, the brain, the inner organs and muscles, tendons and sceleton. Yoga has also proved to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and even more serious psycological health problems. The reasons to do yoga are as many as there are yoga practitioners! But to mention a few; yoga most often leaves a feeling of relaxation, contentment, inner strength and joy. We walk away from our practice more centered, grounded, mindful and often with a smile on our face. And there is a big chance this stays with us during the day, spreading like ripples on the water to those with whom we interconnect in our every day life.
Why not?
Yes, why not? Why not challenge yourself and get out of the comfort zone? Why not try something new that might be really good for you? Why not move in a way that respects and serves you and your body? Why not honor your body as the temple of your soul?
And for those who have already tried and knows it is good: Why not take that extra little time to get back on the mat and practice? What little rearrangement of your busy schedule is requiered? Sometimes we need a little push and just get up and do it until it becomes a nourishing habit we don't want to be without.
And for those who have already tried and knows it is good: Why not take that extra little time to get back on the mat and practice? What little rearrangement of your busy schedule is requiered? Sometimes we need a little push and just get up and do it until it becomes a nourishing habit we don't want to be without.
Photo: (top) Didier Pruvot
(small) Aga Vassalos
(small) Aga Vassalos