So, What is Yoga? 

So, What is Yoga? 

So, what is yoga to me? This is a question I first asked myself when I was in my first yoga teacher training (ytt). It’s a question that resonating the physical, mental, and spiritual, all intricately interwoven in the rich tapestry of my life. The answer, though is it is deeply personal, and is about connecting with the fundamental truths of our existence. 

In A Sense

In one sense, to me it means a community of likeminded individuals on a similar journey looking to work toward bringing mindfulness into a physical practice. There is something incredibly motivating by the power and energy in a room of practitioners. It’s energizing and euphoric. I started practicing yoga after years of understanding that I needed to find a way to calm my anxiety. 

I learned that yoga can also teach you how just your breath alone can ease anxiety through various techniques. Once I started keeping my focus on breathing, I learned that a sizable amount of my anxiety came from the habit of holding my breath. Through doing a ytt , I was able to make that discovery without judgment and just notice and move forward.

Disconnected

In my experience yoga to me is a way to disconnect from the day to day like no other practice I’ve participated in before. Turning my phone off, not watching the clock and being present in time. I actively chose to carve time to practice into my schedule and I’ve learned I only do myself a disservice by not letting go of everything outside of the studio. I have learned that it is my time to turn inward and reflect and mind my own practice. It is my time to let go and meet my body where it is and give it what it is asking for. 

Practice

Yoga is a way to use practice to check in with myself and reflect on how I am feeling mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Upon reflection it helps me redirect thoughts of “I can’t do this pose I suck” to “I can’t do this pose yet,” allowing myself grace and kindness. This mindset helps me not only in class but off the mat when I start to compare myself to anyone to redirect my thought process to something more positive. 

Confidence

Yoga to me is building confidence in myself and creating a healthier headspace. To me, Yoga is building strength physically, mentally and spiritually. It’s building awareness and kindness within myself and gaining the ability to share this with others. It is an outlet from the day-to-day world, it’s treating my body with respect, it’s a way to relieve stress, and so much more.

Yoga to me is a practice where you take what you give and give what you take. It normalizes not being at one hundred percent, one hundred percent of the time. Yoga is offering and receiving energy from those around you. It is taking what you learn on the mat and bringing it into your daily life wherever and however you see fit.  To me it is investing in yourself, your wellbeing and your health on various levels of humanity. In a way, Yoga to me is whatever I want it to be at any given time.

In Conclusion

Doing a ytt, I have learned yoga is a beautiful convergence of body, mind, and spirit. A potent testament to the transformative power of introspection and the human capacity for growth. It is a pathway to self-discovery, a journey into the soul, where we take the time to listen to our innermost voices and heed their wisdom. Yoga is about acknowledging the complexity of our existence, recognizing our strengths and weaknesses without judgment, and gradually fostering a profound sense of acceptance and compassion towards ourselves.

Through yoga, I’ve learned the power of presence, the art of immersing myself fully in each moment. And how this conscious connection to the present anchors me amidst life’s tumultuous waves. It’s a testament to the beauty of human resilience and the remarkable power of breath.