Yoga for me…
Yoga for me began as and continues to be an escape for my mind, a transformation for my physical body, and a vacation for my spirit. It elegantly balances all three much like a ballerina tiptoes across a room. I was searching for a way to quiet my thoughts, strengthen my core and limbs in order to protect my spine and prevent any further back pain, and to free my soul from the negative vibrations, that unfortunately surround us daily.
Authenticity
I practice with AUTHENTICITY. Authenticity is something that is lacking in our world today. I have grown to feel comfortable and secure with myself. (Finally!) In my practice, I do only what my body allows me to do at that very moment without competing against myself or others, hence, staying authentic to my body. In my daily life, I am exactly the same person when I teach as I am when I spend time alone or with friends, therefore, staying authentic to myself.
It is disheartening to hear or experience role models or instructors acting completely different from who they are in their “role model or instructor persona.” We have to be the example and teach each other that we must strive to be the best version of ourselves at ALL times, not only when it suits us. Only then will our authenticity be able to spread as an energy, across continents, awakening and inspiring this entire world to become more authentic in the process. You know what I mean?
Yoga means something different to everyone. The amazing thing about it is that you can start for one particular reason and without thinking about it, you reap all the benefits of it all at the same time!
MIND- Meditative – The Silence
For many, meditation is a word that triggers many ambivalent thoughts. Upon hearing the word, you may imagine an old yoga master on a mountaintop, sitting quietly, for hours, looking peaceful, and not concerned with bills, children, work, and any other problems in the world. In a more modern world, you may imagine someone who wakes up every morning and meditates, thus having “their life together,” being organized, getting work done, having dinner on the table every night, and so on.
In reality, or in my words, mediation is any moment in time, where you can quiet your mind, turn inward, hear and feel your body and your breath, acknowledge noises, feelings, and thoughts around you that float inside your mind and then watch them float right back out. It is YOUR time. Your time to escape from the thoughts and free your mind even for just 5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be for hours
BODY- Physical Practice – The Transformation
The physical practice of yoga came to be, in a nutshell, so that when meditating, the body felt limber and was able to hold a tall spine for whatever amount of time we were meditating. Even hours! As the physical practice developed, it began to heal areas of weakness and pain. It strengthened the core, that in turn kept the spine safe. It strengthened the muscles around the knees, which in turn kept the knees safe. You get my point.
Now, the physical practice still does all of this and more! It opens the heart and chest up when it is used to being inverted at a desk all day, stretches the toes and the bottoms of the feet when we stand all day, and strengthens the core and abdominals so that when a woman gives birth to a child, her recovery time is much less painful. Just to mention a few…
The physical practice is at times linked to breath. A vinyasa flow practice links breath to movement. As we travel upward, we inhale slowly. As we travel towards the earth, we exhale slowly. It holds a lovely rhythm which in turn, becomes meditative. The only thing we should think about is our breath as we move. Do you see how meditation just sneaks right in there? That’s it! You are beginning to see added benefits, without even thinking about it!
Spirit – The Vacation
In daily life, our spirit is moving up and down with the experiences it encounters. Daily energies are being transferred in and out like shopping centers during the last days of Christmas. Push and pull, up and down, positive and negative and so on. Do you recognize how hard it is for this sweet spirit to hold a positive vibration constantly as it battles with negative energies and trying to keep its temple safe? Yikes!
In yoga, our spirit inhales every single positive vibration that is accessible to man. It exhales all of the negative thoughts and feelings out of its temple. By the end, you are full of life and light as a feather. Goodbye darkness, hello light. It is as if our spirit is on a secluded beach in Hawaii and unites with mother earth, the wind, and the fire of the sun to recharge until the next opportunity. Who doesn’t love a good vacation?
Magical Things Will Happen
When a steady practice develops, our mind begins to enter a process called health. Yoga is clearly perceived by the entire world as a holistic manner in which we heal our bodies. Because doing yoga feels so positive for our mind, body, and spirit, we want to treat those three things better than we have been.
The magic begins when we start to choose:
- A juicy apple instead of potato chips
- Homemade soup instead of a store-bought sandwich
- Dates and nuts instead of sugary desserts
You know what I mean?
Yellow Your Yoga means to identify the magical place, which lies inside your 3rd chakra and Core Self, that offers you Confidence, Strength, Creativity and the Will to accept your mind, body, and spirit in the present moment.
Yellow Your Yoga means to be genuinely HAPPY for breath, mobility, and human cognition. Discover all that already exists inside you and how it can ignite again and again with the guidance of a little yoga and a little yellow.
If you are looking to quiet your mind, change and strengthen your physical body, and go on a little spiritual vacation (without paying thousands of dollars), then yoga is for you and I look forward to sharing the knowledge and the yellow I hold (and continue to discover) with all of you!
Look at my events page in Athens for 2019