Yoga

What is yoga?  Yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj, means to yoke or bind and most often is interpreted as “union”.  Yoga is a union joining body, mind and spirit.  In class, you practice physical postures, breath control and meditation. Yoga can be a very physical practice or very gentle mindfulness practice and even just meditation.  What does yoga mean to me?  I love to have a very physical practice as I was first introduced to yoga by taking a power yoga training, so naturally with a background as a fitness instructor, the physical practice was second nature.  I love to build up a great sweat during class and leave feeling slightly fatigued.  When I was trained as a fitness instructor, it was almost like you had to teach the hardest, toughest class around to be respected or to be known as a great instructor.  If your students didn’t leave feeling exhausted and drenched in sweat, then you had not given them a good class.  But as I grew in my yoga practice, I learned that you don’t have to leave a yoga class feeling tired or even drenched in sweat (unless it was hot yoga) to leave fulfilled both physically and mentally.  When I was faced with a life threatening disorder in 2009, my yoga practice grew to a whole new level.  I had a cervical fusion which meant that I was in a hospital bed for 8 weeks unable to do any type of physical yoga practice at all.  In fact, doctors had basically told me that yoga may not be an option for me ever again.  But I knew that the “union” of body, mind and spirit meant that I could practice deep breathing as well as meditation while lying in the hospital bed.  That deeper practice brought me through a pretty tough time.   I am so thankful that even with limitations, I can still have a very physical practice, but I also know that I benefit more sometimes from a very gentle, mindful practice.