Yoga is like sex. You can read about it, hear about it, and see other people do it, but until you experience it firsthand, yourself, you don’t really understand it. So what is emotion all about? Why is yoga showing up everywhere, from car ads to executive meetings? Why do airlines present it to their passengers and why does it appear on Oprah? Children are doing it in schools; amateur athletes are doing it, including pregnant women and people in wheelchairs. There must be something very seductive about yoga!
If you do yoga, you know it’s seductive. That delicious feeling of stretching from the inside out; that soothing sensation like warm honey flowing through energized limbs; and the “great reward” at the end of a practice: floating towards infinity. You can’t access this in pictures, and yoga is not a spectator sport. The real experience is only available to you if you actually do yoga.
Yoga is not just about the beautiful bodies of die-hard yogis and yoginis, although physical fitness is definitely one of the main rewards, yoga is a path to that illusory center that we all seek… it is a path to peace inside. Thousands of people draw us to yoga because we need it; we long for what yoga has to offer and deeply need the body-mind-spirit connection we experience when we practice the 5,000-year-old art of yoga.
Increased strength and flexibility, relief from headaches, back problems, sleep disorders, and stress-related issues; deep relaxation, feeling energized, powerful, peaceful and centered… Sound good? These are just some of the countless benefits of a yoga practice. Life is so much easier when we feel comfortable in our bodies, relaxed in spirit, and come from a peaceful place of inner power. Our days become more pleasant and relaxed. Our relationships become deeper and more sensitive. The world seems to be more manageable, and instead of being reactive, we become positively proactive.
Many people come to yoga for the first time for physical reasons. They want to find relief from back pain or they want to lose weight. They see the external benefits of a yoga practice, but just like sex, the internal experience is what keeps them coming back for more.
“This all sounds good,” you say, “but I haven’t bent forward or touched the ground since I was 12. Sure, it seems like a good thing to try, but I haven’t exercised since high school! I’d be ashamed if If I were seen in those tight yoga clothes…or worse, in a yoga class, I’d look ridiculous!” I’ve heard it all… and there’s always a way. Don’t let your chattering mind or his fragile ego keep you from discovering the treasures you’ll find through yoga. Yoga is accessible to everyone. All you need to do is make the decision to go for it.
Regardless of your physical ability, yoga can be tailored to be accessible to you. If you have physical problems, you can do yoga sitting in a chair. Even those who are bedridden can do yoga and we can all benefit greatly from “pranayama”, the yoga of the breath.
Too busy? Integrate it into your day with stretches sitting at your computer, on the plane, or while standing in line at the bank. Yoga can be subtle, internal and powerful. As you might suspect, I never take “No” for an answer. There is always a way to do yoga.
Here are some tips to ease your entry into the world of yoga:
The first step is commitment. My first yoga class was a rude wake-up call. Every injury I had ever had spoke to me. I thought I was in pretty good shape at 44, but my body’s ability to do those poses was beyond daunting… I hated it. There was a voice inside my head screaming, “Get me out of here!” But there was a more persistent little voice inside me that said, “You don’t have to like this, just do it.” I knew, in a way, that I would really regret it if I quit, so I made a deal with myself to keep going to yoga classes twice a week for a month. No judgments, no analysis, no deciding “like it or not”. So I prepaid the classes and brought my body to the yoga class. After that month, I was hooked. I highly recommend this approach… It changed my life.
Once you walk into yoga class, the next biggest challenge is self-acceptance. A yoga teacher of mine once said, “Start where you are and stay there.” Wise words and a great relief! After all, there is no other place to start than by accepting ourselves right where we are and realizing that we will never be exactly there again. Every yoga practice is different because we are different, day by day and minute by minute. One of the basic lessons we learn from a yoga practice is not to judge ourselves. For most of us, that’s hard. Our culture trains us to be competitive. We want to compare ourselves with each other, with the teacher, and especially with our image of what we think we should be able to do. If you want to enjoy your yoga practice, don’t judge! Observe yourself from within; explore sensations and new feelings. Experience yourself from the inside out.
Another big hurdle is overcoming yoga’s goal-oriented “Type A” approach to personality; the attitude that the body must fit perfectly and every pose must be the textbook ideal. Give up! It is not a good idea for several reasons. First, no body makes perfect poses. Not even the teacher, even if you think so at first. There is no perfect pose. Yoga is a process, not a goal. The perfect pose for your body is different from the perfect pose for my body or for any other body. The pose that is the most integrated and balanced, that gives you the best stretch and honors your body’s limits… that’s your perfect pose.
Second, yoga is a developmental process. The symbol of yoga is the Thousand Petaled Lotus which keeps opening its petals more and more towards its center. Every time you do a pose, it will be a little different, you will do it at a different level and from a different place within you. Allow for those changes and patiently allow yoga to take you to deeper levels of each pose as time goes on. After a while, you will discover that true yoga is not about the external form of the postures, it is about how you move the energy in your body to create them from the inside out.
And third, honor your body. It is not about reaching the limit in each pose. You will really regret it the next day! Yoga shouldn’t hurt, and it’s an inside job to determine whether or not he will experience pleasure or pain. You are in control here. The teacher speaks, you do the yoga with your body. Just as we psychologically resist being pushed too fast (Oh yeah? Try to force me!), our bodies also resist. So honor the limits of your body, don’t push; allow, breathe and soften the poses.
Keep in mind that there are as many different forms of Hatha Yoga (the physical path of yoga) as there are yoga teachers. Each teacher has a unique teaching style, approach and attitude, even if they have been trained in the same yoga lineage. It is important to find a teacher who is well trained and who inspires you. Find the teacher that suits your style and don’t be afraid to go to different classes and change teachers as your yoga practice develops.
Yoga is a wonderful journey of self-discovery. The way you approach your yoga practice is a microcosm of the way you approach your life. It is a true mirror, a deep learning and exploration in the depths of the soul. I wish you blessings on your yoga path and light on your journey back to your most beautiful and authentic self.
