The thing about yoga is, it isn’t just about breathing, or meditation, or doing asanas. It isn’t about lulu lemon, or how many Sun salutation A’s and B’s you can do.
It is a way of life.
You will hear it from me, time and time again. You will hear it from every yogi that practices. You will read it in every yoga book there is. Yoga is a way of life. Plain and simple. Is it the life? In many ways yes it is.
Yoga embodies every religion there is, because every religion embodies yoga.
In so many ways yoga has this unfair reputation of being about hocus pocus. And having these outlandish ideas.
In fact I have had Catholic friends ask, by my being certified in yoga, by my even PRACTICING it, if I am going against my religion.
And the only word I can give, very emphatically mind you is, “No.”
Today we dove deeply into the Sutras of Patanjali (and no they aren’t dirty sex secrets peeps). Which if you followed the stories about him, might seem a bit farfetched, but then quite a few stories in the bible, especially Old Testament could seem farfetched as well.
No, the Yoga Sutras, not unlike the Ten Commandments or Hammurabi’s Codes, are not so much rules, but guides on how to live. On how to better your life.
And in the world that we are living in, I think it could be agreed on, that we need all the help we can get.
Each Sutra, lord knows there are many, isn’t just about certain aspects of yoga (though it does talk about the eight limbs) but ways to improve your life. They are sutras that even if you do not practice yoga, you would do well to act upon, or at least think about.
They embody ourselves on how to be a better person. They also give our lives spirtual meanings.
Sitting there in that circle today and hearing my teacher talk about them, reflecting on what Pattanjali had written, was an enlighting experience.
It was also extremely emotion.
In so many ways it is funny because people say that this journey is emotional and in this first week of class, it is true. Many tears have been shrared. And I know in the weeks that will follow many more will continue.
But as we follow this path I know a lot of healing is going to continue. Not just healing but growth, love friendship, compassion, things that the sutras talk about but also that make this world a better place to live in. life better to bare with the heartaches it can offer.
This journey is still incredibly young, and my growth has only just begun, but already the changes I feel are truly life changing and reaffirming to me.
It is okay to love yourself. And to be yourself. And to embrace everything that life gives you. Good or bad, this journey, these sutras that we try to embrace, it is a constant evolution, a constant challenge and one that I am embracing fully.
Namaste peeps <3
