My Path To Yoga

My Path To Yoga

Lululemon about 5 years ago  organized a free 75-minute yoga class on a field for the summer solstice. As it was organized by Lulu, it was a little commercialized, but as one thousand people showed up. The whole field was covered in yoga mats and the yogis in which they belonged. 

Two Hours

After about 2 hours of waiting, stretching, and bathroom breaks, the yoga class started. It took a while to get everyone on the same page, but overall it was an amazing class. This wasn’t because of the teacher, or the outdoor space, but because of the unison.

Everyone was flowing through the same poses at the same time. All of us together—the whole field! It felt as though we were sharing something—almost the same body or the same breath. I felt very connected.

However, it wasn’t until we all got into tree pose when I had, what I think was a moment of enlightenment. I think at that moment in time, I felt, what I think is, my own personal definition of yoga and what led me to take a yoga teacher training (ytt).

Mudras

Once everyone got into tree pose, we were instructed to keep our hands in prayer position. Then, we were instructed, staying in tree pose, to touch our neighbor’s palms. This made two prayer mudras on either side of us; each made up of one of our own hands and one of our neighbor’s hand.

Connection

This enhanced the connection I felt, as we were now all physically connected with each other. I felt grounded, supported by my neighbors (through their stability), and supported by myself (through my own stability). There was some sort of an almost indescribable energy contained in that stadium.

It felt: grounded, yet playful; calm, but exuberant; and I felt connected to everyone, but also to myself. It was as if these binaries I had created in my head, or that society had created for me, became balanced or united.

Yoga Teacher Training

That, from my experience in yoga teacher training, is what yoga is: unity, connection, and balance. This could be the connection of mind and body; connection found with others; or a balance between two opposites (like the seriousness and playfulness I felt in tree pose). 

However, like in tree pose, my mind body connection and the connection I feel with others, is not always balanced. Yet, I find when I practice yoga, I am often more balanced in all of these contexts. As I continue to practice, I hope to find further my balance, unity and connection, as well as possibly change, or expand my own personal definition of yoga.