Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Yoga as a practice of love
As a recovering cynic, I am learning that we must take pleasure in the simple things in life. As I reflect on the the moments and times where I am at “my best.” And while I wish I could answer that I am at my best all the time. I simply would be lying. I think as humans we have good days and bad days. I believe that those bad days allows for the sweetness of the good days. I am truly at my best when I am practicing vinyasa flow yoga. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. These are two simple techniques that transform my life every time I practice. Why yoga? I am at my best when I practice yoga because it allows me to learn, accept, and embrace my body. On the mat I travel to a place that knows no bounds. As I inhale. I learn to accept the imperfections of my curves. I exhale the voices of popular culture. That say that fat is ugly. Love handles are not lovable. And that perfect bodies do really exist. Yoga allows me the space to truly express myself. Yoga is the expression of love. Yoga is about awareness. About the union of breathe, movement, and love. I learn to love my body in the process of yoga. I embrace it for all of its curves, love handles, and flexibility. I learn to appreciate my body during my practice. It’s all about me. The outside world means nothing. Yoga allows me to look within. I focus on the source of all of my strength and inspiration that is God, love, and the freedom of self-expression. Inhale. I become one with lightness as I inhale. Exhale. I let go of negativity, darkness, and frustration as I exhale. I imagine myself inhaling all the goodness in the world. There is good in this world. I am at my best on the mat. I am allowed to express myself creatively. Freedom is the priority on the yoga mat. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday or this morning. Yoga allows me to be in the now. And learning to be in the present allows me to show appreciation for my body, my self, and my mind. Yoga is love. Namaste.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you hermana. Yoga is definitely a practice of self-love. The challenge for me has been how to transfer what I do on the mat into the everyday. How can I be more conscious of the power of my breath on a daily basis, particularly in times of stress or anxiety?
ReplyDeleteYes, Corinne!! This is a powerful point. I, too am interested in how to live our lives on an off the mat in similar ways. How to take what we learn and makes us powerful on the mat into our every day practices & daily life. That is definitely what makes yoga (and life) such a worthy adventure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and for always enlightening me. I think we should really reflect, engage, and unpack the ways we can live our life off the mat the same way we are taught while we are on the mat. You have given me much to ponder. I am grateful for it.
Peace & love,