Why I do Yoga
Most people do yoga to be flexible and strong. Some do it to be in shape, some do it to firm their bodies or simply slim down. Some do it as a 'springboard' to change their lives in a positive way.
My Story: I stumbled upon doing hatha yoga in a college gym many years ago. It was in the mid 1970’s.
The Yoga session consisted of half an hour of unfamiliar postures and me trying to flex, move and hold as instructed. I just followed the instructor and as was suggested by him, pushed myself reasonably hard (but not too hard) to align to the postures. I was a little uncomfortable, but not too much. I suppose it seemed a little strange, but I liked it.
The end of the Yoga session. As the thirty minute session concluded, the lights were dimmed and we closed by laying on our backs in the corpse pose or `savasana’ for 10 delicious minutes of a guided `letting go’. At the very end we were gently prompted to arise to a sitting position where we slowly 'reanimated'. Then on that spring evening, I walked out of the gym towards home, feeling quite relaxed...
I had `an experience'! In the five minute walk back home, the relaxed feeling kept deepening and at the same time I became very energized. I stopped under a tree in the courtyard to reflect on what was happening to me.
How to describe the experience of the moment? The leaves on the trees and the blue sky looked so rich and vibrant. I looked around at people that passed me by and they looked so soulful. OK, so the world was different, no... that could not be. Something was going on in me that enabled me to see the world in a new way. I felt very AWAKE, I felt very AWARE...
There was this organic joy that exuded out of me. I felt like I was grounded in my body, my body was grounded into the earth and my spirit was soaring. All this from my introductory Yoga class. I recognized that through this experience, my entire BEING was telling me how much it resonated with the Yoga practice. I recognized that Yoga would be my practice of honoring the innerness of me and cultivating myself as I journeyed through this world.
My ongoing yoga experiences: Rarely have I had such intense experiences like that again. However, there have been thousands of subsequent supporting experiences in the years that have passed which on a daily basis reinforce the continuity of my practice. I set aside my practice at the same time most days or when I can fit it in, that generally being a thirty minute session, five days a week.
What are more of the benefits and experiences that I (and others) commonly have?
Physical: I can better handle the pressures of my day job, or my other responsibilities. I just have extra energy or clarity or I have bursts of energy throughout the day and after work find I may not need to rest. My body feels lighter (it is lighter) and when I bend or exert myself, I feel the difference. Maybe others perceive me in a more favorable light as well.
Mental: I have more energy so I have more energy to think. Sometimes during a session as I mull over a problem or issue, a shift happens and the answer appears. Sometimes during the day the answer appears that might not have otherwise. I see relations between at first seemingly unrelated events and ideas. By sinking into the postures, the stress of the day dissolves. It can be a great transition from work to the rest of the day. Or from awakening to beginning the day.
Emotional: I feel strengthened and relaxed and notice that my feelings are more buoyant. It is easier to connect and relate to my friends and community. Maybe sometime during the day I have an experience that I would not otherwise have of seeing and connecting with the uniqueness of someone, or have an experience of clarity or gratitude.
Spiritual/Energetic: Sometimes there are moments where I sense a wonderful depth inside of me.
Devidas Varga is a yoga enthusiast and publisher of TakeTimeYoga.com, which is all about how to begin yoga. He has maintained a practice of yoga and meditation for 30 years, living in Ashrams in India and the United States for a decade. He has immersed himself in many styles and promotes the life affirming effects yoga offers.
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