Yoga; The Journey Within
Art by Lea Androić
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self”
-The Bhagavad Gita
When practicing yoga it’s important to figure out what your relationship with it is. Why did you start in the first place? What does yoga mean to you? What’s the reason you keep showing up to practice? Why do you book classes? How do you use yoga in a way that suits you? If you studied it, why did you study it? If you share it, why do you share it? How do you share it? What are your intentions with it? How do you express it in a way that’s authentic to who you are as a person?
Throughout the years I’ve noticed so many posts that say that the yoga we practice in gyms isn’t yoga, or not including chanting is a sign of ignorance, and many other opinions along the same lines, when in reality, although yoga is universal, not everything within it is for everyone to master. Having a yoga practice is what it is, a practice, the reason why we show up is because we internally feel the difference in ourselves, we experience benefits every time first hand in our body, or mind, or both. Many of these posts feel judgmental within the yoga community which is the complete opposite of what it’s supposed to be.
The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’, meaning union, the union of the body, mind and spirit. In the modern world we can find so many people around the world who have a yoga practice. So many people of so many different cultures, faiths, beliefs, and outlooks, and yet all practice yoga. Even though I’ve studied yoga, and have respect for it’s teachings, I feel like in the modern world today, being a part of the yoga community isn’t about striving to become the guru who has mastered it all, I believe it’s about adapting it to who you are in a way that aligns with you in body, mind, and spirit. Adapting it in a way that aligns with your culture, faith, beliefs and how you show up in the world as your most aligned self. I believe that this is the most authentic way we can express yoga.
Whether people approach it spiritually, therapeutically, as a fitness routine, or even as a way to deal with a racing mind, everyone who practices yoga ends up finding union in their body mind & spirit in a way that resonates with them. Which is exactly what the root of yoga is.
Ask yourself these questions when you show up to your practice, see what answers show up for you, see what aligns with you and what doesn’t, and there’s absolutely no shame in choosing to keep something out of your practice if it doesn’t align with you. It doesn’t mean your ignorant or unaware. The way you keep yourself aligned doesn’t have to be understood by anyone else but you. Your yoga practice is about who you are, and about how you want to connect with yourself.
To me this is what differentiates yoga from any other fitness routine, it’s a full body experience. If you practice for an hour, it’s a whole hour of self study. A whole hour of being observant, the mind sinks into the body and you begin to think with the heart, the spine, the hands and feet. A full hour of developing a full body awareness and always checking in with where you’re at, if you can go deeper into a pose or if you need to take a step back.
In my opinion, yoga is one of the most beautiful ways to develop a mind body connection. The more you water it with love and attention and the more you show up for yourself, the more you’ll watch yourself bloom. Your body will be more open, your mind will become more observant of everything around you, you become more comfortable and confident with the way your body wants to move. You’ll start to notice the awareness in your hands and feet again, and you’ll start to feel yourself connecting with your inner child again. You’ll start experimenting with poses and stretches, you’ll start to see your body get more flexible, and your mind will follow too.. With an open body, you’ll have an open heart, with an open heart you’ll get an open mind, and with an open mind you’ll feel as if your eyes are more open, and the world will be more colorful. That last bit felt like a mouthful to say, but I guess all I’m trying to say is that it’s true when they say that yoga isn’t about touching your toes, it’s about what you learn on the way down.
Your yoga practice is personal to who you are. As long as the union you find within yourself comes from an authentic place of what makes you comfortable, it will always be radiant and true. And if you share it, like I do, that authenticity will always attract those whose values align with yours, trusting you to be their guide of their flow of the day.
