What Yoga Is and Is Not.
Know What you are getting into, it
might not be an “exercise class”!
YOGA IS NOT:
· A physical exercise class
· A religion
· Simple
· Being a contortionist
· A sport
· A quick fix to anything
· Something you master completely on any given day, there is no finish line.
YOGA IS:
· Moving Meditation.
· Focused Concentration and keen
awareness of mind and body.
· Control of the breath, with movement
synchronized to the breath: awareness always with the breath.
· Vinyasa- a flow through a series of
movements - One breath to one movement. An example is sun salutations. Vinyasa warms the body from inside and increases
meditative focus, awareness of the breath.
· Asanas- (“poses” and the movement
into, with-in and out of them) which build to more difficult Asanas, creating
greater freedom of mind and body.
· A process. Each movement towards,
with-in and transition out of an asana is a journey towards mind-body integration, flexibility and strength with-in that asana.
· Yoga is complex. This is why it is a
process! Usually a rather slow process in the beginning.
· Always a whole being (body-mind-emotions)
experience. Expect to change more than your body!
· Vinyasa and asana are only one of the
eight limbs of yoga Philosophy.
· The goal of yoga is no less than Enlightenment,
(knowledge/understanding/insight which brings freedom).
· The rewards are mastery over the mind and a strong, flexible, yet
supple, body.
· Yoga was originally created so that a person
could remain in seated, still in meditation without being distracted by
discomfort in the body.
· It is a philosophy. One branch of
Yoga, Devotion, can be devotion in
the religious sense, but this is a personal choice.
· Yoga has been attributed as great
tools for religion, or spiritual growth, no matter what faith or philosophy a
person believes. The practice of yoga as lifestyle is expanded understanding,
compassion, inner peace and peaceful conduct, eventually all of life becomes a
moving meditation
Namaste, Christina
