WHY YOGA? This is a tough question to answer because yoga is and can be so many things. To most, yoga is a workout, a form of exercise that provides results, be it ripped abs, strong and sexy arms and so on. For others, it is an investment in the mastering of the mind, understanding how to harness the minds strength and capacity while seeking knowledge and insight along the way. And for a lot of people these days, yoga is a way to reduce the stressors of life, to seek the very real and accessible health benefits yoga can offer and provide.
All you have to do is first be willing, willing to want to take care of yourself, willing to look at yourself and know it’s important and of value to you to step up and figure out the first steps in doing so. Once you are truly willing to see yourself as needing some specific attention or work in your life , then the next steps are pretty clear.
Next step is to figure out what your purpose in seeking yoga is. You’ve decided you want to take care of yourself, you’ve heard yoga can help, now what is it you want to work on in your life. The definition or meaning of yoga is union or to bring together, and what yoga is unifying and bringing together is your mind, your body and breath (some say spirit).
Is there a specific area you are concerned with you’d like to focus on? Are you looking to lose weight and get your body back in shape? Maybe you are having health issues related to stress and would like to learn how to manage the stress through yoga? Maybe your body is fine and you’ve got the stress under control but you’re very interested in seeking more peace and ‘enlightenment’, understanding spirituality, a more philosophical approach.
At this point it’s up to you, now that you’ve figured out what it is you want to focus on, take some time to search for a studio nearby or find something online, research books, instructors or maybe even a workshop nearby you. SHOW UP! That’s what yoga is all about, SHOWING UP FOR YOURSELF and DOING THE WORK as you are in the most honest way possible and in every aspect of your life!
So whatever it is that has drawn you to the awesome and very rewarding practice of yoga, be curious, have an open mind, show up, work hard, pay attention, be kind to yourself, practice patience and most of all enjoy the process as best you can, even those tough moments where it feels like shit and you want to quit, dig in and move through, you are the one who benefits from that effort!! Lastly, I believe you get out of this practice (whatever it is you’re working toward), what you put in. So if you half ass your way around the mat, or quit easily or have a negative attitude towards the work ahead, that is what you’ll reap :) But if you give it 100% and have an open mind and super positive and grateful attitude AND are content with being patient along the way, that is what you’ll reap … patience, gratitude, contentment, positivity, an open mind and maybe even feel bits of total satisfaction and fulfillment!
I am super grateful you landed here and hope some of what I said above is helpful or mildly inspires you to get YOUR practice started! Yoga can be rewarding in so many ways, the benefits are real and will help you to feel great in all aspects of your life, it just takes time. One important thing to consider that has helped me a lot over the years is that anything of value, quality and long term worth takes longer to cultivate, to build or to create. Whether it be a meal, a home, better body, your health, relationships or your mind, these are things that deserve your full attention and time. Other wise we tend to ‘hack’ our way through life, getting things done quickly that don’t last, eating fast food that is terrible for our bodies or only putting in partial efforts in our relationships, thus receiving sub par relationships. I think you get where I’m coming from, not lecturing, just sharing something for you to consider and possibly apply to your life and to your yoga practice.
Have the best day ever, with respect and gratitude, Robert.
