Do you practice yoga?
I do. I absolutely love it. I have been practicing yoga for about a decade now and it has made a significant difference in my life, work, body, mind & soul. I first started yoga years ago for physical reasons. My writing and other computer work were taking their toll on my body— especially my wrists, forearms, upper arms, shoulders, and neck.
I soon realized, however, that the merits of yoga go far beyond the physical benefits of stretching, building strength and muscle toning. Yoga also gave me the gift of quieting my mind…even if it was, in the early days, only in 10-second increments once a week. And then, somewhere along the line, yoga also became a portal of sorts…a way in which I could tap into both my own inner wisdom, as well as guidance from a higher source.
Implementing a self-guided morning yoga practice at home, as part of my daily pre-work routine, has been a game-changer for me.
But I still love—and benefit greatly from—a guided yoga practice (by a trained yoga instructor) once or twice a week. That is when I find I can truly slow down…physically and mentally. When left to my own devices at home, I don’t hold the poses nearly long enough.
Over the years, I have had many wise and wonderful yoga instructors and have incorporated some of what they have taught me into my home routine.
One of my instructors at my current studio, Yoga Grace, is Rob. He teaches Gentle Hatha. I always leave Rob’s classes feeling calmer, significantly more relaxed…and a little bit wiser, too. I find the insights he shares during class are often exactly what I needed to hear on any given day.
Sometimes we don’t even know what our question is…until we hear the answer.
When COVID19 hit and the studio had to temporarily close its doors, they immediately offered free on-line classes so we could continue our yoga practice at home. I have been doing just that.
Here is a sampling of some of Rob’s insights from his on-line class:
“What’s showing up for you today? Is the mind distracted? Are there emotions bubbling to the surface? It’s all perfectly normal. We’re just allowing everything that is showing up to run its course.”
“Remember everything is cyclical in nature. So regardless of where you are in your cycle, there is always the next stage coming just behind it…you are harvesting, you are taking all the learning from the last stage we are coming out of. What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about life? What’s important to you? What would you like to leave behind?”
This pandemic is a perfect opportunity for reflection and analysis. I for one am paying close attention to what is bubbling to the surface, what is working, what isn’t…and what is best left behind as I prepare to move forward to whatever the next stage is.
Namaste.
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Previously Published on Pink Gazelle
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